Books with title Countdown: August

Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall. It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn';t know how to deal with what's going on in the world - no more than she knows how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it through. A note from the author: Countdown is a documentary novel. It contains scrapbooks with visual elements - photographs, song lyrics, newspaper articles from 1962, and more. I wanted readers to see young Franny's world, to feel it, to taste it, and I deliberately chose Listening Library to bring the scrapbooks and the story alive for readers by letting them hear what 1962 sounded like. I was totally blown over by this audio homage to the early sixties, as well as how faithful they were to the spirit of the scrapbooks, from the crackle in Khrushchev's long-distance transmissions, to the thrill of John F. Kennedy's rhetoric. From the crack of the bat and the swell of the crowd as Sandy Koufax pitched a no-hitter, to the ominous explosion of a nuclear bomb. Typewriters, air raid sirens, jaunty Duck-and-Cover jingles; it's all there, offering a world that the page alone cannot convey. And then there is the marvelous Emma Galvin as Franny; a snappy, snazzy, and, above all, earnest young girl in love with the world, on the cusp of growing up, and hoping she lives to see that day. Pitch perfect.

Fourteen-year-olds Elliot and Vincent live worlds apart, but both dream of a better life. Learning to run the Montana ranch that he will some day inherit, Elliot dreams of being an astronaut. In Africa, Vincent must deny his thirst for knowledge of the world beyond his village in order to become a Masai warrior. Forced to quit school, his only link to the outside world is a short wave radio. The boys find each other when NASA chooses Elliot to be its first Junior Astronaut. As Elliot hurtles through space over Africa, Vincent picks him up on the short wave radio. At first their communications, monitored by the news media, are fraught with misunderstanding. But as they learn about each other's culture, their friendship captures the world's attention and promises hope for the future. George Guidall's narrative expertise instantly gets listeners involved in this fast-paced coming-of-age tale. They are sure to absorb its inspiring message about the value of communication among cultures.

Three seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped. Two pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game. Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything - until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis. One reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan, even though both their lives depend on it. Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove evermore deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape. GAME OVER.

Four starred reviews greeted this new, groundbreaking classic from Deborah Wiles!Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall.It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn't know how to deal with what's going on in the world--no more than she knows with how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it.

Four starred reviews greeted this new, groundbreaking classic from Deborah Wiles!Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall.It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn't know how to deal with what's going on in the world--no more than she knows with how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it.

Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that's hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall. It's 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn't know how to deal with what's going on in the world -- no more than she knows how to deal with what's going on with her family and friends. But somehow she's got to make it through. Featuring a captivating story interspersed with footage from 1962, award-winning author Deborah Wiles has created a documentary novel that will put you right alongside Franny as she navigates a dangerous time in both her history and our history.

3 seconds left to live. Once the countdown starts, it cannot be stopped. 2 pawns thrown into a brutal underground reality game. Kira Jordan survived her family's murder and months on plague-devastated city streets with hard-won savvy and a low-level psi ability. She figures she can handle anything. Until she wakes up in a barren room, chained next to the notorious Rogan Ellis. 1 reason Kira will never, ever trust Rogan. Even though both their lives depend on it. Their every move is controlled and televised for a vicious exclusive audience. And as Kira's psi skill unexpectedly grows and Rogan's secrets prove ever more deadly, Kira's only chance of survival is to risk trusting him as much as her instincts. Even if that means running head-on into the one trap she can't escape. GAME 0VER

Named to the 2019 Green Earth Book Award Long List, which is bestowed annually to children’s and young adult literature that best convey the message of environmental stewardship.The fate of the planet hinges on the words of one girl.Polar ice caps are melting. Whole ecosystems are being destroyed. Wildlife is being carelessly slaughtered.Eighteen-year-old Skye Van Bloem didn't create the environmental crisis facing our planet, but she’s angry about it. What upsets her the most is that with the exception of her two best friends hardly anyone else on Earth seems to care.But Skye's about to discover that she's not alone. A race of technologically advanced aliens called Beholders have offered the animals of Earth a chance to determine the fate of the biggest threat facing the planet: humanity itself. According to an unlikely emissary from the animal world—a snarky prairie dog—only Skye can convince them that humans can change and start protecting the environment instead of destroying it.Now, nothing is as it seemed. As Skye’s adventures take her from the mountains of Colorado to the forests and fiords of New Zealand, she’s not sure who she can trust—her own grandmother, new friends, strange animal guides, or the handsome Beholder who just might be in love with her. But Skye’s biggest worry is herself: can someone as skeptical of humankind as she is become their greatest champion?She doesn't have long to decide. The countdown has started.

Named to the 2019 Green Earth Book Award Long List, which is bestowed annually to children’s and young adult literature that best convey the message of environmental stewardship.The fate of the planet hinges on the words of one girl.Polar ice caps are melting. Whole ecosystems are being destroyed. Wildlife is being carelessly slaughtered.Eighteen-year-old Skye Van Bloem didn't create the environmental crisis facing our planet, but she’s angry about it. What upsets her the most is that with the exception of her two best friends hardly anyone else on Earth seems to care.But Skye's about to discover that she's not alone. A race of technologically advanced aliens called Beholders have offered the animals of Earth a chance to determine the fate of the biggest threat facing the planet: humanity itself. According to an unlikely emissary from the animal world—a snarky prairie dog—only Skye can convince them that humans can change and start protecting the environment instead of destroying it.Now, nothing is as it seemed. As Skye’s adventures take her from the mountains of Colorado to the forests and fiords of New Zealand, she’s not sure who she can trust—her own grandmother, new friends, strange animal guides, or the handsome Beholder who just might be in love with her. But Skye’s biggest worry is herself: can someone as skeptical of humankind as she is become their greatest champion?She doesn't have long to decide. The countdown has started. Get ready for Book Two, a climate dystopia, out in March 2020!

Franny Chapman just wants some peace. But that’s hard to get when her best friend is feuding with her, her sister has disappeared, and her uncle is fighting an old war in his head. Her saintly younger brother is no help, and the cute boy across the street only complicates things. Worst of all, everyone is walking around just waiting for a bomb to fall.It’s 1962, and it seems that the whole country is living in fear. When President Kennedy goes on television to say that Russia is sending nuclear missiles to Cuba, it only gets worse. Franny doesn’t know how to deal with what’s going on in the world—no more than she knows how to deal with what’s going on with her family and friends. But somehow she’s got to make it through.Award-winning author Deborah Wiles has created a documentary novel that will put you right alongside Franny as she navigates a dangerous time in both her history and our history. It is an experience you will never forget.