Countdown by Deborah Wiley
This historical fiction book takes place in 1962 when fears of nuclear war with the Soviet Union framed the thoughts, feelings, and activities of Americans. The fictional story is told through the narrator, 12 year-old Franny Chapman who lives in Washington DC at the time of the Cuban Missile Crisis. Under the fear of what's happening in the nation under a new president, John F. Kennedy, Franny is trying to figure out life as an almost teenager and where she fits in her family and with her friends. I enjoy historical fiction, especially in more modern times, and I enjoyed living through the eyes of a girl during the "cold war" in Countdown. I would recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction and living through the life of a narrator, especially a young adult.
Deborah Wiley includes actual photos from the 1960s so that the reader can better visualize what was happening at the time this book is set. You can learn more about Deborah Wiley on her home page and even listen to songs that are included in the book on Deborah Wiley's Home Page. She plans to write two more books related to Countdown to create a trilology.