I’m batting last in the blog tour line-up, and couldn’t be more pleased to have the final words on SPOOKED! and its arrival for all to enjoy.

Just what is real and what is made up? Our youth are growing up with reminders of don’t believe everything you read on the Internet! In fact hoaxes and the so-called Fake News attribute is nothing new. One of the biggest occurred almost 80 years ago on the night of October 30, 1938.

This exhaustively researched book brings full understanding to the panic spread during and after a radio dramatization of Orson Welles’ The War of the Worlds. Who would ever believe the United States was under alien attack? Many did that night and chaos ensued.

Before or after reading Gail Jarrow’s enthralling account of the planning, inception, and after effects of the dramatic presentation, sneak  over and listen to the original hour long broadcast. Back then there was no Internet or television, no cell phones by your side 24 hours a day. What you did have was maybe a home telephone and a radio for entertainment and communication.

The book is intended for ages 10-14, but older teens and adults would also benefit. Critical thinking comes front and center with a natural comparison to the events of that night and our world today. Throughout are pictures (Including classics of Orson Welles and his then partner, John Houseman) and illustrations from H.G. Wells original work. Each personality is fully explored and an understanding of their intentions are brought forth through the text.

A timeline and one of the most detailed set of Source Notes and Bibliography support this as a definitive account of the fictional invasion of America. History truly comes to life in the 144 pages and books like this help keep our past relevant for current and future generations.

Here’s the official background from Boyd’s Mills Press/ Calkins Creek:

Acclaimed author Gail Jarrow explores in riveting detail the famous War of the Worlds radio broadcast from 1938, in this nonfiction title. Jarrow highlights the artists behind the broadcast, the broadcast itself, the aftermath, and the repercussions which remain relevant today. On the night of October 30, 1938, thousands of Americans panicked when they believed that Martians had invaded Earth. What appeared to be breaking news about an alien invasion was, in fact, a radio drama based on H. G. Wells’s War of the Worlds, performed by Orson Welles and his Mercury Theatre players. Some listeners became angry once they realized they had been tricked, and the reaction to the broadcast sparked a national discussion about fake news, propaganda, and the role of radio. Archival photographs and images, as well as an author’s note, timeline, bibliography, and index round out this stellar nonfiction title.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Gail Jarrow is the author of many popular nonfiction books, including Red Madness, Fatal Fever, and Bubonic Panic. Her books have received numerous starred reviews, awards, and distinctions, including Best Book awards from the New York Public Library, School Library Journal, the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, Kirkus Reviews, and the National Science Teachers Association.

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Coming up next week is another MARVELOUS MIDDLE GRADE MONDAY.

If you would like to join in the MMGM fun, all you have to do is blog about a middle grade book you love on a Monday (contests, author interviews and whatnot also count–but are most definitely not required). Email me the title of the book you’re featuring and a link to your blog at gpcolo (at) gmail (dot) com by Sunday evening (11 PM Eastern Time) in order to be included in the list of links for the coming Monday.

 (Make sure you put MMGM or Marvelous Middle Grade Monday in the subject line so it gets sorted accurately–and please don’t forget to say what book you’re featuring).

Thank you so much for being a part of this awesome tradition begun by Shannon Messenger and for spreading the middle grade love!

*Please note: these posts are not a reflection of my own opinions on the books featured. Each blogger is responsible for their own MMGM content and I do not pre-screen reviews ahead of time, nor do I control what books they choose. I simply assemble the list based on the links that are emailed to me.