I did a spoiler-free reading vlog for this book along with 3 other anticipated middle grade upcoming releases, which you can watch on my YouTube channel: https://youtu.be/2bwv9CRwM4w2021-reads middle-grade36 s Ros25 1 follower

Another great historical novel by Emma Carroll. She has once again taught important historical facts alongside a wonderful story of children developing courage and learning values through their adventures. 6 s Scott Evans | The Reader Teacher51 99

This story of hope & humanity amongst hostility speaks for itself. Finding your voice, freedom, feminism, fighting for what’s right; it has it ALL. Even nods to Letters from the Lighthouse. With the power of her pen, Emma Carroll makes history come ALIVE.3 s Lia21 1 follower

An amazing historical middle grade book. I really enjoyed it. The characters were fun, and you really felt you were in that time, and lived through what the characters lived through. The writing was also very good.4-stars1 Lucy Catten160 7

Well, @emmacarroll2603 has done it again. The Week at World’s End is a total corker of a story set during one week in 1962 when the world was under the very real threat of a nuclear war. We follow along with Stevie and Ray as they try to understand and respond to the threat to their world as they know it - is the right thing to escape to the safety of a bunker as Ray’s family want to? Would it even work? Or is it right to peacefully protest as Stevie’s sister believes? Is our voice really the most powerful weapon at our fingertips? And on top of that, who is the mysterious Anna who suddenly catapults into their lives? So much to unpick here with children - the Cuban missile crisis, race relations and Martin Luther King as well as whether children should be given agency to make up their own minds about what ultimately affects them. I have adored every single one of Emma’s books and this is no exception. Can’t wait to tell my class about it. kid-s-books read-in-20211 Lesley Robinson216 1 follower

Wow! I absolutely love Emma Carroll's writing and this new story was just as good as Letters from the Lighthouse. Most children's books with a historical setting that I have read are about World War Two or Victorian times but this book was set in the 1960s. It included lots of details about the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Cold War and the Civil Rights Movement. There were also loads of incidental nuggets of information about life in Britain in the 1960s, such as the songs people listened to, going out to the coal shed, and the price of bus fare. I think many children would enjoy learning about the 1960s so it's a shame it's not on the curriculum at the moment. I also love Carroll's books because the 'dilemma' at the centre is a real problem, not just a 'kiddy' problem plonked into historical setting. Another plus for me was that there wasn't your typical 'bully' character who learned a lesson, or a nasty, clichéd grown up. All the problems came from the children trying to make the best choices for themselves, their friends and their families. The characters had lots going on, lots of layers of emotions and thoughts. I will definitely be putting a copy of this on my Year 5 book shelf.1 Rachel Lefever44 3

The Week at World’s End takes place in 1962, as the Cuban Missile Crisis is reaching fever point, with the US and Russia both paranoid and poised to launch nuclear missiles … Unusual historical setting for a middlegrade children’s book. Naturally, I was extremely curious as to how the author would handle it. And the answer? Beautifully, of course. I love Emma Carroll’s writing, and in this novel, it’s at its very best. The story-telling is crisp, the characters are recognisable and relatable, and the crafting of the plot is seamless and very, very clever.

It all begins when Stevie and her best friend and neighbour, Ray, discover a girl sleeping in the coal shed. Anna is on the run from people trying to poison her – she says – and needs a place to hide. For the kids living at World’s End (the name of the street), boring, ordinary life suddenly becomes exciting. But also frightening and confronting. With the background buzz of the missile crisis – regular talk of ‘pressing the button’ – Stevie, Ray and Anna begin to wonder how much time they have left on Earth. It propels them into a carpe diem day-trip, and they bunk off school, scraping together what money they have for a trip to the seaside. It’s an adventure that starts with heady freedom and ends with a grounding bump as reality catches up with them, but don’t worry, it has a happy ending. And not just the standing down of weapons, gunboats and fighter jets.

I really don’t know how to do this book justice in a quick review. It’s playful and yet packed full of hard-hitting themes. With beautiful details about the era – from the shop names to the news topics – a picture is drawn of a time when the world was on the brink of change. The best of times and the worst of times. On one hand we have the macho stand-off that could destroy everything, and on the other we have people coming together to demand peace and fairness. The character of Ray is African-American and his interest in the civil rights movement on the other side of the pond echoes Stevie’s sister’s passion for speaking up for the campaign for nuclear disarmament. And Anna, who we come to discover has an illness, is a reminder of both the joy of living and the aftermath of war – she’s the canary in the coalmine, with a personal grievance against nuclear arms and a painful connection to the premature death of Stevie’s father.

