   | Deadliest diseases then and now (Deadliest) Author: Hopkinson, Deborah | |
| Price: $16.79 | ||
Summary:
Deadly pandemics have always been a part of life, from the Great Mortality of the Middle Ages, to the Spanish Influenza of 1918, to the eruption of COVID-19 in our own century. They might have seemed like things to read about in history books--until the unthinkable happened, and our own lives were turned upside down by the emergence of the novel coronavirus. A fast-paced, wide-ranging story filled with facts, pictures, and diagrams about diseases--from plague to small pox to polio to flu.
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| Accelerated Reader Information: Interest Level: MG Reading Level: 7.70 Points: 4.0 Quiz: 513546 |
Reviews:
Kirkus Reviews (09/01/21)
School Library Journal (11/01/21)
Full Text Reviews:
School Library Journal - 11/01/2021 Gr 6–9—The first in a new series has a timely topic. The bulk of the volume focuses on the bubonic plague from the 14th century to the 1910s, alternating historical and science chapters, and frequently debunking established theories. The author's chummy use of the first person "we" lets readers learn alongside her as she reveals information gleaned from experts, transforming her writing into the style of one of the Middle Ages plague chroniclers she frequently quotes. Additional chapters on the 1918 influenza and COVID-19 pandemics add context to understanding how far medicine has come in handling contagious diseases. Informative captioned photographs alternate with evocative pen-and-ink illustrations. Bold vocabulary words are explained contextually as well as defined in the corresponding glossary. Supplemental materials include two fun quizzes and a call to be "a Twenty-First Century Chronicler" of COVID-19, as well as further reading and a selected bibliography. Source notes, which the author describes as analogous to "evidence that a detective collects to make a case," and a comprehensive index also support researchers. VERDICT Good for budding middle school epidemiologists and history buffs who can't resist a book about diseases.—Courtney Lewis, St. Catherine's Sch., Richmond, VA - Copyright 2021 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.
