Member Reviews
As a fan of Science Comics (I own 11 of them and share with students), I was thrilled to see that publisher First Second has ventured into history.
History Comics brings life to the terror and resilience brought about by the Great Chicago Fire. As a California resident, I understand the ferocity of swift-moving fire and the disorienting smell of smoke.
Out of the Great Fire came changes in building materials, fire warning systems, architecture, and emergency preparedness. The author also depicts how immigrants in general and the Irish in particular were openly scapegoated for the tragedy.
I will purchase this title, but I was disappointed that the term "firemen" was used instead of "firefighters" and that "mankind" was not "humankind."
3.5 stars. Interesting and engaging graphic novel. I like that it teaches about the Great Chicago Fire without being too overt about it. I think kids will be on the edge of their seats and want to keep reading to find out what happens.
I really like the way the story of The Great Chicago FIre was told in this graphic novel. I found the story easy to follow and compelling. Tying the story together with young characters and a puppy is a great way to keep kids connected to the text. I did find the pages about Chicago architecture at the end a little bit hard to stay engaged by and would have preferred it just explained the way the fire changed Chicago, but overall, I think this is an excellent graphic telling of a historical event and am excited to incorporate this into my classroom.
Another title in the History Comics Collection. I love that they explained the story of O'Leary's cow and how racism made her a scapegoat. There were also theories that I had not heard of before. The dialogue did get a bit awkward in places, but nothing that interrupted the flow of the story. This is definitely a must-add to my classroom library. The timeline and maps of places to visit in Chicago really helped show the impact of the fire.
Creative Team:
Written by Kate Hannigan
Art by Alex Graudins
This was a very factual, yet pleasing, graphic novel for children. Thanks again to NetGalley and First Second for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for feedback.
This is a middle grade graphic novel that allowed me to learn more about the Great Chicago Fire without feeling overwhelmed with all of the facts. It not only talked about the fire, but also provided information about how it possibly started to what was done after the fire diminished. It didn’t break the people that lived there during that time; it helped them rebuild the city to what it is now (and providing ways to make construction of buildings better than it was). I loved the illustrations and can’t wait to read more History Comics!
A perfect way to put history into kids hands in a way they will want to keep reading! I just know my 3rd graders will eat this up. The author does a great job of making the story action heavy while included tons of great historical information. The graphic novel format moves the story along and adds to the story. Great for kids who love I Survived.
Though I think this oversimplified the issues of intolerance of immigrants, I greatly appreciate the format of this series. Facts are sprinkled throughout an engaging story and there are tons of great resources in the back.
My son absolutely loved this. A face paced, well written graphic novel.
I’ll be buying more copies.
I read this book in one sitting. It was so intriguing and such a fantastic glimpse into the Chicago Fire. Beautiful illustrations as well!
I really enjoyed this graphic novel because of its art style and entrenching plot. I would highly recommend this to fans of graphic novels and odd, interesting stories.
My students really enjoyed this history book! It brought to life something that most of them had heretofore not even heard of, but now feel like they've experienced. The illustrations were very detailed and make it easier to understand the text. At the end of the book there is a timeline, a map of the places talked about in the book, a list of places to visit (if you were to visit Chicago today), fast facts, and a list of websites to find more information about this subject. Excellent way to bring history to struggling readers.
Graphic novels have become so popular in my Media Center and history is so important. So the combination of this format and the history of the Great Chicago Fire is sure to capture my students' interest.
Young readers will be able to relate to the brother, sister and puppy who are caught up in the Fire and their efforts to locate family and safety. I especially found interesting how the incident of the cow causing the fire was dealt with and the lesson that it taught. The timeline and points of interest were an especially helpful addition.
I guarantee this book will be in demand.
My students are obsessed with Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales, so I'm always interested in new graphic novels exploring history. This is an additional purchase for libraries like mine where there is a demand. Considering the relatively short length of the book, I was a little confused in the opening pages about who were the parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, etc. (For example, a sister knew her brother was afraid of heights, but how was he not aware that she couldn't swim?) All in all, especially given that I live and work in the Chicago suburbs, I'll be buying this for my library's collection because students will absolutely be able to make connections to the event and parts of the city that still exist today.
"History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire" is a nice graphic novel about this historic event. I'll definitely recommend this one.