Posts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
This book thoroughly chronicles the events of the yellow fever epidemic that struck Philadelphia in the year 1793, as well as the political, civil, and scientific impact the plague had on the years to come. Readers are shown what life was like as the infant America struggled to find it's legs. The troubles President Washington faced in abandoning the U.S. capital. Also highlighted in this book are things we may take for granted today, such as proper drainage in our cities, clean water, and pest control. The book ends with how treatments and cures for some diseases were developed and how it was discovered that the tiniest mosquito can bring the deadliest illness to humans.
This book has twelve pages of sources and has many illustrations and newspaper clippings from the time period spread throughout the book. This all adds up to a very detailed book that is sure to interest those students who history and science. This book is organized for cover to cover reading and flows very well to encourage the reader to continue reading. The experiences, the desperation and horror, of the people living through this plague come through in the author's voice and brings history to life. Lengthy book and better suited to readers middle school and up.
Awards/Reviews:
National Book Awards (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2003
School Library Journal Best Books of the Year (WON AWARD) 2003
Newbery Medal (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2004
Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award (WON AWARD) 2004
American Library Association Notable Books for Children (WON AWARD) 2004
NCTE Orbis Pictus Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards (WON AWARD) 2004
James Madison Book Award (WON AWARD) 2004
Volunteer State Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Garden State Teen Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
William Allen White Children's Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2006
Young Hoosier Book Award (NOMINATED FOR AN AWARD) 2007
School Library Journal: "The author masterfully weaves facts and fascinating stories in describing the course of the disease and the heroic roles played by a few doctors and the free African-American citizens of the city."
Voice of Youth Advocates: " This book represents nonfiction at its best."
Booklist: "Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city."
Publisher's Weekly: "Murphy here adopts a leisurely, lyrical tone to chronicle the invisible spread of the deadly disease that not only crippled Philadelphia (then the temporary capital of the U.S.) but also set off a constitutional crisis."
Connections:
Relate to current events, H1N1 virus.
Books:
Anderson, Laurie Halse. Fever 1793. ISBN 9780689848919
Markle, Sandra. Mosquitoes: Tiny Insect Troublemakers. ISBN 9780822572992
Image credit: www.betterworldbooks.com
0 Comments:
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
