Book Details
Written by
Genre
More details

The Great Fire (by Jim Murphy)

common sense media says

Spellbinding account of disaster.


parents & educators say

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this details the tragic Great Fire of Chicago, which killed scores of people. The fire itself is made a powerful character in this exciting account.

Positive messages: Immigrants are blamed for the fire and persecuted.
Violence: An out-of-control fire destroys a significant part of a city and kills scores of people. Family members and friends are separated from each other during the confusion following the outbreak of the fire.
Sex: Not applicable.
Language: Not applicable.
Consumerism: Not applicable.
Drinking, drugs, & smoking: Not applicable.

More on The Great Fire

What to talk about

Talk to your kids
Families can talk about the book's central tragedy. Could a fire like this happen today? What kind of techniques are used to keep fires from spreading so freely?

What's the story?

What's the story?
This spellbinding account of disaster--traditionally attributed to Mrs. O'Leary's hapless cow, but actually of unknown origin, chronicles the ensuing chaos in vivid detail through eyewitness accounts. Little Claire Innes's keen account of being temporarily separated from her family invigorates the narrative.

Is it any good?

Is it any good?
 

Anecdotes enliven THE GREAT FIRE, a fact-based narrative chronicling the blaze that ate up the wooden streets, sidewalks, and structures of Chicago and left most of the city in ruins the night of Oct. 8, 1871. Moving along briskly as it weaves eyewitness recollections with solid research, this is a surprisingly quick and enjoyable read. Much of the enjoyment springs from the vivid recollections of eyewitnesses, including 12-year-old Claire Innes, who got lost in the chaos. Alone, Claire wandered the chaotic city, and she later described the sad sights she encountered: "Several men gathered around a charred lump, and each man shaking his head sadly."

The visuals, while authentic, are somewhat disappointing. Dating from the time of the fire, the sepia-toned photographs and drawings are historically compelling but may seem underwhelming to kids. The exception is a recurring simple grid map that effectively marks the fire's march across the city.

Book themes & details

Book Details
Author: Jim Murphy
Publisher: Scholastic Inc.
Publication date: January 1, 1995
Number of pages: 144
Hardcover price: $18.95

This review was written by Tanya Smith
 
 

Review It

 

Review The Great Fire





Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
 

There aren’t any reviews yet. Ask your friends to review this title.

An independent voice for families
Age-appropriate reviews
 

vote now

Will you read The Great Fire?


Already read it? What do you think?

 

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors


About our rating system
ON: Content is appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child, some content may not be right for some kids
OFF: Not age appropriate for kids this age