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The Great Fire
The Great Fire of 1871 was one of most colossal disasters in American history. Overnight, the flourshing city of Chicago was transformed into a smoldering wasteland. The damage was so profound that few people believed the city could ever rise again.
By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest dispair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
By weaving personal accounts of actual survivors together with the carefully researched history of Chicago and the disaster, Jim Murphy constructs a riveting narrative that recreates the event with drama and immediacy. And finally, he reveals how, even in a time of deepest dispair, the human spirit triumphed, as the people of Chicago found the courage and strength to build their city once again.
144 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1995
77 people are currently reading
2017 people want to read
About the author
Jim Murphy
32 books87 followersAn American author of more than 35 nonfiction and fiction books for children, young adults, and general audiences, including more than 30 about American history. He won the Margaret Edwards Award from the American Library Association in 2010 for his contribution in writing for teens. Jim lives in Maplewood, New Jersey, in a hundred-year-old house with his wife Alison Blank, a children’s TV producer and children’s book author and editor, his two talented musician sons, a regal mutt, an African water frog that will live forever, and a house vast collection of books..
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 377 reviews
December 20, 2018
This was a good, short book on the Great Chicago fire of 1871. Murphy describes the area, construction, & weather leading up to the disaster. While he uses many personal accounts, newspaper articles, & historical references, he follows 4 disparate people who lived through the fire. One was a 12 year old girl & the others were fairly well-to-do men. These points of views really help capture the immensity & diversity of the experience.
He also covers the aftermath briefly, mostly in detailing the incredible amount of scapegoating that went on. Yes, the fire started in Mrs. O'Leary's barn, but she & her family had been in bed for over an hour. No one knows how the fire started. The 'drunken' firemen were exhausted from another big fire the night before. Plenty of mistakes were made & Mother Nature couldn't have been less helpful with a drought & a wind. Thankfully, some much needed rain came some 31 hours later or the whole prairie might have gone up.
Anyway, it was a great job. This is supposed to be for kids, but I thought it provided as much as I wanted to know & never bored me in the 2 hour narrative. Highly recommended!
He also covers the aftermath briefly, mostly in detailing the incredible amount of scapegoating that went on. Yes, the fire started in Mrs. O'Leary's barn, but she & her family had been in bed for over an hour. No one knows how the fire started. The 'drunken' firemen were exhausted from another big fire the night before. Plenty of mistakes were made & Mother Nature couldn't have been less helpful with a drought & a wind. Thankfully, some much needed rain came some 31 hours later or the whole prairie might have gone up.
Anyway, it was a great job. This is supposed to be for kids, but I thought it provided as much as I wanted to know & never bored me in the 2 hour narrative. Highly recommended!
June 2, 2023
After reading so many subpar Newbery books that focus on dramatic life-changing events in the lives of children (super fun) I was THRILLED to find a nonfiction on the list by an author I know and like.
Not knowing any specifics about the Chicago Fire beyond Mrs O’Leary’s infamous cow, it was very exciting and horrifying to read accounts of that night and what went wrong.
The truth is, no one really knows what started the fire. It did start at the O’Leary’s barn but that’s all we can say for certain. The O’Learys were in bed when it broke out even though the press skewered them after the fact. I was thinking of poor Mrs. O’Leary and how it would be to be remembered for all of time that way.
I was horrified at how quickly the city burned and how terrifying that would be. It must have been so shocking to everyone. Who would’ve thought a fire could cause that much damage.
I thought a lot about the book “White Trash” while I was reading and how so much was blamed on the poor, though it does sound like they caused a lot of the looting. I also wondered why we’re always surprised that crime follows poverty.
A very good read. Audio was excellent. Highly recommended.
Not knowing any specifics about the Chicago Fire beyond Mrs O’Leary’s infamous cow, it was very exciting and horrifying to read accounts of that night and what went wrong.
