Anthem

The Sixties Trilogy #3

by Deborah Wiles

From two-time National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles, the remarkable story of two cousins who must take a road trip across American in 1969 in order to let a teen know he's been drafted to fight in Vietnam. This is the masterful story of what it's like to be young and American in troubled times.

It's 1969.

Molly is a girl who's not sure she can feel anything anymore, because life sometimes hurts way too much. Her brother Barry ran away after having a fight with their father over the war in Vietnam. Now Barry's been drafted into that war—and Molly's mother tells her she has to travel across the country in an old school bus to find Barry and bring him home.

Norman is Molly's slightly older cousin, who drives the old school bus. He's a drummer who wants to find his own music out in the world—because then he might not be the "normal Norman" that he fears he's become. He's not sure about this trip across the country . . . but his own mother makes it clear he doesn't have a choice.

Molly and Norman get on the bus—and end up seeing a lot more of America that they'd ever imagined. From protests and parades to roaring races and rock 'n' roll, the cousins make their way to Barry in San Francisco, not really knowing what they'll find when they get there.

As she did in her other epic novels Countdown and Revolution, two-time National Book Award finalist Deborah Wiles takes the pulse of an era . . . and finds the multitude of heartbeats that lie beneath it.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Young Adult, Middle Grade, Historical, Music, Fiction, Adventure

Hardcover

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Deborah Wiles is the author of several highly acclaimed books, including the beloved Love, Ruby Lavender and two National Book Award finalists–Each Little Bird That Sings and Revolution. Her first picture book, Freedom Summer, received the Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Award. She is also an NAACP Book Award finalist, E.B. White Award winner, Golden Kite Award winner, Jane Addams Peace Award Finalist, and recipient of a PEN Phyllis Reynolds Naylor Working Writer Fellowship. Her most recent novel is for young adults, Kent State. Her newest picture book, Simple Thanks, was published in 2024. She lives in Atlanta, Georgia. You can visit her on the web at deborahwiles.com, write with her at Storybelly.com, and follow her on social media platforms at @deborahwilesbooks.

Reviews

[Leonard Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

One thing that's largely gone missing from my reading since I turned to children's literature several years ago are the crazy ambitious attempts at the Great American Novel. Franzen's Freedom had been called that, and I read that in 2010, so it's been a while. I don't miss reading fiction "for adults" but I reflected on this while tearing through Anthem in a white-hot blaze. Wiles in this book, and in her Sixties Trilogy, may be the only children's lit writer with the ambition and passion and ability to attempt the Great American Children's Novel.

Anthem is written like high fantasy, feeling more like Alexander's The High King than historical fiction. And yes it occasionally careens and preaches and is utterly non-credible. But that's typical of Great American Novels, a genre never characterized by caution and rectitude. For various reasons, Anthem may not get the recognition it deserves. It may not even be the best book of the year. But I have no hesitation in saying Wiles' trilogy is one of the towering achievements in children's literature and nobody else could have done it.

[Ms. B · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a road trip!
Fourteen year-old Molly and her slightly older cousin Norman go on a trip across the county in a bus in the summer of 1968. Charleston, SC to San Francisco, CA and back again. Rhe goal is to bring home Barry, their brother/cousin. Imagine the freedom, there are no parents and no chaperones. Both teens love music and their trip turns into a musical journey as they stop in Atlanta to listen to the Allman Brothers, meet Elvis and the Assoication in LA.
If someone is looking for something that catches the spirit of the 60s or loves the songs of the sixties, give this title to them.

[Victor The Reader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Serving as the third and final part of Wiles’ Sixties trilogy, it ends it very well. During the end of the sixties, Molly and her brother Norman must embark on a road trip to San Francisco where her other brother left their home to draft into the Vietnam War, and their trip ends up becoming one thru history. In my opinion, it’s the best entry for having a focus on music during that era. While also being a great adventure with a few surprises, the book also provides something of a list of classic songs with some done by The Grateful Dead, Led Zeppelin, Santana, The Monkees and Little Richard. A road trip that becomes an interesting trip thru America. A- (91%/Excellent)

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

This documentary style historical fiction novel is the third in Wiles' 60's trilogy. I highly recommend this for children 6th grade and up as well as adults. Anthem is set in 1969, when so much was going on, so much that would change our country. Deborah Wiles story is well researched and written, incorporating the music of 1969 beautifully along with news clippings and photos. Read while listening to the Spotify playlist that was created for the book. Amazing.