It’s not easy to write for children, especially when it comes to themes such as mortality, war and mutual destruction. But Emma Carroll is so skilful that not once did I think no, uh-uh, this isn’t right. In fact, it felt very right. Some children may read it as a straight-forward adventure, and for others, it may raise questions. And that’s a good thing. Because we shouldn’t shy away from difficult topics; kids come across them all the time. Hushed conversations and snippets on the radio and headlines on newspapers. And in our day and age, there’s social media to contend with. Whirling words and images without solid information can create confusion and fear, and sometimes the truth may be terrifying, but better to approach it rationally, sensitively, without the sensationalist spin. And a truth wrapped up in a story is easier to swallow and digest. But I’m going off on a tangent…

The Week at World’s End is fantastic read, thumping home the importance of peaceful protest, standing up for what’s right, and realising that you don’t really know someone until you know their past. (I’m a huge fan of brittle Nan). I would recommend this book to children age 8+ - and if it does raise awkward questions, then the answer is to use what went before to teach us how to live now, and how to raise your voice should such times ever come round again. WhatBookNext .com1,061 34

Stevie and her best friend Ray agree that nothing exciting ever happens in the street they live in. In fact World’s End Close ‘is the dullest place on Earth’. At least until Stevie finds a dead body in her coal shed.

Luckily the body she’s found isn’t dead but asleep. This body belongs to a teenager called Anna. She won’t give them her full name, but does tell them she needs to stay hidden. There are people after her. Dangerous people.

With Stevie’s mum away on a Conflict Resolution course and her Nan coming to stay to care for her and her big sister Bev, the chances of keeping a stranger in their coal shed a secret is very slim. Caught up in the excitement of finding Anna, Stevie and Ray look for another hiding place.

World’s End Close isn’t the only place where things are changing. America and Cuba are glaring at each other and Russia is coming to Cuba’s aid. Both have nuclear weapons and the threat that they will use them has swept the world. Ray’s dad is American, and although now living in the UK, he has family right in the firing line in the US. The increasing tension between the superpowers has seeped into their homes, school and community.

Stevie’s Dad was a soldier in the UK army, and Nan loves to talk about him when she visits. Stevie enjoys this as her mum hardly mentions him at all. Losing him to a terrible illness years before is too hard to think about. When Stevie learns more about her Dad in a letter, events around her become clearer.

But what to do with Anna? Is she really in danger? How will they keep her safe? Who is she looking for and why? All this and worries for the future whirl round in Stevie’s head. Suddenly, the excitement of harbouring a fugitive becomes a little scary.

Another great novel from this accomplished author, focusing on a moment in history . There are many threads and themes to The Week at Worlds End. Readers will learn about a time where nations threatened each other with terrible weapons while the world watched and waited with trepidation.

This novel is set over the space of a week, beginning on Tuesday 23/10/1962 with The Daily Times headline to The Weekend Times headline on Sunday 28/10/1962.

Main characters Stevie and Ray have a lot to deal with during this week, when they are usually used to the boring routine of family household life and school, and not much in between.

They are suddenly responsible for hiding a teenage girl running from danger, caring for Stevie’s beloved terrier Flea who has been bitten by a large stray dog, and trying not to catastrophise the possibility of a nuclear war. all of Carroll’s characters, Stevie is well-rounded with hopes and fears and family revelations. And any 11 year old, she is easily caught up in something that seems exciting at the time, but unfortunately is life-threatening in reality.

The world building of the early 60’s is rich with the music of The Beatles, and US artists Little Richard and Elvis. There is the competition between the Mods and the Rockers, and 60’s clothing and hair styles are modelled by the character’s older siblings. There is also the racism of the times (in the US) woven between the lines. Not only a Great Read, but would make a great class read aloud when studying this time in history around the world. middle-grade-age-7-12 Holly187 4

This was the first Emma Carroll book I've read and WOW. Truly some absolutely gorgeous, engrossing writing. I picked this up mainly because it's set during the Cuban Missile Crisis and I've been looking for some historical fiction set in the Cold War but after how incredible this was I'm going to have to look at picking up some more books by Emma Carroll.

