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readwithpassion's review against another edition
5.0
I have read about the medieval plague, but I haven't read much about the plague epidemic of the twentieth century. It was fascinating (and sad) to learn about this time period. Gail Jarrow has an incredible ability to make nonfiction material very accessible to readers. This book is a page-turner, and I had difficulty putting it down! The information is very easy to follow, yet it is complex and made me think! I will read any book by Jarrow because she really makes me think. Her texts go beyond medical information. There are themes, for example, about racism and prejudice that made me want to use this book in the classroom!
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: As with Gail Jarrow's Fatal Fever, I think it would be wise for teachers to explore other diseases and epidemics while teaching this book. It would be particularly interesting to make connections between this book and Jarrow's Red Madness and Fatal Fever. Students could participate in literature circles and discuss their learning. I also found the prejudice and scapegoating included in the text to be very interesting and think this would make for very worthy classroom discussions.
Full Review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=10020
Teachers' Tools for Navigation: As with Gail Jarrow's Fatal Fever, I think it would be wise for teachers to explore other diseases and epidemics while teaching this book. It would be particularly interesting to make connections between this book and Jarrow's Red Madness and Fatal Fever. Students could participate in literature circles and discuss their learning. I also found the prejudice and scapegoating included in the text to be very interesting and think this would make for very worthy classroom discussions.
Full Review: http://www.unleashingreaders.com/?p=10020
sandylovesbooks's review against another edition
5.0
Wow! What an amazing book about another microscopic disease that kills. It's been around since the year 541. Then to the year 750(?) was the first pandemic which was called Justinian pandemic. Ever since the Plague has been infecting people by way of fleas on rats, cats, prairie dogs, and other small mammals. And the bad thing is people back then did not believe that it was real. Just like today, newspapers, especially the San Francisco Call, called the Plague fake. March 8, 1900 the headline was "Plague Fake", and on March 9 1900, it was "Plague Farce".
And, just like today, on page 101, a prominent doctor - Dr. Joseph Kinyoun, who was based in San Francisco, said, "Politics, not science and medicine, were deciding the fate of the neighborhood (Chinatown)."
Dr. Kinyoun was in charge of the removal of the plague in the Chinatown area of San Francisco where the epidemic was going on. Many people and businesses depended on tourism and with the outbreak and subsequent quarantines money was lost. California's governor, at the time, was Henry Gage and he hated what Dr. Kinyoun was doing. The governor asked the legislature to pass a law making the "importation of plague cultures a felony punishable by life imprisonment". On the same day, a senator demanded Dr. Kinyoun be removed as quarantine officer and that he (Dr. Kinyoun) deserved to be hanged. Sounds like when a member of Trump's team said Dr. Fauci, who is one of the top scientists today, should be beheaded. What is wrong with some people?
On page 146, the book talks about how the bacterium of the Plague survives in 17 western states from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains. And that it infects more than 200 species of mammals around the world. 75 in the U.S.
And on page 156, the book says, today, an average of 7 people a year develops Plague in America.
Scary stuff. But I think the more I read about these diseases helps me today while watching COVID-19 and it's toll. We must be ever vigilant against all these little killers.
And, just like today, on page 101, a prominent doctor - Dr. Joseph Kinyoun, who was based in San Francisco, said, "Politics, not science and medicine, were deciding the fate of the neighborhood (Chinatown)."
Dr. Kinyoun was in charge of the removal of the plague in the Chinatown area of San Francisco where the epidemic was going on. Many people and businesses depended on tourism and with the outbreak and subsequent quarantines money was lost. California's governor, at the time, was Henry Gage and he hated what Dr. Kinyoun was doing. The governor asked the legislature to pass a law making the "importation of plague cultures a felony punishable by life imprisonment". On the same day, a senator demanded Dr. Kinyoun be removed as quarantine officer and that he (Dr. Kinyoun) deserved to be hanged. Sounds like when a member of Trump's team said Dr. Fauci, who is one of the top scientists today, should be beheaded. What is wrong with some people?
On page 146, the book talks about how the bacterium of the Plague survives in 17 western states from the Pacific Ocean to the Great Plains. And that it infects more than 200 species of mammals around the world. 75 in the U.S.