[DaNae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't know when I've enjoyed a reading experience more!

Cousins Molly and Norman set off across America in 1969 on a rescue mission. A full cast of musical icons cross their paths, each more implausible than the one before, including a cameo in Memphis by the bit E himself, because - why not! I wanted to be skeptical but after a while I just lapped it all up and let the Forrest-Gump-of-it-all wash over me.

The best thing was the playlist. Each chapter had a song assigned to it and you better believe I typed each and every one into my musical app.

So, so much fun!

On a personal note, I was but bitty child at the time and lived with parents who couldn't have had more disdain for 'dirty hippies' and their culture. But I was thrilled that a bunch of them celebrated by sixth birthday with an epic bus race. (A race the grown-up mother in me screamed allowed while reading. Good thing that tent was empty!)

Still, really, really fun!

[Tamara York · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding final installment of the Sixties Trilogy! I loved learning all about the sixties music scene. The Vietnam War was covered from many different facets. It’s quite a loaded subject and Wiles tackled it with skill and nuance. Highly recommend for middle school and up. I enjoyed the audio paired with flipping along in the physical copy to see all of the photos and quotes throughout.

[Kay Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like half novel and half documentary.It is set in the summer of 1969. It is the story of a 13 year old girl and her 17 year old cousin who drive cross country on a school bus to find her older brother who has left home in fear of the draft. The book is extremely well researched and each stop along the way highlights some social problem, issue or change which the teens find themselves learning about during that summer. They would meet all these characters - sort of Odyssey like - which would represent some facet of life in the late 60s. The backbone of the book is music - the boy is a drummer and along the way they stop to hear famous or soon to be famous bands in various venues. The hard copy book includes at least a hundred photos and quotes from the era which adds to the feeling of authenticity. And each chapter (47 of them) is named for a song from that time. The author's web site has a Spotify playlist of all the songs which I kept listening to after i would read a section. It really brought home how important music was in reflecting the changing times in the late sixties.

[CLM · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was unexpectedly captivated by this book:

https://perfectretort.blogspot.com/20...

[Hannah · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was disappointing to me. A lot of it seemed forced by having them pick up hitchhikers along the way and then they inexplicably leave when they haven’t reached their destination. I didn’t feel any connections with the characters and I feel like they flip flopped a lot on their feelings that were rushed through and didn’t make sense why they had the sudden change of heart. I didn’t see a whole lot of growth in the characters either and wasn’t a fan of all of the music references and how they had to take a side journey for all of the music options. Liked the other books in the trilogy, but this one was disappointing to end on.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: It’s been so long since I’ve felt something.

Premise/plot: Set in June 1969, Anthem is the final book in the Sixties trilogy by Deborah Wiles. Each book has a different setting and a different narrator. But there are connections for the observant reader.

Molly and Norman are the two main narrators in Anthem. They are cousins soon to be embarking on a long road trip across America. The mission? To track down Molly’s brother, Barry, last known residence, San Francisco, California. Their starting destination is Charleston, South Carolina. Barry has received notice that he’s to report for his physical. Can an official draft notice be far behind? Barry ran away from home cutting nearly all ties with his family...at least his immediate family. Is there a happy outcome possible?

Molly is fourteen, this road trip provides quite an amazing and literal coming of age journey.

My thoughts: Did I find this to be a satisfying conclusion to the series as a whole? Yes! I don’t want to spoil any details about this particular book but readers get a small glimpse of how the Chapman family is doing. Molly and Norman meet Mr. Chapman, Jo Ellen, and Drew!!! Franny is mentioned as being in high school. Readers also get a chance to reconnect with Ray, a young black man whom we met in the second book.

