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A review by 19paws
Countdown by Deborah Wiles
5.0
Where is that half-star rating when you need it? I read this book a few weeks ago and was all five-stars about it. And then I read one of the author’s earlier books, [b:Each Little Bird That Sings|428035|Each Little Bird That Sings|Deborah Wiles|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1174668442s/428035.jpg|1149154], which touched my heart so deeply that all other books have slid down a notch in my estimation. But just a little notch, and I did love this book. It’s 4 ¾ stars so it’s only fair to round up.
The author notes that this story of the Cuban Missile Crisis began as a picture book. It grew into a novel for young people interspersed with a scrapbook of photos and quotes from the time period, and short history lessons told as biographies. It’s a testament to the editor, I would imagine, that all of these pieces of the book come together in a way that never feels disjointed. The story is good, the history lessons are wonderful, and the photos are pure magic.
I think I’m a few years younger than Deborah Wiles, so many of the things that are vivid memories for her are only vague ones for me. I remember heading down to the basement of our elementary school during air raid drills, but I was fuzzy on the details about why we did that. And I don’t remember ever ducking and covering beneath my classroom desk. I had older brothers, though, so I know every word of every song mentioned in the book. And most of the details of everyday life felt immediately recognizable and very real. I think most people who remember the early ‘60s at all will enjoy this book. And the good news is that it’s the first in a trilogy.
The author notes that this story of the Cuban Missile Crisis began as a picture book. It grew into a novel for young people interspersed with a scrapbook of photos and quotes from the time period, and short history lessons told as biographies. It’s a testament to the editor, I would imagine, that all of these pieces of the book come together in a way that never feels disjointed. The story is good, the history lessons are wonderful, and the photos are pure magic.
I think I’m a few years younger than Deborah Wiles, so many of the things that are vivid memories for her are only vague ones for me. I remember heading down to the basement of our elementary school during air raid drills, but I was fuzzy on the details about why we did that. And I don’t remember ever ducking and covering beneath my classroom desk. I had older brothers, though, so I know every word of every song mentioned in the book. And most of the details of everyday life felt immediately recognizable and very real. I think most people who remember the early ‘60s at all will enjoy this book. And the good news is that it’s the first in a trilogy.