The truth is, no one really knows what started the fire. It did start at the O’Leary’s barn but that’s all we can say for certain. The O’Learys were in bed when it broke out even though the press skewered them after the fact. I was thinking of poor Mrs. O’Leary and how it would be to be remembered for all of time that way.
I was horrified at how quickly the city burned and how terrifying that would be. It must have been so shocking to everyone. Who would’ve thought a fire could cause that much damage.
I thought a lot about the book “White Trash” while I was reading and how so much was blamed on the poor, though it does sound like they caused a lot of the looting. I also wondered why we’re always surprised that crime follows poverty.
A very good read. Audio was excellent. Highly recommended.
June 29, 2017
This is supposed to be a young adult book but some of the stories about the Chicago Fire are harsh and gave me the shivers. I think it would be a great book for tweens who had previously read books like Dear America.
May 17, 2022
The Great Fire (Murphy, 1995) is a Newbery Honor Book. Filled with black and white photos and illustrations, this isn’t a book that is immediately appealing like some other titles. If you can get kids to start the book, though, they will be pulled into the gripping narrative Murphy has created describing the devastating fire that raged through Chicago in the fall of 1871. As a result, the students will have experienced a text that is appropriately complex for their age.
As I read this book, I thought about how I might support readers. Conceptually, Murphy tries to get at more than a timeline of events that occurred during this fire. At the end of chapter one, Murphy writes, “What followed was a series of fatal errors that set the fire free and doomed the city to a fiery death.” Errors or flaws and effects are threaded through the rest of the book – this could be a helpful lens for readers, a structure of sorts to guide their thinking. Murphy continues beyond chapter one to identify specific “errors” but gradually actions are implied as errors – requiring the reader to think critically without scaffolding from the author.
Another, more sophisticated theme is the gap between the wealthy and the poor classes of Chicago. Murphy reveals how this fire served as an equalizer. Obviously, fire destroys anything in its path – mansion or shack, but the response of the citizens was revealing. There was chaos and panic everywhere. Murphy specifically points out how some citizens, who had previously denigrated the poor were shocked by the behavior of the citizens, regardless of class – both selfless and self-centered. This might be a good theme for a group of students to discuss with an essential question like, “Why is this important to consider?”
There were several THEME WORDS that emerged in my mind as I read – these are words that students need to describe the bigger ideas in texts – futility, perseverance, humanitarianism, displacement, compassion, courage, vulnerability. If there’s a small group reading this book, you could explicitly define these words and discuss textual evidence regarding the actions of citizens or the events in the book that reveal these concepts. These words could serve as a lens for writing in response to this text. Transfer of learning could occur as students use these ideas to interpret information in other books they are reading.
Students need to also think critically about how Murphy portrays many of the details as “perception” – of those who wrote letters later or who wrote in their journals after the event or how Murphy reveals he is interpreting historical documents. This creates authority for his text. Students need to keep an eye out for statements like “It can be reasonably assumed that she was surround by a…” (p. 82) and “men who wrote about the Great Fire generally portrayed women as passive and helpless…but if we look beyond the condescending references…” (p. 91). This might also serve as a mini-lesson during a research writing unit; Murphy might be a mentor author for how writers reveal their interpretations of primary sources.
I’d also support students by explicitly pointing out how the photos, illustrations and additional features are helpful to a reader. For example, Murphy includes a map of the four by one mile stretch of downtown Chicago that was destroyed by the fire. At intermittent points in the book, he inserts the same map with a shaded area of where the fire had reached at that point in the book. There are photos of buildings that were taken before and after the fire. Murphy explicitly states, too, that many of the illustrations drawn of people fleeing in panic revealed the drama of this event.
As I read this book, I thought about how I might support readers. Conceptually, Murphy tries to get at more than a timeline of events that occurred during this fire. At the end of chapter one, Murphy writes, “What followed was a series of fatal errors that set the fire free and doomed the city to a fiery death.” Errors or flaws and effects are threaded through the rest of the book – this could be a helpful lens for readers, a structure of sorts to guide their thinking. Murphy continues beyond chapter one to identify specific “errors” but gradually actions are implied as errors – requiring the reader to think critically without scaffolding from the author.