Can each book stand alone? I definitely think so. Each one is set in a different city, state, even year. The connections with previous titles are brief, in passing.

Anthem begins each chapter with a song title and a few details about the song’s recording. I like this idea! If I had more energy, I would look up these songs on YouTube and possibly create a playlist.

Anthem like previous books is a documentary novel. It includes tons of photographs, a few quotes, but no biographical sketches. The first book is a coming of age novel focusing on the Cold War. The second book is a coming of age novel focusing on the civil rights movement. The third book is a coming of age novel focusing on the Vietnam War.

The theme or one of the themes at least seems to be the importance of actually listening to one another. Molly struggles with discerning what is right and wrong or perhaps who is right and who is wrong. The two sides are hostile—extremely so. The other side isn’t just wrong, they’re evil, representing everything that is wrong with the world. Sound familiar?!

Molly meets and talks with dozens of people on her journey—each one offers a perspective of the times, the war. Molly has a lot to think about, but ultimately she cannot choose for her brother.

While the other two books in the series have a strong spiritual faith element, God seems, emphasis on seems, to be absent in this one. I will admit that it isn’t easy to find God in the pages of this one. Molly and Norman seem to draw most of their hope from the music they listen to. Songs are challenging, encouraging, inspiring, and in some cases distracting them—and to some degree an entire generation.

I think if you search long and hard one could pull together discussion questions with a spiritual slant or focus. The Bible, for example, has a good deal to say about how children treat parents, parents treat children, about how we treat one another, and even how we live under the authority of government. The ethical questions brought up in Anthem can fuel discussion.

I do think the book is relevant still. For people still hotly disagree about how to respond, how to react, how to act with people, with institutions, with policies, with politics, with agendas that they disagree with. People still demonize those they disagree with. Civility seems to have once again gone with the wind.

[Katja · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars, rounded up.
I don't like road trip stories. It always feels like a badly put together D&D adventure story: "You go to A and meet X, then you go to B and battle Y after which you proceed to C and encounter Z" etc.

I am a huge fan of the first two instalments in Deborah Wiles' Sixties Trilogy, and I understand why she chose the format "road trip" for the third volume "Anthem" that depicts the hippie era, the Vietnam war, the student protests, the Space Race, the counter-culture communes in the "Age of Aquarius" and above all, the all powerful music from the late sixties. The characters were able to meet interesting side characters from all walks of life and sub-cultures, there was some coming-of-age in there, some redemption and a (for me) surprising ending.

So I'd say all in all Wiles pulled it off and gives the reader a nice overview and feeling for this exciting time in American history. Still, thanks to my deep dislike of the master plot "road trip" it wasn't as good as the first two. I also thought the two main characters were sweet and nicely fleshed out, but they were not as complex as Wiles' usual "jump in your face" characters and especially Molly was a bit too tame for my taste (again, I know why Wiles did that, Molly was a good counter-point to the more "out there" characters she and Norman encounter on the road), but I kept on wishing for the usual feistiness in Wiles' books, which I think are a special strength of her writing.

Recommended only in combination with the first two books in the series and for any lover of sixties music.

[Janet · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much to say about this. It's been a long time since I read the first two books of the trilogy, but this one does stand alone. It's been on one of my tbr shelves for 6 years, almost as if it knew that there would be the right time to read it. In 1969, the year of the book, I had just turned 20 and was graduating from college a year early. I grew up in the then very conservative Texas Panhandle (I had to laugh at the description of it in the book), a now deeply MAGA area. I was lucky to be raised by parents who were liberal, who taught us to think.) Almost very page and every picture of this book is part of my history, my youth. I remember a Vietnam protest at Texas Tech (also a very conservative area), a vigil for Kent State. But what hit hardest about this book is seeing that all these rights that we fought so hard for are very quickly being taken away. I'm old now. Most of my fighting is not in person but in support for people and groups who are still fighting. I loved the music; I don't remember all of the songs, but I was more "in" to folk music and ballads than hard rock, but even the songs that I don't remember, I know the groups. This book was a hard read because it made me remember being young and makes me said about the country we have become.
(As usual, not a review, but a meditation.)

