If you're like me, you find plagues fascinating. A book that breaks down historical plagues teaches us about science, history, and sociology and this volume does all three of those things well. Fitzharris and Teal break down everything we know about each disease historically: when it first appeared or was identified; historical cures; it's deadly impact; what science learned at the time; it's general treatability; what we know now. This is perhaps a bit of a niche interest but if you have any interest in history or epidemiology this is a solid choice.

A comprehensive history of plagues. You could swear this was a book of fiction by the "cures" and general way of thinking people had back then. Being arrested and placed in a insane asylum for wanting people to was their hands after touching dead bodies for one, but then I remember our pandemic and realize it adds up.

As a precocious middle-grade reader, I would have sat down and devoured this book in one sitting. It's a gruesome-yet-fun, informative examination of six of the deadliest diseases in history (the bubonic plague, smallpox, rabies, cholera, tuberculosis, and scurvy); the illustrations add to the lighthearted nature of the narrative. I wish Lindsey Fitzharris had been more consistent in the pronunciations she chose to include (they dwindle halfway through the book), but otherwise the content is both concise and accessible.

My special interests are viruses, diseases, and all related to those subjects so I am always happy when I get to read a book that provides me with more information. I really enjoyed the way this book was laid out and the images that added to each section. I also really liked how easy it is to comprehend and how it instills just the right amount of fear for the intended age group. I also liked that it provided information that I wasn't too familiar with about each disease.

A book about some of history's worst plagues! Full of fun facts and good illustrations, this book was a delight. I knew a lot of this as I studied history, but I still learned so much! I really liked how accessible it was and that it included phonetic pronunciations for words students probably wouldn't know. I'd highly recommend for anyone, not just kids!

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Is there a precocious child in your life forever asking why? Offer them Plague-Busters! Medicine's Battles With History's Deadliest Disease to gain some quiet before they, inevitably, ask questions related to the book's content!

Lindsey Fitzharris, hols a doctorate in the History of Science and Medicine and has previously published: The Facemaker: A Visionary Surgeon's Battle to Mend the Disfigured Soldiers of World War I and The Butchering Art: Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine, here, working with husband and illustrator Adrian Teal, Fitzharris presents her first book intended for Children.

Plague-Busters! looks at six of the most historically threatening diseases to humanity. Each chapter details the course of the disease in both its known origins or early cases, details symptoms, before exploring the way medical practitioners responded and the discovery of successful treatments or cures. Some of the illnesses detailed: Plague, rabies, tuberculosis and scurvy. Along the way Fitzharris includes micro-biographies of important figures and ends each chapter with a list of notable figures (Written as "Famous Deaths from ______") killed by that sections disease.

Teal's drawings help lighten the tone of the narrative (as do Fitzharris's jokes or asides) aiming for a more caricatured style of figurative drawing. These drawings help emphasize the person's biographies or offer emphasis of specific points in the text. As a work of medical history, it ends with a listing of consulted sources and a section labelled as "Further Reading for Future Medical Historians."

A well thought out and presented work of medical history for a younger audience. It should appeal to anyone interested in Caitlin Doughty's Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs? And other Questions about Dead Bodies or having been through the COVID Pandemic, those curious about other pandemics of humanity.

This is a perfect fit for struggling readers in upper elementary or middle school. Plenty of gross, plenty of morbid, and greet for “did ya know” facts! Lots of great facts and information. Can’t wait to add a copy to our shelves!

Plague-Busters is full of gruesome, vivid descriptions of the terrible diseases that have plagued human history. Written in a conversational yet humorous tone, readers will be engrossed with this book and entertained by the illustrations. Sprinkled in between historical breakdowns of specific diseases, readers will stumble across my favorite sections: "Bills of Mortality: Famous Deaths from ___". Who knew that Edgar Allen Poe likely died of rabies?

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is exactly the kind of nonfiction that will draw in struggling readers in middle school. Especially those readers who love the morbid, bizarre, and true! It’s got great illustrations. It’s filled with lots of good scientific information which also happens to be gross. And it involves putting chicken butts in your armpits! Honestly, what could be better?I highly recommend it. We need more YA nonfiction like this. Would be a great companion to a world history class, too.

This was definitely an interesting read! I was the kid who was weirdly fascinated with the plague and other diseases growing up so this book piqued my interest. The book was informative, the illustrations were great to look at, and there was a lot of dark humor that tied everything together. Can’t wait to buy a copy when it releases.