BOOK: NONFICTION (ages 10-14)
Brief Description: Murphy does it again with this fantastic - "read as fiction" style nonfiction telling of the yellow fever epidemic. He successfully instills fear into the reader as the symptoms are described without censor. He includes both first-hand accounts - medical and non-medical- as well as providing further reading on various topics relating to yellow fever. The last chapter serves to possibly instill great fear in readers as the information conveys that yellow fever is not eradicated, but is labeled "A Modern-Day Time Bomb."
Awards: Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for Excellence, 2004; Cuffies: Children's Booksellers Choose Their Favorite Books of the year, 2003; James Madison Book Award, 2004; John Newbery Honor Book, 2004; National Book Awards, 2003; Orbis Pictus Award, 2004; Robert F. Sibert Award, 2004.
Personal Opinion: I had to read this book in one sitting! Wonderful fiction-like telling of the horrors of yellow fever. I had read The Hot Zone years ago, and this had a similar feeling - nonfiction with fear! Then I got to the last chapter which indicated that the aedes aegypti mosquito could still transmit the disease - I had no idea about this, and also the fact that there have been no vaccines produced in recent years, and that there is no cure for yellow fever - all made this book incredibly frightening!
Curriculum/Programming: Studies in science concerning bacteria and viruses would work well with this book; also history courses focused on this time period would benefit from this well-told story.
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