[Jean-Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 12-year-old and I had so much fun on our cross country trip with cousins Molly and Norman. Anthem is the perfect final touch to the The Sixties Trilogy. While there are some theme and character crossovers from the first two books, this book is a unique addition to the series. Fitting for the 1969 timeline it covers, there's a focus on music from the late sixties. Each chapter is named after a song that relates to the content or mood of its corresponding chapter. One of our favorite things about this novel is the playlist. My son and I made good use of our Amazon Dot, listening to all of the featured songs as we read along. This well-researched historical fiction series is an excellent family read with middle schoolers and young teens. It is a great opportunity to discuss all the social, political, and cultural shifts that happened during this pivotal decade. I love this trilogy and would definitely recommend it.

[Danielle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this one a lot more than I did. I thought Countdown was great. I thought Revolution was better. And this one? It was okay, but it felt long at times. Maybe it was the timing of when I read it (right as the school year got started).

I still think it could be a cool option to let students choose from any of the books in the trilogy and then set them up in book clubs where everyone has read the same title and book clubs where everyone had a different title to look for the overlap.

I liked how this book had song titles for each chapter, and I appreciated the balance of ideas on to go to Vietnam or not. I felt like Wiles did a great job of sharing the complexity behind Vietnam that split our country and families.

[Kathy (Bermudaonion) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[Ary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I DESPISED NORMAN AND THAT ENDING WAS BAD overall a 4/5 u should read

[Sophia Schilling · Rating 5 out of 5]

MY ABSOLUTE FAVOURITE OUT OF THE TRILOGY. I loves loves loves the music focus in this book. How the chapters come with songs and how they take up the drum side quest and dealing with maturing over one long roadtrip.

[Jack · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book kept me interested the entire time and at points was emotional. The music part of the book was really nice and I liked that aspect of the book. The characters were likable and were easy to relate to. The theme I learned from this book is the heart cannot be heal

[Stephanie Bange · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed from an ARC.

Wiles completes her trilogy about The Sixties, this one is set in 1969.

Molly and her cousin Norman drive Norman's old school bus out to San Francisco to find Molly's brother, Barry, and bring him home. Barry has received a notice from the Draft Board to report for his physical. Along the way, they meet a host of amazing musicians and characters from the time period.

Each chapter opens with the name of a song, the composer/lyricist, performer, where it was recorded, and the name of the drummer. The song sets the tone for the story and clues the reader on what will happen. Why the drummer mention? Norman is an aspiring drummer. Wiles wisely uses her two main characters to tell the story of their trip west, alternating between the two. This is clearly delineated. Characters are well-developed, exhibiting a maturity and focus on their task that is strong. Wiles brilliantly makes Molly go through the entire story to see her brother for what he is, not as the idealized hero she remembers. My only hesitation is Molly's acceptance of Isabella; it was a bit too polite for the time. The serendipity of the musicians the two meet in their trip west is at times a stretch. They just happen to run into just the right people at just the right time. It makes for a good story.

As she did with others in the series, Wiles includes pages and pages of B&W photos at the beginning of each division of the book; these photos from the time period give the reader visual peeks into the time and provide a touchstone for the action in the story.

Wiles has penned a satisfying conclusion to her series. While each stands alone, together they give an excellent snapshot of the turbulence and times.

This would pair well with Todd Strasser's Summer of '69 (Candlewick, c2019), as both demonstrate the effect the Draft had on young people at the time. Although it is written for just a bit older group of teens, Strasser's semi-autobiographical book tells this from his perspective.

Highly Recommended for grades 5-10.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

"It's been so long since I've felt something."

