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hidingzeus's review
3.0
Excellent. Much better and more interesting than I thought a book taking place during the Cuban Missile Crisis would be.
#readathon
#readathon
mindfullibrarian's review
5.0
In the opinion of this former reading teacher/current school librarian, this documentary novel should be required reading for every middle school student in the U.S. The story was riveting and kid-friendly, and the accompanying historical documentation was precisely the type of multimodal text that our students desperately need in our quest for college and career readiness. Can I give it a 6th star?
sarahannkateri's review
3.0
Hmm... I liked Franny's story and found the vintage scrapbook sections and descriptions of American life during the 1960s very interesting, but for some reason I just didn't love this book. It seems like I'm definitely in the minority here, so maybe it's just because middle grade fiction isn't my thing.
Good for tween/young teen girls who like historical fiction, and kids who are doing school reports on the early '60s.
Good for tween/young teen girls who like historical fiction, and kids who are doing school reports on the early '60s.
jcarsrud's review
4.0
This story follows Franny in early 1960's. She is a very lovable character growing up during an interesting time in American history. This book has lots of pictures, events, and quotes tucked between the story that help set the scene.
I listened to this book in the summer of 2019 and really enjoyed the narration of this with different voices reading the picture captions. It added a theatrical feel to the book.
I listened to this book in the summer of 2019 and really enjoyed the narration of this with different voices reading the picture captions. It added a theatrical feel to the book.
bak8382's review against another edition
4.0
It's October of 1962, and on top of problems with her family and friends, not to mention the cute guy who just moved back in, Franny has to deal with air raid drills and the Cuban Missile crisis. Luckily she's got her dog Jack to help her muddle through.
Bits of historical facts, quotations, and pictures are seamlessly integrated into the novel, which does make one question how that will translate to audio. Luckily this is a fantastic audio production. Music and different actors/narrators are used for the historical facts, while Emma Galvin does a lovely job of voicing Franny. It's an accessible and interesting story that's never overwhelmed by the facts.
Bits of historical facts, quotations, and pictures are seamlessly integrated into the novel, which does make one question how that will translate to audio. Luckily this is a fantastic audio production. Music and different actors/narrators are used for the historical facts, while Emma Galvin does a lovely job of voicing Franny. It's an accessible and interesting story that's never overwhelmed by the facts.
lornarei's review
4.0
Having only been a baby during the Cuban Missile Crisis, I have no memory of it, but it sounds like it must have been a really intense couple of weeks. Guess I should ask my parents about it sometime! I enjoyed the nonfiction sections between the chapters and if you gave it some thought, the song lyrics made sense with the action most of the time. Even if kids don't fully grasp all the filler sections, they at least might enjoy the short breaks in "reading". My only complaint -- and it is minor -- is Franny "telegraphed" too much. It was cute at first, but it got repetitious after awhile to me. Loved it and can't wait for the next one!
afro8921's review
4.0
This novel is a unique blend of childhood angst and historical narratives. Frannie is an normal 11-year old girl during the Cuban Missile Crisis. I love the way Ms. Wiles weaves the historical voices of President John F. Kennedy,Chairman Khrushchev, and Public Service Announcements into Frannie's narrative. Viewing the world through Frannie's eyes gave mad the Cuban Missile Crisis seem more real. I also absolutely loved how Frannie's character would try to "telegraph" her thoughts to those around her.
sc104906's review
4.0
This was a phenomenal audiobook!
Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Franny exposes what life was like for a 12 year old girl during the 1960s. Franny is attempting to grow up, while her family and the world are both in crisis. Franny's uncle has recently returned home from war and is experiencing PTSD. Her younger brother is terrified that he will die from nuclear fallout. Her older sister has gone to college and joined the civil rights movement. Franny just wants to get the boy she likes to notice her.
This novel included songs, advertisements and PSAs from the time. It was an immersive historical novel. Franny and her family were fun and easy to love. She deals with issues specific to the time, but she also deals with issues that transcend time. It is easy to connect to this novel. Wonderful.
Set during the Cuban Missile Crisis, Franny exposes what life was like for a 12 year old girl during the 1960s. Franny is attempting to grow up, while her family and the world are both in crisis. Franny's uncle has recently returned home from war and is experiencing PTSD. Her younger brother is terrified that he will die from nuclear fallout. Her older sister has gone to college and joined the civil rights movement. Franny just wants to get the boy she likes to notice her.
This novel included songs, advertisements and PSAs from the time. It was an immersive historical novel. Franny and her family were fun and easy to love. She deals with issues specific to the time, but she also deals with issues that transcend time. It is easy to connect to this novel. Wonderful.
sarah_vollmer's review
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
blevins's review
4.0
Highly enjoyable YA book that put me into the world of an 11 year old girl [a natural fit for me, ha!] in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis. I listened to the audio book on the commute and Emma Galvin does a terrific job translating that world, era and group of mostly young people from the page into the audio realm. The book has a bunch of snippets from the era with faux ads, news reports, history lessons and all kinds of things and at first, I found them entertaining, but as the story wound on, kind of wish they would have disappeared as I got more into the story of this kid worried about the atom bomb, dealt with issues with her best friend, her family and crushing on the cute boy across the street. Well done by Deborah Wiles and Galvin.