And on page 156, the book says, today, an average of 7 people a year develops Plague in America.
Scary stuff. But I think the more I read about these diseases helps me today while watching COVID-19 and it's toll. We must be ever vigilant against all these little killers.
yapha's review against another edition
4.0
Starting with an overview of the Bubonic Plague through history, this focuses primarily on the outbreak that started in 1900 in the Chinatown area of San Francisco. Ms. Jarrow does an excellent job explaining the myths and prejudices surrounding the various outbreaks which continued into the 20th century when the Plague first showed up in North America. She also explains the science and skepticism that accompanied the search for the cause, cure, and prevention. Pair this with [b:Chasing Secrets|23615684|Chasing Secrets|Gennifer Choldenko|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417981348s/23615684.jpg|43219468] for a fictional look at the same outbreak. Highly recommended for grades 5 and up.
abigailbat's review against another edition
5.0
Another hit from Gail Jarrow! This book started off a little slow with necessary explanation of the bubonic plague's history in medieval Europe, but it really took off once the 19th century epidemics started. Jarrow's writing is compelling, making this nonfiction science mystery quite a page-turner. I would definitely suggest this to fans of true mysteries and the history of science.
demitramaria's review against another edition
4.0
I don't know why I thought that plague didn't exist anymore. It does and man is it both gross and terrifying. I will be staying away from wild rodents forever.
heykellyjensen's review against another edition
This middle grade nonfiction title explores the third wave of bubonic plague, which hit the US in the early 1900s. More specifically, it delves into the ways that society and politicians chose to handle the public health crisis which was wildly -- and unsurprisingly -- racist against Asian immigrants and communities. I wish Jarrow had dove into that a little bit further, but she did offer some excellent primary source images that makes those beliefs and actions clear.
The book's trim size is annoying for me as a reader, but it's also necessary in order to offer the photos and sidebars that it does. Those extra pieces were useful and carefully used to add to the text, rather than detract from it.
Readers who love science or mysteries (because the narrative thread here is how the heck did the plague get to America) will dig this one. I didn't know anything about the American angle of plague nor that there were three big "waves" of bubonic plague through history. I'd only ever known about the one we all learned about in our history classes.
The back matter is excellent, and I found the FAQs that Jarrow chose to include at the end of the book really thought-provoking. It was clear she anticipated some questions from young readers and she addresses them succinctly and smartly.
Fun fact: I knew the plague was still a thing in the American southwest; in mid 2007, my husband and I were driving from Las Vegas to Austin and stopped one night in a New Mexico town, where the lead story was about a small local outbreak. I was surprised, but learning about the fact that it's rodents and fleas associated with them that can cause the illness makes that make more sense. Likewise, this book will likely heighten fear from the hypochondriacs out there, since this is a disease that's still possible and Jarrow doesn't ignore that.
The book's trim size is annoying for me as a reader, but it's also necessary in order to offer the photos and sidebars that it does. Those extra pieces were useful and carefully used to add to the text, rather than detract from it.
Readers who love science or mysteries (because the narrative thread here is how the heck did the plague get to America) will dig this one. I didn't know anything about the American angle of plague nor that there were three big "waves" of bubonic plague through history. I'd only ever known about the one we all learned about in our history classes.
The back matter is excellent, and I found the FAQs that Jarrow chose to include at the end of the book really thought-provoking. It was clear she anticipated some questions from young readers and she addresses them succinctly and smartly.
Fun fact: I knew the plague was still a thing in the American southwest; in mid 2007, my husband and I were driving from Las Vegas to Austin and stopped one night in a New Mexico town, where the lead story was about a small local outbreak. I was surprised, but learning about the fact that it's rodents and fleas associated with them that can cause the illness makes that make more sense. Likewise, this book will likely heighten fear from the hypochondriacs out there, since this is a disease that's still possible and Jarrow doesn't ignore that.
lemon_drop's review against another edition
5.0
This is terrifying. I had no idea that this disease was still infecting people; or that rural areas of the Western states are potentially dangerous.
I saw a dead rat here just a few days ago.
