The 1950's: Music

Century Kids #6

by Dorothy Hoobler, Thomas Hoobler

In this, Volume 6 of the Century Kids, the narrative focuses on Matthew, the cousin of Peggy Aldrich. It is the era of communist witch hunting, and Peggy has been labeled a sympathizer, and her son Charley's radio show was taken off the air because he defended her. We get an inside look not only into the downside of the entertainment world of the 50's, but also the upside as we follow Matthew and his friends into rock-and-roll success.

159 pages, Library Binding

First published September 1, 2001

About the author

Dorothy and Thomas Hoobler, a married couple who have written numerous books together, were drawn to this story of great writers inspiring each other collaboratively. Their most recent novel, In Darkness, Death, won a 2005 Edgar Award. They live in New York City.

Series:
* Samurai Detective
* Century Kids
* Her Story
* Images Across The Ages
* American Family Album

Reviews

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is probably my favorite of the series so far: the decade in which I was born and growing up. This volume still has some of the characters from the previous books in the series but it is about a new generation. These families are intertwined together. In this volume the authors tell about the beginnings of Rock and Roll and how bands got started. I also love the subtle name dropping here and there. There's also integration and the push for civil rights. The authors tell the story from the point of the children involved- the latest generation in the Aldrich family and it brings into focus the family of a black female lawyer, Lorraine, who appeared briefly in previous books. This book, a fairly quick read, is enjoyable, as is the rest of the decade stories.