PLAGUE-BUSTERS!

A lively illustration of the perils of illness in the olden days.

In her middle-grade debut, medical historian Fitzharris partners with her husband, Teal, to cheerfully and often humorously chronicle efforts to discover the causes of and cures for six historically fatal diseases: plague, smallpox, rabies, tuberculosis, cholera, and scurvy. Her descriptions of the discomforts and devastations of each disease, as well as the not always appreciated work of disease fighters, are enlivened by Teal’s black-and-white caricatures, accented with bold blood-red. Each chapter opens with on-the-scene action, detailing what the disease was like in its heyday. The main narrative shifts to a more traditional but chatty and informal exposition that occasionally addresses young readers directly. Full of intriguing facts and high on the “ew” factor, each chapter concludes with short biographies of famous people who were felled by that particular disease. Pullout boxes break up the text and add to the appeal. A final chapter sums up these medical struggles: “Figuring stuff out and changing minds sometimes takes centuries.” Though these epidemics were worldwide, most of the people depicted present white. The Covid-19 pandemic is mentioned only briefly a couple of times, but readers will certainly make the connection between past and present. There’s a lengthy list of sources and excellent suggestions for further reading, as might be expected from an experienced author of acclaimed science history for adults.

A relevant and timely history.