Totally freaked out right now.
I saw a dead rat here just a few days ago.
Totally freaked out right now.
tami_provencher's review against another edition
4.0
If you had told me two weeks ago that I would be fascinated by a book about the bubonic plague I would've laughed at you. Then I read Bubonic Panic by Gail Jarrow. It's not a book I would ordinarily have chosen off a library shelf to read. However, because I had seen this book mentioned on several Newbery-Award-worthy lists and because it is one of the few nonfiction titles to show up on such lists I made a point to find it.
The book concentrates primarily on the Plague outbreak in the early 1900's in San Francisco. It spends some time detailing the history of bubonic plague--also known as the Black Death--from the Middle Ages through medieval times, from the Asian continent where it first appeared, through Europe, Africa, Australia, South America and, finally, North America. Ms. Jarrow's Author's Note perfectly articulates what I found so fascinating about her book:
Bubonic Panic is a brilliant choice in a classroom used in conjunction with social studies or biological sciences lessons. A fantastic way to join literature, reading and the sciences (biological & social) is to pair this with Gennifer Choldenko's 2015 work Chasing Secrets. Secrets is the fictional story of a middle-school-age girl in 1900 San Francisco whose father is a doctor during the very plague breakout described in Gail Jarrow's Bubonic Panic. Having read Secrets before Bubonic Panic, I was all the more fascinated by the nonfictional details in this book. Pairing the two together can give young learners a more substantial connection to both books--and the issues and history behind them both.
Bubonic Panic is written with clear, specific language that is definitely accessible to upper elementary and middle school-age readers. In addition to the narrative that details the history and spread of the Bubonic Plague there are also sidebars and inserts that specifically address the way the plague is identified and spread from a purely scientific perspective. Kids who are interested in medicine or biological sciences will LOVE this book!
Ms Jarrow also makes the point that
It would be interesting after reading both Secrets and Bubonic Panic to have students brainstorm around this statement, creating a plan for a similar world health event.
The book concentrates primarily on the Plague outbreak in the early 1900's in San Francisco. It spends some time detailing the history of bubonic plague--also known as the Black Death--from the Middle Ages through medieval times, from the Asian continent where it first appeared, through Europe, Africa, Australia, South America and, finally, North America. Ms. Jarrow's Author's Note perfectly articulates what I found so fascinating about her book:
The story of a plague's invasion of America is more than a tale about an ancient disease threatening a modern society. It's also about the tensions between old, faulty assumptions and fresh scientific insights; between local and federal governments; between people living inside and outside an infected area; and between individual rights and a community's welfare.
Bubonic Panic is a brilliant choice in a classroom used in conjunction with social studies or biological sciences lessons. A fantastic way to join literature, reading and the sciences (biological & social) is to pair this with Gennifer Choldenko's 2015 work Chasing Secrets. Secrets is the fictional story of a middle-school-age girl in 1900 San Francisco whose father is a doctor during the very plague breakout described in Gail Jarrow's Bubonic Panic. Having read Secrets before Bubonic Panic, I was all the more fascinated by the nonfictional details in this book. Pairing the two together can give young learners a more substantial connection to both books--and the issues and history behind them both.
Bubonic Panic is written with clear, specific language that is definitely accessible to upper elementary and middle school-age readers. In addition to the narrative that details the history and spread of the Bubonic Plague there are also sidebars and inserts that specifically address the way the plague is identified and spread from a purely scientific perspective. Kids who are interested in medicine or biological sciences will LOVE this book!
Ms Jarrow also makes the point that
History can show us how to deal with these inevitable tensions when--not if--we have to fight another frightening deadly disease spreading around the globe. The response to the recent Ebola crisis shows that the world might not be ready for this battle.
It would be interesting after reading both Secrets and Bubonic Panic to have students brainstorm around this statement, creating a plan for a similar world health event.
burnourhistory's review against another edition
4.0
Gail Jarrow definitely expanded on my knowledge of 'the plague,' which didn't extend beyond that of the Black Death in Europe. And I could see how the book could be appealing to a younger audience - with the satirical illustrations of newspaper publications and so on - while still being rich with information.