Countdown

by Deborah Wiles

Eleven year old Franny Chapman lives outside of Washington, DC, with her family in the summer of 1962. Her military father is stationed at Andrews Air Force base, so the events of that year are particularly scary for her. This is the age of the Cold War. She does air raid drills at school, her neighbors are talking about bomb shelters, and she's not sure what all of this means for her. Her older sister is acting weird--she has a secret, and her best friend seems to have decided she doesn't want to be her best friend anymore. Gives a close-up view of what it must have been like to grow up in this scary time in our nation's history. The cool thing about this book is its "documentary" style. Throughout the book you'll find photos, speeches, song lyrics, and more, that give us an authentic feel for the time period. This looks like a really long book, but make sure you flip through it before you dismiss it because you think it's too long! Definitely worth a read, and it will give you something to talk to your grandparents about!