The 1960s is a turbulent time in the United States. There's the Civil Rights Movement, the Vietnam War, protests ... even the music is changing drastically. Communities and families are in turmoil and Molly's family is no exception. Molly feels like her heart has died. Her older brother, Barry, her hero has been kicked out of the house by Molly's dad because Barry refuses to register for the draft. He refuses to go to war in Vietnam. "Barry was steadiness. Barry was kindness. He was not the sort of person who would go to another country and kill anyone."

When Barry's induction notice arrives in the mail, Molly's mother is beside herself. If Barry doesn't show up for his physical, he will be arrested on sight. But non one knows where Barry is, do they? Enter cousin Norman. Norman is 17 and a bit of a band nerd, though he plays drums and would love to start his own band. In fact, Barry and he were always talking about it. It just so happens that the only person Barry has been in touch with is Norman.

Before they know what has hit them, Molly and Norman have been recruited to drive across the country to find Barry and bring him home. Taking Barry's retired school bus as their transporation of choice, they set out on a journey to find Barry. How could they possibly know that they were also going to find themselves along the way. With every person they encounter on this trip, they learn a new side of a story that they had thought of before.

There's Ray, trying to get home to see his folks before he gets shipped off the Vietnam. He has been a participant in trying to help blacks get the vote in Mississippi. He has been injured, but he says he would do it all again because it's the right thing to do. "Sometimes the bully is a gas station man. And sometimes the bully is the U.S. government. Things need to change in this country. And change ain't comfortable. It's easier to stay comfortable, especially if you hold the power. But that doesn't help everybody else whose suffering because of the bullies. You got to go after the bullies."

The encounter Ben, Carol and Moonglow, members of the New Buffalo Commune. A group of people who are trying to live in peace and harmony, but even they have different ideas of what that looks like. And they teach Molly and Norman about the issues of the native tribes living in the area and the things that they don't teach in textbooks. "That's the problem ... There's the official version of the past, and then there's the real past."

But mostly, it is the music that brings them into communion with others on their trip. "Music is the rhythm of our humanity. It's the soundtrack of struggle and peace, birth and death, love and was, joy and pain. Music is the heart you open and the family you choose."

Amazing read! I have enjoyed all the books in this trilogy, but I think this is my favorite. Molly and Norman do a lot of maturing on this trip and they begin to see the world from a broader perspective than just their own family and South Carolina. They even begin to ask big questions and start to see how they have been a little naive when it comes to Barry ... is he really a hero? But the most powerful moments are when the passionate people they meet talk to them about how to make change in the world ... from many different perspectives. "Don't follow your bliss. Follow your heartbreak. That's where you can work to change the world."

There is an extensive author's note in the back discussing the historical elements of the novel. And I love all the primary source quotes, newspaper pictures and headlines peppered throughout the book. It gives authenticity to the story. Every chapter heading is another important song of the era and if I were to do this has a book club book, I would definitely put a playlist together so that the students could experience the music. So much to love ... I would give this to students in 5th grade and older.

[Katie Fitzgerald · Rating 4 out of 5]

This conclusion to the sixties trilogy is largely an engaging story with tons of interesting characters. It does require some suspension of disbelief a la Forrest Gump, as it is unlikely that a single pair of kids would experience everything that happens to Molly and Norman in this story. Still, in a book that wants to help readers appreciate the time period, it makes sense to stretch the limits a bit, and the unlikelyhood of the plot is balanced nicely by the very warm and believable friendship between the main characters. I had mixed feelings about the author's use of real musicians as minor characters in the story, and I was especially uncomfortable with the scene starring Elvis, as the author gave him a lot of dialogue that felt forced. I did, however, like all the references to music, and I think it is absolutely imperative that young readers unfamiliar with the oldies listen to the songs mentioned. I listened to many of them as I read, and it really enhanced the experience. The nonfiction information interspersed between the chapters is also really valuable, and helps place the fictional story in the proper historical context. I do wish this book had been as good as the two others of the trilogy, but though it wasn't quite a five-star read, it was still a strong finish to the series.

