The Troubles of Johnny Cannon

Gr 6 Up—Only in sixth grade, Johnny Cannon has seemed to get himself into a mess of trouble. After surviving a car accident which caused his mother's death, Johnny lives with his Pa, an injured war veteran, and his older brother, Tommy, a well-known pilot. Johnny is left as man of the house after his brother leaves for a secret mission in Nicaragua. Johnny's job gets harder as an old family "friend" shows up. Adding to Johnny's troubles: Martha Macker, the girl of his dreams, doesn't know he exists; his Pa might be committing treason in the backyard; and his house is getting foreclosed by the bank. Johnny's one good friend has troubles of his own: he is black—which is a tough in 1960s Cullman, Alabama. A significant amount of historical events—including the Cuban missile crisis and race riots—are balanced by Johnny's back-country, boyish point of view. A good choice for fans of historical fiction.—Brittney Kosev, Dave Blair Elementary School, Farmers Branch, TX