Module 11 – Aliens are Coming!: The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast by Meghan McCarthy

Module 11 – Aliens are Coming!: The True Account

of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast

by Meghan McCarthy

 

Book Summary

In this lighthearted but well-researched book, Meghan McCarthy tells the true story of a Halloween radio prank that tricked much of America into believing that Martians had invaded. McCarthy uses excerpts from the actual War of the Worlds radio broadcast by Orson Welles and the Mercury Theater to tell the story. An author’s note, including a bibliography, relates additional information on the importance of radios in the 1930s as well as facts about Orson Welles and H. G. Wells, author of the original War of the Worlds novel.

APA Reference of Book

McCarthy, M. (2006). Aliens are coming! : the true account of the 1938 War of the worlds radio broadcast. New York, NY: Alfred A. Knopf.

My Impressions

I know we really shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but the aliens on the front of McCarthy’s book is one of the main reasons that I selected it.  I was already well aware of the 1938 War of the Worlds broadcast but this book provided new tidbits of information that I found very interesting!  For example, I did not know that the actors had listened to broadcasts of the Hindenburg disaster in order to get the tone of their voices just right for their fake broadcast. But the illustrations really make this book. McCarthy employs black-and-white paintings to illustrate the truth and color for fictional material. For example, she shows a family gathered around the radio that October night in tones of black and white and gray but once the radio broadcast itself comes on, those illustrations are in color - predominately reds and blacks. The author’s note that she provides at the end of the book provides just the right amount of information and her bibliography would be helpful for any student that was inspired to learn more about the incident.

What the Professionals Say

From Publishers Weekly ~

In an era of fake news, reality shows and terror alerts on simultaneous channels, this volume reminds readers of the panic that greeted Orson Welles's unique radio hoax of Oct. 30, 1938. McCarthy (Show Dog) alternates black-and-white illustrations, representing ordinary life, with full-color images from listeners' colorful imaginations. Initially, two parents and their children sit quietly in a living room, picturing "Ramón Raquello and his orchestra, playing a tango" in an aptly lurid purple cloud. Suddenly a CBS announcer interrupts and the violet backdrop gives way to a sulfurous hue. The family looks distressed; explosions have been observed on Mars, and a "flaming object, believed to be a meteorite," has fallen in Grovers Mill, N.J. "Good heavens, something's wriggling out of the shadow," reports newscaster Carl Phillips. In fire-and-brimstone shades, McCarthy suggests how frightened Americans trusted Phillips and envisioned slug-like, drooling creatures emerging from a flying saucer. Yellow, sci-fi-horror typeface demands, "Was this the end of the world?" while duotone panels picture stampeding citizens and traffic jams; policemen at the supposed crash site "find an empty field." McCarthy reports the unfolding situation, but her imprecise painting style doesn't allow for close detail or multiple perspectives. The bleary brushstrokes are atmospheric but unsuited to quick cinematic cuts between reality and fantasy; the high-anxiety spreads seem too spacious and unpopulated to be convincing. McCarthy nevertheless recalls a startling incident, and the listeners' naïve responses have an odd, unfunny resonance in light of today's moment-by-moment media hype. Ages 4-8. (Feb.)

Review of the book [Aliens Are Coming!: The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast by M. McCarthy]. (2006). Publishers Weekly, 253(2), 52.

A Suggestion for Use in a Library Setting

My library has decided to begin a LEGO building program for elementary aged students. Each program will have a specific theme and our first program’s theme is It Came from Outer Space. We will begin our building time with a story and I think that Aliens are Coming!:The True Account of the 1938 War of the Worlds Radio Broadcast by Meghan McCarthy would be the perfect book to read. The kids attending the program are free to build whatever they like - they don’t have to follow the theme. But they are encouraged to give it a try. I will also have lots of other books available that have elements of aliens and outer space in them, both non-fiction and fiction. After the program, each child will be able to explain what they have built and then we will show off their work in our display case.