Author: Jim Murphy
Title: An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793
Illustrator: None
Genre: Non-fiction
Subgenre: History/Chapter Book
Theme: Despite large tragedies that could have been prevented by people listening, history still tends to repeat itself.
Primary Characters/Secondary Characters: There is a multitude of characters that play an equal part, but a few of them would include Benjamin Rush, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Mayor Clarkson, and Governor Mifflin. Other characters were people who died from the plague, politicians, and medical staff.
Award/Date: Sibert Medal/2003
Publisher: Clarion Books
Summary: This story follows the epidemic of yellow fever in 1793 in Philadelphia. It tells how the yellow fever simply began as a small fever that seemed insignificant. Unimportant people were dying from it, so it wasn't seen as much of a deal. Over time, however, dozens of people begin dying everyday from the epidemic, but some still won't believe that it is the yellow fever. Throughout the book, it teaches you of historical events that surrounded this fatal time and how so many lives were drastically affected, and yet, at the same time, everything will remain the same.
How used: This story is a non-fictional book that tells about the breakout of the yellow fever in America. It is a great book to use to teach your students about a historical event. It can be a great tool because it helps tie people to the statistics, therefore making it more real to each person. This can also give your students a more in depth study of something that many history books merely brush over.
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