Customer Reviews

Countdown

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I have used this book with my 7th graders for the last two years and I have had good results with my students. I stopped another book we were reading as a class right after September 11, 2001 and had my classes read this book. There are many great lessons in this book. The two boys are from different cultures, have different Gods, and different cultural beliefs. I used these topics to lead many interesting discussions not only about the book, but how our culture and other cultures see each other and have different ways of working out our differences. I HIGHLY recommend this book as a teacher.

This book is about two people coming to respect other cultures, customs and people. Elliot Schroeder is a 14 year-old boy living in the United States. Vincent Ole Tome is a Maasai boy living in Kenya. In the US, there is a contest that sends Elliot into outer space in the Endeavour. He is to contact different people across the world with a ham radio, and record their names. Vincent is one of those people. In this book, the two never agree on anything. Later on, they both come to understand and respect one another when there is an accident, and the craft is forced to land early.

Countdown Review

I liked this book because it taught that you may live in two different worlds but people can be the same in different ways. Elliot first found out that he was the first teen in space. But little did Elliot know that it would change his life forever. Vincent a young Maasai herder, That gets involved with white man. When Elliot went in to space that's when Elliot talked to Vincent for the first time ever. When Vincent talked to Elliot for the first time, they started fine. The minute Elliot started to make fun Vincent's god Engai, Then Vincent Started to make fun of Elliot's god. After several days of fighting on the radio, Vincent and Elliot learned their dads were not that different to each other. That's when Vincent's dad grew ill and needed a doctor in the Maasai land, Vincent needed Sembeke's help to cure his father. At the same time, the space shuttle Endeavor started to have problems on board. Therefore, the space shuttle and its crew had to make an emergency landing in Africa. When the authority heard, they flew Vincent to were the space shuttle would be landing. When Elliot herd he wanted to stay in space but he no choice, To meet Vincent. When the space shuttle landed, Vincent and Elliot meet each other in person. They both realized that they weren't so different after all even know they had different beliefs.
The reason people should read this book is it teaches you that you don't have to be brother or sisters to be alike. I recommend this book to anyone who is into social studies and likes different cultures. In addition, for people who just don't want to read, this would be a great book to just pass time. And for someone who doesn't like to read like me I would read it over and over.

I got this book after grocery shopping. I was looking in the multicultural section because I desperately needed a book for a project in school. I looked at it and I didn't really think it would be that great but it was so good that an hour later I was asking my mom to get me a new book! The ending wasn't that great but otherwise it was the best book! All of the charactors actions were surprising. I highly recomend this book!

Countdown by Ben Mikaelsen

People from different cultures fight about many things. They argue about their religious beliefs, their customs, and their style of dress. In Countdown, by Ben Mikaelsen, a Maasai herder, Vincent Ole Tome, says that junior astronaut Elliot Schroeder wears pants in order to trap his gas. In this way the two boys exchange insults about each other's practices during conversations between the Space Shuttle Endeavour and Vincent's home in Kenya, Africa. From a Montana ranch near Big Timber, Elliot, a fourteen year old dreamer, was selected to be the first junior astronaut in space. Vincent's teacher and friend, the doctor Sambeke, arranges conversations between Space Boy Elliot and the African boy using a ham radio. During their conversations the two teenagers find they have little in common. They disagree about almost everything from the clothes they wear to the way their gods look. Elliiot wears pants while Vincent dresses in a red toga, or sheet. Vincent believes that his God, Engai, is a black female with a beautiful bald head. Elliot imagines a god who is a white man with long brown hair and a beard. Due to a difficulty with the flight, Endeavour lands in Senegal, Africa, providing a chance for the two boys to meet. Shuttle Commander Beaman and Sambeke offer wise advice to the boys, suggesting they listen to one another other more carefully. They should get to know each other before jumping to conclusions.The boys forget that the entire world listens as they argue and learn about each other. We recommend this book to readers who dream about friendships developing between people of different cultures. Two separate lives, two separate stories combine into one by the end.

Review by Mrs. Murphy's fifth grade class in Cut Bank, Montana

When I first read this, I could not put it down. It introduced to me two very different cultures, and how they connect together with each other, and the story itself. The livid descriptions of training as an astronaut, has not only interested me, but has influenced me to have it as one of my careers. I'll treasure this book all my life, for it has touched me in a way, that no other book has done before.

I got this book at a reading festival that my school had. As sson as we left the festival, I started reading this book. I couldn't get my hands off it. When I finished it, 5 days later, I read it over again. Not only if this an adventure book, but it is also very inspiring.

I never realized that a boy from Africa and a boy from Montana could have so very different lives. The author of Countdown lives in Montana, and for a couple of months he went to Africa and lived with the Massai to see what life is like there. The story Countdown is about two very different boys with very different cultures but for some reason they are also very similar.

Elliot and Vincent are the main characters. The book switches off between their lives. In the middle of the book, they started talking to each other. By the end, they meet in person. I thought it was cool that they met, because it becomes one story, not two separate ones.

Elliot, a boy who lives in Montana, wishes to be a pilot/astronaut when he grows up. His father wants him to take over the family farm. He doesn't tell his father that he wants to be a pilot/astronaut until he hears that NASA is having a Jr. Astronaut contest; Elliot gets so excited by this news. Elliot has many challenges to overcome to achieve his goal.

Vincent is a young Maasai boy who lives in Kenya, Africa. He wants to go to the wood school, but his father really wants him to become a warrior, which Vincent does not wish to be. He thinks killing animals for no reason is bad. For example, he has to kill a lion to show courage. But Vincent thinks that it is not right. Vincent is scared to tell his father this because he thinks his father will get very mad at him.

When Elliot talks to Vincent for the first time they argue about everything. They can't agree on anything. All they talk about is their cultures which are totally different, when they start talking about themselves and their problems, they start to see that they are kind of the same and start to become friends. "We are friends?" Vincent asked. "Yes, were friends," Elliot answered. With those to simple words, on that morning in Senegal, two very different boys reached out and touched hands. Here is one of their arguments from the book. "Pappa says that Engai gave all the cattle in the world to the Maasai. So if you have cattle, I think you have stolen them from the Maasai over."

The characters in Countdown have their own personality. I can see how the author put his life in the book also, because he has Elliot living in Montana where the author lives too. Countdown is a very creative book with different twists in it.

Even though Countdown is not a true story, it could be. Many of the things that happened in the book could happen now. Even though we can't imagine some of the things in the book, it's possible that they could happen.

There are many exciting obstacles and problems that Vincent and Elliot go through. There also some sad issues that Elliot and Vincent go through. But you just have to read Countdown to find out. I enjoyed Countdown and hopefully, you will see that Countdown is a great and exciting book as I did.