[zaivry · Rating 1 out of 5]

This took me like 3 months to get through. I very much did not like it. Nothing happened in this story and main character complained so much it was distracting. If anything did happen in this book it was masked by how much the main girl just complained. And like she’s 12 why is she the head of the operation of cross country road trip?? The 17 year old acts 12 and just made me angry cause there was absolutely so responsibility taken by any character at all the entire time.

[Christy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not as good as the first, not as bad as the second. While I think the 60s gave us some great clothes and music, the entire hippie thing just makes me crinkle my nose and shake my head. It’s like going to a country concert, you go for the music and get irritated in 15 seconds by the crowd.

The most astonishing thing is we’re living the 60s over again right now and nobody seems to realize it.

[MJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

one word groovy. but not gonna lie i cried. i honestly wish i could have experienced this...

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, how excited I was to finally have this book in my hands. After all, I came off age during the tumultuous 1960s, the subject of this trilogy that concludes, appropriately enough, with Anthem. While I savored every word of the previous titles, Countdown and Revolution, I wasn't as impressed with this one. Don't get me wrong: I enjoyed reading it, and I will certainly read it again. I adored how each chapter was introduced with a song title as well as the performing and recording artists being listed, and often found myself having to put down the book to find those tunes online. Clearly, music is a reflection of its times, and tracing the evolution of someone's musical tastes can reveal much about them as is the case with our protagonists, Molly and Norman. It's the summer of 1969, and Molly, 14, hasn't seen or heard from her older brother, Barry after he and his father had an argument over the Vietnam War. When Barry's draft notice arrives, things get really serious, and Molly's mother sends her daughter and Norman, Molly's cousin who's a drummer and dreams of starting his own band. Conveniently, he owns a school bus that he's refurbished, and the two teens set off on a road trip to end all road trips. One might wonder about the ethics of a mother keeping all this a secret from her husband or the safety of two teens crossing the continent by themselves, of course. But the need to find Barry quickly--there is only a limited amount of time to do this--is urgent and takes prevalence over everything else. Starting in South Carolina, they head across country to San Francisco where Barry is supposed to be, but Norman insists of making the most of the trip and catching various musical acts. This means that they often have to take detours and go unexpected places. They even pick up a musical instrument that is supposed to be delivered to someone, and it leads them on a merry chase as well. Their trip is as wild and crazy as much of what was going on in the country at that particular time. Both Molly and Norman have their eyes opened, their consciousness raised, and their belief in Barry rattled. And perhaps that was part of why I didn't love this amazing book quite as much as the others. I wanted to know about this mysterious Barry, who turned out to be something of a jerk and not worth the journey. I was thoroughly disappointed by him and in his actions. I wanted a bit more exploration of the divisive nature of the war and some of the political and social justice movements at that time. What I got here, complete with more than 250 pages of photographs and notes that make this a documentary novel, was a musical road trip, satisfying in some ways, for sure, but also hard to swallow at times. But then again, no matter how disappointed we may be in our elected officials or our heroes even if they are brothers or cousins, as the song says, "And the beat goes on." And so it does.

[ElphaReads · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the first in The Sixties Trilogy, COUNTDOWN, in 2013 as part of my Children's Literature curriculum in grad school. I read the second, REVOLUTION, in book club in 2016. And now the third, and arguably the one I've most anticipated is here, and it's called ANTHEM. Each book takes a pivotal moment in the 1960s and tells that moment from the perspective of a kid. COUNTDOWN was about the Cuban Missile Crisis, REVOLUTION was about Freedom Summer, and ANTHEM is about Vietnam. Given that my parents were both avid anti-war protesters in the early 70s, I was very much looking forward to seeing what ANTHEM was going to do.

Molly's brother Barry left home after he and his father had a huge blow up about the Vietnam War. Now, in 1969, his draft notice has arrived, and Molly's mother asks Molly to go and find Barry and bring him home, with the help of her cousin Norman and his school bus. Norman has been exchanging letters with Barry and may have an idea of where to find him. Molly and Norman begin a cross country trip with San Francisco as their destination. Along the way they meet a colorful cast of characters, all of whom affect them and show them the experiences of many people in the country at the end of a tumultuous decade.