I thought the inclusion of key historical events the unfolding Cuban Missile Crisis and the US Civil Rights movement was weaved into the story so expertly. The novel was distinctly historical but never overwhelmingly so, it stayed grounded in the lives of some normal children who just happened to be living through such tense and historically significant times. And the feeling of living through that was so well captured, even though I knew how the Crisis ended I still found myself feeling scared with the characters over the possibility of nuclear warfare. For a moment I was there with them, uncertain and without the gift of existing decades after these events unfolded.

I thought the story surrounding the main characters - Vie, Ray and Anna - was excellent. I loved Anna and how, at first, she seems as mysterious to the reader as she is to Vie and Ray but how, as time goes on, it becomes easier and easier to click about the truth of her situation. Everything clicks into place and when Vie realises that toom its so satisfying to read. Especially since the characters are all given a happy ending.

Also, I really d some of the messaging in the book. I think there's a pretty distinct message about using your voice - it is, as Vie's dad said, your most powerful weapon - which feels an eternally timely message but also one pertinent to right now. The act of trying to do the right thing was clearly held up as a good thing by this book.

Just, overall, once again I'm going to say WOW. This was just a phenomenal book, I loved it so much and got so drawn into it I was reading it during a uni lecture break.middle-grade Kareltje166 5

Als je veilige wereld bedreigd wordt...
(in Dutch)

Ik heb dit boek gelezen vanuit mijn interesse in historische gebeurtenissen en omdat ik geïnteresseerd ben in hoe dit voor kinderen/jongeren aanspreekbaar wordt gebracht. Het boek Spanning in de lucht (Engelse titel: The week at World’s End) gaat over het leven van twee vrienden Ray en Stevie tijdens de oorlogsdreiging door de Cubacrisis in Londen. De schrijfster weet dit gegeven erg goed te verwerken waarmee vooral de machteloosheid van kinderen inzichtelijk wordt. Daarnaast weet de schrijfster kinderen ook een stem te geven. Als de dreiging toeneemt en volwassenen besluiten voor de kinderen nemen, ontstaat er bij hen een gedrevenheid die ze helpt om hun stem op een mooie manier te laten horen. Dat deel is erg goed weergegeven.

Ray en Stevie merken de invloed van de dreiging vooral via volwassenen, de nieuwberichten op de radio, tv en vanuit de krant. Daarmee is ook de tijdsgeest goed neergezet. Bij Ray thuis wordt de dreiging meer voelbaar doordat zijn vader vanuit zijn werk op het vliegveld informatie had, die andere gezinnen niet hadden. Wat ik mooi vind aan de opbouw is dat deze gezinnen en kinderen al veel hebben meegemaakt, dat verlies, ziekte, vriendschap, positie in de klas hun echte leven zijn, dat de kinderen daarin laveren en zich staande proberen te houden, terwijl ze vasthouden aan hun vriendschap en dat de oorlogsdreiging van buitenaf al deze levens binnen sijpelt, ze beïnvloedt maar toch niet de boventoon weet te voeren. Daar hielp ook het verhaal rondom Anna bij, die in het schuurtje bij Stevie verschijnt en geholpen wordt door Stevie en Ray. Het blijft lang geheimzinnig wat er met haar aan de hand is.

Samenvattend is Spanning in de lucht een aanrader voor iedereen vanaf 11 jaar waarbij de onmacht bij kinderen/jongeren door de historische dreiging goed wordt omschreven en zij uiteindelijk hun stem laten horen.
Olivia-Savannah888 525

Most of the time I was reading this book, I wasn't quite sure what to make of it. There were some storyline elements to it which I cared about much more than others. Everything about the threat of nuclear war, speaking up and using your voice, and grief really spoke to me. But the things about the mysterious girl and the friendship did not. Ultimately, I came to the conclusion that if I were a child reading this I would've been much more invested in the storyline, and on the whole the book was quite good. I d that it closed up enough threads, but left some things open ended in a way that felt right. It did give the book a 'happy ending' feeling when maybe not everything about the ending was happy -- if that makes sense? Trying to avoid spoilers.

