A different slant on Vietnam War soldiers and their families. A good story with real characters. ( )

The year is 1977, the Vietnam War has ended, the Space Race is in full swing and Encyclopedia Britannica is still considered a cutting edge research tool. Theo is working on completing an assignment which answers the question, "Who are we?". In addition to this question he is trying to figure out what happened to his father after the war. Theo's mother doesn't speak of his father and brushes off Theo's attempts to find out the truth. Barbara Kerley offers up a sensitive tale of family secrets and trust. I would recommend this to fans of historical fiction. ( )

Reviewed by Carrie Spellman for TeensReadToo.com

If you had one minute of sound and one picture to describe the very best thing about being a human on Earth, what would you do? That's Theo's assignment, and he has two weeks to figure it out.

It's 1977 and the Voyager Probes are due to launch soon. They will be the most extensive space exploration mission yet. Aboard one of the probes is a golden record, full of sounds from earth, that will be broadcast into space, intended as a greeting toward alien life.

At first Theo thinks the assignment will be simple. The more he thinks about it, the harder it becomes. He has some great ideas, but nothing seems quite good enough. How do you describe the very best thing about humans in one minute? Should it be something we've created? Should it avoid mention of anything bad? Who are we?

One question leads to the next, and the biggest ones start to come from outside of school. Who is Theo's father, really? What happened to him in Vietnam? Why can't they talk about him? Does keeping a secret hurt someone or protect them?

This is a story about much more than just space exploration, although I did learn quite a bit more about that than I ever did in a class. This is a story about exploring you family and yourself. It's about asking hard questions, even when you're not sure you want to know the answer. It's also about forgiveness and strength and understanding. All of these are ideas that transcend time, making GREETINGS FROM PLANET EARTH a great book to have now or ten years from now, and just as good for adults as it is for kids. ( )

Good, solid story of a youngster living without his father who was a soldier in the Vietnam War. Theo envies his best friend's closeness with his dad and misses having a father around. Theo's mother and her inability to deal with her husband not returning to the family after the war has made her angry and unable to deal with feeling abandoned. No one is willing to talk about Theo's dad, Vince. When Theo finds out his father is alive and MIA, things come to a very emotional head quickly.

It is a bit slow but certainly worth the read. Having been in college during this period of American history, the story certainly rings true. It also struck some emotional chords in me as well. I would certainly recommend this book to anyone looking for a book with more substance. ( )

http://interactivereader.blogspot.com/2007/04/past-future-present-interview-with...

Includes author interview! ( )