Sadly, for me ANTHEM was the weakest contribution to the series, and it's probably partly because my expectations were so high. The unrest and upheaval in our country during this time was so raw and painful, and I was hoping we'd see a deeper dive into those aspects, as well as a dive into the consequences of the war both in Vietnam (at least in some way) and at home for the soldiers who came back horribly damaged. Instead we got two kids traveling around and meeting a number of pop culture figures and hanging out with the counter culture, but not in a way that I found particularly meaningful. I thought that the most powerful moments were when they interacted with people who were about to be sent to war (and the point was made that it was a lot of black youths whose bodies were being sent over there to die), and interacted with people who had come back and were suffering from PTSD. That isn't to say that I don't find the counter culture at the time interesting, as I do. But there was only so much 'hanging with hippies and famous people for some reason' that I could take. Seriously, they got to meet the Allman Brothers, Elvis, AND Wavy Gravy???? All that said, I still loved how Wiles incorporated quotes, documents, and images from the time period to set the scene, and how she gave a lot of really helpful and detailed authors notes in the back of the book.

So while I thought that it was a weaker end to a series I really like, THE SIXTIES TRILOGY as a whole is a solid achievement of historical fiction for kids.

[Laura Lineberger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sadly, I have to give this 3.5 stars. I’ll round up though because the whole series is just fantastic. I really wanted to like this one at least as much as the other two (if not more) because I enjoy the 1960s counterculture, especially the music, so much. But sadly, the storyline disappointed me a bit.

What I liked about this book was the same as the first two, most notably all the primary sources (photos, headlines, song lyrics, etc) throughout. This volume heavily featured music, so I loved that. Each chapter begins with a song reference (I read somewhere that if you listen to this on Audible, you can listen to all the songs…if that’s true, that’s really cool!) There are also a lot of real life figures that make cameo appearances and interact with the main characters, which is neat.

What I didn’t like was the storyline. The whole basis for the cross-country trip was to find Molly’s brother and bring him home by his draft physical date in 21 days. Yet, they constantly hung around places along the way to see a band or hang out with new friends. I would’ve enjoyed this much more if they weren’t supposedly on a strict time schedule…I found it much more frustrating (I kept yelling at them that they needed to GO!) The trip also got a bit long and drawn out at times. I really think I would have liked the story more if there was a different reason (not based on a timeframe) for why they were traveling.

I also was frustrated by Barry. We never knew him as a character himself at all. But I was sympathetic to him throughout because of the love between him and his sister and cousin. However, as we get closer to the end and then finally meet him, it was a HUGE letdown. The final scene of the book was just pretty underwhelming after that long journey to get there.

Even though this was not my favorite book of the series, I do highly recommend the series as a whole. It is sooo well researched. The pictures and other sources throughout really draw you into the story, and the storylines give unique perspectives on how this incredibly tumultuous time period impacted various people in various ways. The books are accessible for young adult readers while still being engaging for adults…and I think kids and adults would be impacted in different ways and draw different conclusions. I think this could create quality conversations between parents and kids if they read them together. So yeah, the book was okay, but the series was awesome. Check it out!!

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anthem

By Deborah Wiles @deborahwiles_

Published by Scholastic, Inc. @scholasticinc

Thank you to the publisher and to @kidlitexchange for the free review copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

It is the summer of 1969. Molly is 14 and her family is in turmoil. Her beloved older brother, her hero, disappeared a year ago after a huge fight with their father about the Vietnam War. And now Barry’s draft notice has arrived demanding he report for his physical in five weeks. Molly’s mom and her mom’s best friend, Pam (who happens to be Molly’s aunt and the mom of her cousin and close friend, Norman) are desperate to find Barry to make certain he reports on time. They concoct a crazy plan for 14 year old Molly and 16 year old Norman to drive Norman’s rattletrap school bus across the country to San Francisco to retrieve Barry in time for his physical. Alone!

