Willie Bea and the Time the Martians Landed

by Virginia Hamilton

In October of 1938, on their farm homestead in Ohio, a black family is caught up in the fear generated by the Orson Welles "Martians have landed" broadcast.

Genres: Historical Fiction

208 pages, Paperback

First published October 17, 1983

About the author

Virginia Esther Hamilton was the author of forty-one works of fiction and nonfiction. She was the first Black writer awarded the Newbery Medal and the first children's writer to be named a MacArthur Fellow (the "Genius" grant). She also received the National Book Award and the Hans Christian Andersen Medal.

Reviews

[Leo · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first Virginia Hamilton book and hopefully I'll read many more. Enjoyed her writing style and is curious if I can find more books. Always great when I find a new children book author to read more from

[Ivonne Rovira · Rating 4 out of 5]

Willie Bea Mills comes from a large, close-knit family, with her aunts, uncles, grandparents, cousins all around her. As the story begins on Oct. 30, 1938, I won’t be spoiling anything if I note that the title refers to Orson Welles’ infamous War of the Worlds broadcast.

But, in essence, although the broadcast plays a part, it isn’t the essence of this good-natured novel from the Newbery Award-winning author Virginia Hamilton. Instead, a glimpse into the lives of middle-class African-Americans in rural Ohio in the waning days of the Great Depression proves the real pleasure in reading this charming novel. While so many novels center on the abject poverty on the scale of Bud, Not Buddy and The Grapes of Wrath, I was surprised at what life was like for the middle class: Even the Mills family doesn’t have an indoor bathroom, although they have a water pump at their kitchen sink, and store-bought costumes for Halloween is beyond their father’s pocketbook. Race relations in rural Ohio in 1938 seem more advanced than today’s.

It’s my first Hamilton novel, but certainly not my last.

In the interest of full disclosure, I received this book from NetGalley and Open Road Integrated Media in exchange for an honest review.

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

I remember this book being read to me as a 4th grader and we all loved it. I'm not sure what spurred my interest in it again but I spent several days trying to track down the title of the book. I can't wait to read it again.

[Savan Gum · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's ok..... I do recommend it to younger children to read

[Corey Heitschmidt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this book was a good read of historical fiction and family drama set in the time of the 1938 Orson Welles War of the Worlds radio broadcast. Hamilton paints the feelings and time of a small Ohio town during the Great Depression where news over the radio carried enormous weight. There are a few humorous moments such as an aunt who unplugs the radio convinced the world is ending and says she will never plug it in again (if the world is ending, who cares!) and children using stilts to get a look at the Martians.
Overall, novel portrays the towns people swept into panic over the Martian “invasion” which feels eerily applicable to today. Just like listeners reacted with “it must be true; they heard it on the radio,” our modern audiences often fall victim to viral misinformation on social media platforms like TikTok which are then driven by emotional reactions and the echo chambers. This hysteria whether in 1938 or 2025 is all based on trust in a source and the momentum of groups winding each other up. It’s a good read to relate historical fiction to today as a reminder that the mediums may change, but mass hysteria still happens.
For using in a middle school classroom, I would definitely create a project combining the historical fiction and media literacy. Focus on War of the Worlds broadcast, depression, and mass panic and then have students discuss viral TikTok trends, deepfakes and misinformation. I would focus on the question, “Why do people believe something without checking facts?”

[Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this free copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is such a cute story that will appeal to readers of all ages. Willie Bea is a young protagonist who captures your heart from the very beginning. She is so strong for being only twelve, and always puts other's needs before her own which makes her so endearing. I'm so glad I got the chance to read a treasure that I think all kids should read.

[Rebekka · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the story of the classic night when Orsen Welles delivered his rendition of H.G. Wells The War of The Worlds. The characters are great and it is an enjoyable read. You really get close to the main character Willie Bea, but the book is a little too short for the reader to really fall in love with the characters. I recommend this book as a good Halloween read this month.

[Kim · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is almost Halloween in 1938 and Willie Bea is twelve years old and all the children in her extended family are looking forward to "Halloween begging". This a youngster's story about family and things that can go wrong and things that can be made right. Willie Bea's voice was in my ear while I was reading this book. This would be a great audio book for children.

[Sarah Huebner · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I really enjoyed the book, but I would recommend it for a little bit older children. Maybe 12+

- - - - Parents may want to know that it does mention numerology, witches & goblins (it is set on Halloween).

One child puts a pumpkin on another child's head and shoots it off with a bow and arrow. The child's mother catches him and slaps him.
Cousins argue and call each other names.
One neighbor is mentioned to have a child but to "have a gent" and to "never have married".
One Aunt has been married three times and is never married for long.

There is also a part where two of Willie Bea's aunts are so panicked over the War Of Worlds radio show that they want to open the well and "jump in" instead of face the "aliens". - - - -

This is the first book I've read by Virginia Hamilton. She definitely had a way of bringing you into the world of the story. Reading this made me miss my own Cousins, and wish that we were having our own delicious Sunday supper.

I loved all the references to the culture of the era - the radio shows, the makeup and hair, the books.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This really is an evergreen story of a strong, young girl's imagination on a fateful chilly October day in 1938. But it's much more than that - a portrait of a Black family, the ties that bind them, their link to the community, and a slice of history. I first read this book when I was around 13 or 14 years old, seeking books that had non-white protagonists, where Virginia Hamilton's vast collection of stories stood out. My memories of the story were faded but this reread brightened them up again!

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25