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A review by the_fabric_of_words
Spooked!: How a Radio Broadcast and the War of the Worlds Sparked the 1938 Invasion of America by Gail Jarrow
5.0
I decided to review this non-fiction book because I taught War of the Worlds, the radio script, to my 7th grade English classes. I know excerpts are often included in textbooks and it can be a wonderful introduction to readers theater for students who are reluctant to read scripts.
The book has a little bit about everything in it related to the radio play. There's an excellent introduction, followed by biographies of: Orson Wells; John Houseman, the producer; Howard Koch, the script writer; H.G. Wells, the novel's author; and Anne Froelick, who transcribed the written script and made additions and edits of her own.
There's an excellent examination of the setting, in the midst of the Depression in the late 1930s. It recounts the explosion of the Hindenburg in New Jersey, which had been broadcast via radio news bulletins, as well as accounts of Hitler and Germany's actions and aggressions leading up to WWII. It explores how scientists had previously floated the idea of life on Mars, despite not having any real concrete evidence.
There's a great account of how the Mercury Theater folks planned to update and write the script, but the idea was initially rejected by Wells as being potentially "boring." It was then re-written (and students do need to hear more stories of how famous literary works get re-written) several times and finished right before the deadline -- about a day before they went on-air with it.
Then, there's an excellent account of the broadcast, as it unfolded, and the panic it caused. There's a fairly good review of opposing views that the radio show didn't really have that big an impact and much of the "panic" was hyped by newspapers and periodicals trying to sell copies.
It also briefly goes into other popular "hoaxes" of the late 1800s to early 1900s, and there's an excellent timeline and annotated list of online and other resources for students to explore.
I offer additional FREE teaching resources for the radio play on my blog, The Fabric of Words, https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
The book has a little bit about everything in it related to the radio play. There's an excellent introduction, followed by biographies of: Orson Wells; John Houseman, the producer; Howard Koch, the script writer; H.G. Wells, the novel's author; and Anne Froelick, who transcribed the written script and made additions and edits of her own.
There's an excellent examination of the setting, in the midst of the Depression in the late 1930s. It recounts the explosion of the Hindenburg in New Jersey, which had been broadcast via radio news bulletins, as well as accounts of Hitler and Germany's actions and aggressions leading up to WWII. It explores how scientists had previously floated the idea of life on Mars, despite not having any real concrete evidence.
There's a great account of how the Mercury Theater folks planned to update and write the script, but the idea was initially rejected by Wells as being potentially "boring." It was then re-written (and students do need to hear more stories of how famous literary works get re-written) several times and finished right before the deadline -- about a day before they went on-air with it.
Then, there's an excellent account of the broadcast, as it unfolded, and the panic it caused. There's a fairly good review of opposing views that the radio show didn't really have that big an impact and much of the "panic" was hyped by newspapers and periodicals trying to sell copies.
It also briefly goes into other popular "hoaxes" of the late 1800s to early 1900s, and there's an excellent timeline and annotated list of online and other resources for students to explore.
I offer additional FREE teaching resources for the radio play on my blog, The Fabric of Words, https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/