Flu Pandemic of 1918

November 1, 2013

Gr 5-8-These chronologically arranged accounts of major world disasters begin with background information followed by a summary of events and analysis of how each event resulted in technological or regulatory changes to prevent or mitigate the effects of similar happenings in the future. The authors are objective about the human causes or reactions to each disaster, and sidebars encourage readers to form their own opinions by comparing opposing viewpoints from primary-source accounts. Additional resources are available on the publisher's website. The set is designed to support the Common Core State Standards, and there are numerous prompts, including a "Stop and Think" section at the end of each book, that suggest independent research and writing activities. These titles contain average-quality photos, maps, and reproductions and have a textbook quality that may limit their appeal. Many of the topics have been covered in extant series, making this set an additional purchase.

Copyright 2013 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

January 1, 2014
The 1918 pandemic killed millions, but it took researchers decades to identify the culprit as a virus and learn how it spreads to humans. A vaccine wasn't developed until 1944. A matter-of-fact text describes the illness's devastation; archival photos, graphs, and informative sidebars tell their own horrific story. Writing exercises and prompts to visit the publisher's website are intrusive. Reading list, timeline. Glos., ind.

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