Synopses & Reviews
*andquot;Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating?andrdquo;andmdash;Kirkus Reviews, starred reviewand#160;This is the story of a killer thatand#160;has beenand#160;striking people down for thousands of years: tuberculosis.and#160;After centuries ofand#160;ineffective treatments,and#160;the microorganism that causes TB was identified and the cure was thought to beand#160;within reachandmdash;but drug-resistant varieties continue to plague and panic the human race. The andquot;biographyandquot; of this deadly germ and the social history of an illness that could strike anywhere are woven together in an engrossing, carefully researchedand#160;narrative.
Review
"Lively text complemented by excellent, well-placed reproductions of photographs, drawings, flyers, woodcuts, posters and ads . . . . Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating?" and#8212;Kirkus Review, starred review "This is a solid and timely addition to nonfiction resources on sickness and human history."and#8212;VOYA, 4Q 3P J S "An engaging read."and#8212;Horn Book "The writing is crisp and clinical . . . Students researching diseases or medical breakthroughs will find this book both informative and interesting."and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review "Wide ranging in breadth, yet always well focused on the topic at hand, this fascinating book offers a sharply detailed picture of tuberculosis throughout history."and#8212;Booklist, starred review
Review
"The 19th centuryand#8217;s transcontinental railroads, explored via a delightfully effective narrative device: tracing the 1879 journey of Robert Louis Stevenson, who, at 29, was making an as-swift-as-possible journey from Edinburgh to Monterey, California. . . . A fascinating, imaginatively structured account that brings the experience vividly to life in all its detail: history at its best. Generously illustrated with period photos and prints; endpaper map; extensive bibliography, mostly of sources; index."
Kirkus Reviews with Pointers
"A readable and valuable contribution to literature concerning expansion into the American West." School Library Journal, Starred
Review
"With plenty of gory details . . .and#160; Even reluctant readers will respond to the gruesome descriptions of the disease and of brave volunteers . . . Quotations from the doctorsand#8217; letters and later accounts by other participants gives the story an immediacy heightened by conversational writing full of questions and cliffhangers . . .and#160; powerful exploration of a disease that killed 100,000 U.S. citizens in the 1800s."--Kirkus Reviews
Review
"The excellent use of quotes and descriptions from Dooley and Galwayand#8217;s journals brings authenticity and immediacy to the narrative. By focusing on these two ordinary soldiers, readers get a new perspective on this decisive and bloody battle. A first-rate addition to Civil War collections."
School Library Journal, Starred
"Beginning and ending with the dedication ceremony at which Lincoln delivered the Gettysburg Address, Murphyand#8217;s intriguing book presents the story of the battle from the points of view of two actual participants. . . . The firsthand accounts, drawn from Dooleyand#8217;s and Galwayand#8217;s own writings, give the narrative immediacy and personalize the horrors of battle. Like Murphyand#8217;s The Boysand#8217; War, this volume is generously illustrated with period drawings, engravings, paintings, and, especially, photographs. An important addition to the Civil War shelf."
Booklist, ALA, Starred Review
Synopsis
From one of the most acclaimed writers of nonfiction for children, Invincible Microbe illuminates the seemingly unstoppable killer thatand#8217;s been haunting us for centuries: tuberculosis. Well-researched and including over 100 archival photos and prints, this compelling and#8220;biographyand#8221; of a deadly germ is a must-read.
Synopsis
*"Who knew the biography of a germ could be so fascinating?"--Kirkus Reviews, starred review This is the story of a killer that has been striking people down for thousands of years: tuberculosis. After centuries of ineffective treatments, the microorganism that causes TB was identified and the cure was thought to be within reach--but drug-resistant varieties continue to plague and panic the human race. The "biography" of this deadly germ and the social history of an illness that could strike anywhere are woven together in an engrossing, carefully researched narrative.
Synopsis
An account of Robert Louis Stevenson's twelve day journey from New York to California in 1879, interwoven with a history of the building of the transcontinental railroad and the settling of the West.
Synopsis
A riveting medical detective drama about anand#160;truly extraordinary discovery, illustrated with archival images, written by an award-winning author of nonfiction.
Synopsis
Red oozes from the patient's gums. He has a rushing headache and the whites of his eyes look like lemons. He will likely die within days.
Here is the true story of how four Americans and one Cuban tracked down a killer, one of the world's most vicious plagues: yellow fever. Set in fever-stricken Cuba, this book allows the reader to feel the heavy air, smell the stench of disease, hears the whine of mosquitoes biting human volunteers during the surreal experiments. Exploring themes of courage, cooperation, and the ethics of human experimentation, this gripping account is ultimately a story of the triumph of science.
Synopsis
A description of the Battle of Gettysburg as seen through the eyes of nineteen-year-old Confederate lieutenant John Dooley and seventeen-year-old Union soldier Thomas Galway.
Synopsis
In the early days of whaling, whales were plentiful and it seemed that they would always fill the sea. When people realized how much money could be made from whales in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, entire species were wiped out in the rush to hunt these gentle and magnificent creatures. This account is an even-handed portrayal of the exciting, grisly, and sometimes profitable business of pelagic whaling, told from the perspective of young whalers through their detailed journal entries and letters. Glossary, bibliography,index.
About the Author
To research this book, Suzanne Jurmain used primary sources of memoirs, medical log books and documents from the doctors who were actually involved in the conquest of yellow fever. She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and has two adult children - and one large golden retriever.