I also don't really read middle grade historical fiction anymore, so it was breaking me out of my comfort zone. A good experience overall. 7 s Amy (Golden Books Girl)890 17

Emma Carroll is one of my favourite authors of all time, as you probably know by now if you’ve read this blog before, and as I said on social media recently I can’t express how honoured I am that I sometimes get to read early copies of her book and champion them before they’re released into the world. This is Emma’s 10th book for Faber (and I think her 12th overall, though I could be wrong), and with every single book, she somehow manages to craft a thrilling new story and an amazing cast of characters, while retaining that really special Emma Carroll magic her books always have. This one takes place in 1962 and is the story of Stevie, who finds a runaway girl hiding in her coal shed and vows to help her hide from the people who are trying to poison her, with the help of her trusty best friend Ray. Meanwhile, the Cuban Missile Crisis is happening and everyone is terrified that the world will be ended by the end of the week. This is such a clever setting in time for a story, because it’s incredibly exciting, and in all the books I’ve read, I’ve never learnt about this before. The 60s setting was also really fun in terms of the references to pop culture, and I loved the discussions of activists such as Dr. Martin Luther King Junior and Rosa Parks and their incredible work. Stevie starts the book being very shy, and it was a joy to watch her confidence grow by helping Anna and using her voice to talk about things that matter. Ray was such a good friend, Anna was super mysterious and interesting, and I ADORED Stevie’s big sister Bev. I hope this review has convinced you to pick this up if you’re not already a fan of Emma’s, and I’m already so excited for her next book. Heather328 7

What a read! I read Letters from the Lighthouse several years ago with my class and really enjoyed it. As part of a teaching bookclub this jumped out at me as the perfect book to start and it didn't disapoint.

I remember when 9/11 happened my mum recalling how she felt back in 1962 - this book captured those words for me and wove them into a story that was told sensitively and thoughtfully whilst aknowledging the feelings that would have been so raw at the time.

With nods to places and people from Letters to the Lighthouse and enough loose threads I hope that I get to see the future adventures of Ray, Vie and Anna - or maybe even Rachel. Kim Hart120

Another fabulous story by Emma Carroll! When I read the blurb and realised it was a story about the Cuban missile crisis but set in England, I wondered how relevant those two things were to each other. I had no idea how global the terror was, but Carroll conveyed the fear and tension through her characters with such a deft hand, I was gripped from page one. And all the separate stories woven through the crisis amplified the message of how we can all play a part, an important part, in world peace and also helping others in their hour of need.
Highly recommend The Week at World’s End to middle grade readers and adults a.
Powerful, intriguing, and important. Theediscerning7,276 97

A full saga that encourages political engagement and activism amongst the young, but only once you've had a taste of intrigue courtesy of a secretive young woman and the end of the world.

To find the connections between the mysterious Anna and Armageddon, I'd invite a look at the full review:-
http://www.thebookbag.co.uk//T... sgh 143

It took me a little while to get into this one, but the effort was more than rewarded. The mysteries and questions get answered in a way that’s really satisfying, and the characters become more vivid and interesting throughout. I also really enjoyed the way this book discusses nuclear warfare and the right to peacefully protest, which is really important for children to learn about. LeonieAuthor 1 book47

This one is getting a four stars because the beginning was quite slow and I found this story dragged a bit they’re times I felt a little bit bored of reading because there wasn’t a lot of any upbeat action so it wasn’t fast paced for me they’re times I found it difficult to read because of how slow it was but apart from that I enjoyed it but it wasn’t an OMG read for me sadly… David BarkerAuthor 5 books8

A wonderful slice of history with a heartfelt story.
A simple story about 2 friends finding a girl on the run and helping her hide is given so many layers of depth and emotion by the author. The backdrop of the Cuban missile crisis, the importance of one's voice, racism, friendship and dealing with grief all add up to a great read. Highly recommended Janet600 6

I love a good children's historical novel, and this, by one of my favourite authors, did not disappoint. Set in the UK during the Cuban Missile Crisis of October 1962, it is a story of friendship, courage and speaking up for what you believe in. Very enjoyable. Amy144

A great fiction story reflecting the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Great characters, storyline and mystery hannah ?:*:??38

3.5 ?? Grace Wright139 1 follower

Another good historical fiction! laila Hinton34

SOOO BORING!! hard to get into and terrible ending. bit disappointed. Emma301 8

4,5*read-in-april-20231 Sarah322 2

Another wonderful story by Carroll that interweaves historical events with her warm hearted characters. mystery-friendship-grief war Tina470 1 follower

Set in 1963 during the Cuban Missile Crisis, dealing with the threat of nuclear destruction and what might be causing Leukaemia. I suppose it’s a historical novel for children. I listened to the audiobook on Borrowbox, free with my library card. I wasn’t keen on the narrator’s ever changing dubious accents! children-s Scarlett Officer9

Great book. really gripping. I couldn't put it down
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