School Library Journal Review
Gr 4-7-In simple, informal prose and large text, Krull relates the story of the notorious 1938 radio broadcast of an adaptation of H. G. Wells's The War of the Worlds. The whimsical cover art and cartoon illustrations featuring octopuslike Martians will no doubt draw in readers and help sustain their attention. The author presumes readers have no prior knowledge of the legendary performance by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theatre Players or of the historical context that contributed to the subsequent panic. Much of this supporting information is related through sidebars, which saves the lively narrative from becoming pedantic. By drawing a parallel between the nascent medium of radio in the 1930s and the Internet today, Krull introduces some timelessly relevant points about media literacy and critical thinking as she gently compels readers to consider the psychological dynamic that could make so many interpret fiction as fact, both then and now. This fast-paced, fun historical treatment is an alien invasion in itself; a cunning educational sneak attack on the often impenetrably apathetic atmosphere of the dreaded "Planet Kid."-Jeffrey Hastings, Highlander Way Middle School, Howell, MI (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Horn Book Review
This fast-paced book describes the events of October 30, 1938, when an Orson Welles radio production of H. G. Wells's [cf2]The War of the Worlds[cf1] caused a nationwide panic. Featuring humorous black-and-white images, the entertaining narrative offers explanations--e.g., the era's breakneck technological developments--for why some listeners believed that an alien invasion was plausible. Reading list, websites. (c) Copyright 2010. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
