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jtferdon's review against another edition
4.0
The Great Fire by Jim Murphy - 1995
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4 Stars
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I am a history lover and this book has been on my TBR for awhile. It documents the 1871 Chicago Fire. I didn’t realize that this book was YA and a Newberry Award winner until I started reading. The book was a very good account of the Fire, the devastation and the aftermath. It also a snapshot of human nature and how some people can band together and gang up on people when rumors about how the fire started point toward a family. The author also discusses how the poor were forced to relocate to outlying areas after the fire due to new building requirements for homes. These actions segregated the poor from the wealthy residents in the city.
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It was a quick read and I enjoyed this book.
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4 Stars
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I am a history lover and this book has been on my TBR for awhile. It documents the 1871 Chicago Fire. I didn’t realize that this book was YA and a Newberry Award winner until I started reading. The book was a very good account of the Fire, the devastation and the aftermath. It also a snapshot of human nature and how some people can band together and gang up on people when rumors about how the fire started point toward a family. The author also discusses how the poor were forced to relocate to outlying areas after the fire due to new building requirements for homes. These actions segregated the poor from the wealthy residents in the city.
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It was a quick read and I enjoyed this book.
nglofile's review against another edition
3.0
Both interesting and informative. Though the audio format precludes the illustrations of the print, not too much is lost. History is presented as a blended story representing several witness accounts.
audiobook note: Narrator Taylor Mali has an extremely pleasant natural reading voice, but his efforts to alter it for different characters are not as successful.
audiobook note: Narrator Taylor Mali has an extremely pleasant natural reading voice, but his efforts to alter it for different characters are not as successful.
mallorykjorgensen's review against another edition
4.0
Awards Won: Newbery Honor (1996)
As someone who is not a native Chicagoan, I found this book very fascinating and educational. The photographs that accompanied the narrative provided a great mental image of the destruction that Chicago faced that tragic night.
I think that this would be a great book to use when third graders learn about Chicago. The book is definitely appropriate for older readers, but could be used for a whole group read-aloud to engage the students. Other content areas could also be incorporated such as social studies, science, and math. Students could create map showing the course of the Chicago fires, build structural replicas of Chicago, and much more!
As someone who is not a native Chicagoan, I found this book very fascinating and educational. The photographs that accompanied the narrative provided a great mental image of the destruction that Chicago faced that tragic night.
I think that this would be a great book to use when third graders learn about Chicago. The book is definitely appropriate for older readers, but could be used for a whole group read-aloud to engage the students. Other content areas could also be incorporated such as social studies, science, and math. Students could create map showing the course of the Chicago fires, build structural replicas of Chicago, and much more!
sc104906's review against another edition
4.0
This is a historical account of the large and deadly fire that took place in Chicago at the end of the 1800s. It reads like a fictional adventure book. Murphy highlights several characters, or real people from the event, and lays out their journey along with the overall events in the city.
Reluctant readers will have a hard time putting this book down. The fast paced intensity of this novel keeps readers wanting more and more. Murphy teaches about history, without the reader ever realizing that he is giving them a good dose of information. His work is what other nonfiction books can aspire to be.
Reluctant readers will have a hard time putting this book down. The fast paced intensity of this novel keeps readers wanting more and more. Murphy teaches about history, without the reader ever realizing that he is giving them a good dose of information. His work is what other nonfiction books can aspire to be.
bhauser's review against another edition
4.0
I love Jim Murphy's ability to write about an event in history through the lens of those who lived it. In this book his research dispells the myths of the great fire that destroyed Chicago in 1871, and points out many errors in reporting and handling the fire, and natural forces that took place enbling the fire to travel far and fast across the city. The photographs and illustrations are well placed and help with visualizing the destruction but what I found most helpful were the maps of the city at the end of each chapter that showed the progress of the fire and key places mentioned in that chapter.
k_lee_reads_it's review against another edition
4.0
The story of the 1871 Chicago fire. Detailed in his use of facts, first person accounts, and information of the time, Murphy gives the reader a stark look into the fire before, during and after. While meant for a YA audience, this book could be enjoyed by any age.
I listened on audiobook. I recommend getting the book. I know a fair bit about Chicago, but the maps in the book would have greatly enhanced my experience.
I listened on audiobook. I recommend getting the book. I know a fair bit about Chicago, but the maps in the book would have greatly enhanced my experience.
abigailbat's review against another edition
2.0
Well-researched, but rather dry. I listened to the audio recording of this title and it was fine, but not especially captivating.
zhzhang's review against another edition
5.0
Such a wonderful book with an engrossing story and vivid narration.