Fever Year: The Killer Flu of 1918

War rages across Europe, and America prepares and sends its young men to fight in what came to be known as World War I in 1918. But the war isn’t the only evil waiting to kill. As people fall ill in cities and military bases all over the world, it is reported there is severe influenza spreading. Doctors have nothing to combat this new, virulent strain of the flu and deaths are so high that in some places graves can’t be dug quickly enough, funeral homes run out of caskets, and the dead are wrapped in sheets and stacked in tents. In India, bodies are burned until they run out of wood, then they are thrown in the rivers. Worldwide, a third of the population suffers from flu, and there are over 50 million deaths.

Author/illustrator Don Brown has taken this difficult subject and written a graphic non-fiction book that will fascinate, horrify, and educate young readers. The simple illustrations support but never detract from the important information. Pages are peppered with mind-boggling facts and excellent quotes. Brown’s fine research shines through and his writing is terrific. This book is not to be missed.