Another, more sophisticated theme is the gap between the wealthy and the poor classes of Chicago. Murphy reveals how this fire served as an equalizer. Obviously, fire destroys anything in its path – mansion or shack, but the response of the citizens was revealing. There was chaos and panic everywhere. Murphy specifically points out how some citizens, who had previously denigrated the poor were shocked by the behavior of the citizens, regardless of class – both selfless and self-centered. This might be a good theme for a group of students to discuss with an essential question like, “Why is this important to consider?”
There were several THEME WORDS that emerged in my mind as I read – these are words that students need to describe the bigger ideas in texts – futility, perseverance, humanitarianism, displacement, compassion, courage, vulnerability. If there’s a small group reading this book, you could explicitly define these words and discuss textual evidence regarding the actions of citizens or the events in the book that reveal these concepts. These words could serve as a lens for writing in response to this text. Transfer of learning could occur as students use these ideas to interpret information in other books they are reading.
Students need to also think critically about how Murphy portrays many of the details as “perception” – of those who wrote letters later or who wrote in their journals after the event or how Murphy reveals he is interpreting historical documents. This creates authority for his text. Students need to keep an eye out for statements like “It can be reasonably assumed that she was surround by a…” (p. 82) and “men who wrote about the Great Fire generally portrayed women as passive and helpless…but if we look beyond the condescending references…” (p. 91). This might also serve as a mini-lesson during a research writing unit; Murphy might be a mentor author for how writers reveal their interpretations of primary sources.
I’d also support students by explicitly pointing out how the photos, illustrations and additional features are helpful to a reader. For example, Murphy includes a map of the four by one mile stretch of downtown Chicago that was destroyed by the fire. At intermittent points in the book, he inserts the same map with a shaded area of where the fire had reached at that point in the book. There are photos of buildings that were taken before and after the fire. Murphy explicitly states, too, that many of the illustrations drawn of people fleeing in panic revealed the drama of this event.
June 29, 2019
"The burnt district was over four miles long and one mile wide; 17,500 buildings and 73 miles of street had been destroyed."
The story of the start and subsequent spread of the great Chicago fire in 1871. We follow several individuals as they navigate the increasingly hostile city fleeing the fire--the account is pieced together from letters sent to loved ones, as well as articles from the event. The author does a great job adding in facts about events to correct the sometimes erroneous reporting, without distracting from the overall flow. He also weaves in the political, economic, and technological factors that contributed to the leveling of a major city. I also enjoyed that the author gave some resolution on how the city handled the rebuilding, and what became of policies after this disaster and another fire in July of 1874.
“Even if it were an absurd rumor, 40 miles wide of the truth, it would be useless to attempt to alter ‘the verdict of history.’ Mrs. O’Leary … is in for it and no mistake. Fame has seized her and appropriated her, name, barn, cows and all.”
September 22, 2025
This was a great middle grade history account. I listened on audio for myself because I purchased it for my sixth grader in paperback and I wanted to preview it. I enjoyed it and have a feeling that a lot of what this author has written will appeal to me, just based on topics covered and writing style alone.
I have to say that I knew little to nothing about the Chicago Fire, but I do recall hearing about it as a child. Some of the content is fairly graphic. If you have a sensitive reader, I’d be cautious. While overall the book isn’t dark, it presents the facts and some of the images may be haunting. For example, there’s a description of the charred remains of an individual that was found (which as an adult I would classify as disturbing) as well as mentions of people who caught on fire in their frenzied escape. As a read-aloud, this would be easier to adjust for your audience. As a book your child is reading on their own, be prepared that images such as this do get described. I would be OK with my son reading this, but I would want to have a discussion with him and prepare him in advance.