Their adventure is a voyage through the music, the countryside and the turmoil of the 60s. The people they encounter along the way; the flower people, The Allman Brothers, Elvis Presley, the commune dwellers and the protestors bring the times alive as the experience opens Molly’s and Norman’s eyes as they leave their sheltered world of racially divided Charleston behind. Each encounter teaches them to look at the world a little differently; to be a little kinder, a little more empathetic and more open to people who are different from themselves.

Every stop along the way was so vividly described you felt as if you were right there experiencing the excitement, the emotions and even the weather. You might even find yourself wishing there was a soundtrack to accompany the MG novel because the music of the era is so much a part of the story. I especially liked the newsreel photos and the memorable quotes which were interspersed throughout the book. For me, a child of the 60s, it brought back so many memories, and reminded me our country has experienced periods of deep division in years past and survived, which gives me hope for today.

This is a great historical fiction book to be added to middle school, high school and public libraries for grades 5+. I also know lots of adults who will love being immersed in this world Deborah Wiles so vividly depicts. It is available now.

[Christina Getrost · Rating 5 out of 5]

A satisfying conclusion to the trilogy, but can be read as a standalone too. It's 1969 and 14 year old Molly is on an old school bus, driven by her 17 year old cousin Norman, crossing the country from South Carolina to California, searching for her brother, whom she hopes to convince to come home before he leaves for the draft. He left home a year ago after a fight with their father, and Molly has been suffering emotionally ever since. Along the way, she and Norman will meet a series of famous and yet-to-be-famous musicians, and have many adventures--visiting a commune among them.

I loved seeing cameos by characters from the earlier two books, in which we get to know them 5 and 7 years later, as older teens and in a different stage of their lives. (Just one example: Ray, the African-American boy from book two, shows up now as a soldier.) This book also does not have the biographical sketches that the first two did; instead, there are many real-life historical figures from the music scene of 1969 written in as people who interact with the main characters, which was cool. The teens stop by a series of famous recording studios and meet The Allman Brothers Band and even Elvis Presley among others. But there were still several sections of quotes and black and white photographs from the era to set the scene, and this time each chapter is headed by a different song from the late sixties. I've never stopped reading a book at every chapter before, but for this one I would put down the book at each new chapter and go online to listen to the song before continuing to read, which was fun! I'd really thought I knew a lot about the music of the era but there were a few whose names I didn't recognize until I heard the music, or that I did not know at all, so I learned a few new songs. A good fun "road trip" novel to hand to teens, that will show them America in an important time of our history.

[Joan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend who really knows her young adult books and thought I'd really like the musical references from 1969 – she was right!

Two cousins, Molly, age 14 (same as I was in 1969), and Norman, 17, set off from Charleston, South Carolina to drive cross-country in an old school bus to San Francisco, where they are planning to search for Molly's brother Barry. Barry left home after a huge quarrel with their father over politics and Vietnam. Their mission is somewhat urgent since Barry's notice to report for a pre-induction physical has just arrived. Not to comply could land him jail time.

Molly and Norman are obsessed with the music of the time – Molly loves the group The Association (best know for "Windy" and "Cherish") and is an avid follower of the week's Top 40 songs on AM radio, and Norman, who plays in the high school marching band, aspires to be a rock drummer.

The trip includes stops at musical "shrines" of the times, a commune in New Mexico, and many misadventures and encounters with other teen travelers.

Personally, I can't imagine ever being allowed to make such a trip at that age, even though Molly's mother thinks Molly is the only one who can convince Barry to come home and encourages it. Even looking back at what was, in some ways a more innocent but not really safer time, it seems highly unlikely...more fantasy than reality.

Still, the author captures much of the atmosphere of that period in America and the musical references are both fascinating and spot-on. There is one glaring error, however. The 26th Amendment lowering the voting age from twenty-one to eighteen passed Congress and was ratified in 1971, and a character who was too young to vote in the 1968 election says that he did...and that drove me crazy once I read that chapter.

Despite that, I finished the book and found a lot to like about it. Somehow, 1969 doesn't seem all that long ago to me and this book brought much of it back – both the good and the bad.