I have to say that I knew little to nothing about the Chicago Fire, but I do recall hearing about it as a child. Some of the content is fairly graphic. If you have a sensitive reader, I’d be cautious. While overall the book isn’t dark, it presents the facts and some of the images may be haunting. For example, there’s a description of the charred remains of an individual that was found (which as an adult I would classify as disturbing) as well as mentions of people who caught on fire in their frenzied escape. As a read-aloud, this would be easier to adjust for your audience. As a book your child is reading on their own, be prepared that images such as this do get described. I would be OK with my son reading this, but I would want to have a discussion with him and prepare him in advance.
January 23, 2020
QUICK read. 8th graders read it this year and I was curious to see what they were learning about. quite informative. crazy how 1 family caused the destruction of an entire city.
September 21, 2019
A fascinating look at the Chicago great fire from several perspectives.
November 23, 2014
This is a non-fiction, award winning account of the Great Chicago Fire. Being a Chicagoan and a history undergraduate major, I found this topic most interesting. Most people are aware of the legend that the fire was started when Mrs. O’Leary’s cow kicked over a bucket, but Murphy unravels the history of this fire and reasons behind it. Interesting one can attribute this breadth of this tragedy to class discrimination, as the fire started in a working class neighborhood, thereby perhaps not getting the quick attention it needed. Through the book there are photographs, articles, and testimony that bring this event from the past alive with details and insight. A great work of nonfiction to use in the classroom to use for teaching about primary source documents.
June 27, 2016
This popular history reconstructs the story of the 1871 Chicago Fire largely from the perspective of those who were there. The author utilizes these first-hand accounts to highlight how a series of human errors and prejudices led to the fire's rapid spread, despite the fact at the time Chicago had one of the most sophisticated fire alarm systems of that era. This account is both entertaining and informative and is well worth the read.
May 25, 2023
Wow! I read this book from cover to cover, totally engrossed. It's history that reads like a novel. Most of us, myself included, have heard of the Great Chicago Fire, supposedly started by Mrs. O'Leary's cow, that burned huge portions of that city in 1871. But now I know a whole lot more!
Jim Murphy is a very talented writer who steeps his books in accurate, meticulous detail, drawn from actual personal accounts of the tragedy. He follows the stories of several characters who were caught in the great conflagration and how they escaped. He also puts to rest several myths about how the fire started (including Mrs. O'Leary's cow), and shows that the real culprits were the weather (drought plus strong winds), homes and businesses made of wood, miscommunication among the various fire departments, and eventually the failure of the waterworks due to the fire.
He presents some of the lessons that were learned from the fire, and how these results influence building materials, city planning, and firefighting today. Excellent complementary material for school/homeschool history classrooms. Geared toward middle schoolers and older students. As an adult, I found it absolutely fascinating!
Jim Murphy is a very talented writer who steeps his books in accurate, meticulous detail, drawn from actual personal accounts of the tragedy. He follows the stories of several characters who were caught in the great conflagration and how they escaped. He also puts to rest several myths about how the fire started (including Mrs. O'Leary's cow), and shows that the real culprits were the weather (drought plus strong winds), homes and businesses made of wood, miscommunication among the various fire departments, and eventually the failure of the waterworks due to the fire.
He presents some of the lessons that were learned from the fire, and how these results influence building materials, city planning, and firefighting today. Excellent complementary material for school/homeschool history classrooms. Geared toward middle schoolers and older students. As an adult, I found it absolutely fascinating!
January 8, 2022
An interesting nonfiction narrative and analysis of the Great Fire of Chicago. I loved the first and last chapters (how Chicago was primed for a thorough burning and the long term effects of the fire), but the middle was not as gripping as Murphy's book about the great blizzard of 1888. There were fewer voices, less detail, less devastation described and I was less emotionally impacted.
What is here, though, are a variety of perspectives and truths about how people behave in crises: scapegoating afterward, prejudice, panic, and a series of human errors that make matters worse. You can have great technology to prevent and aid in disasters, but one jerk can make it all useless (two stubborn a-holes asserting their authority in a time of dire need cost the destruction of an entire city). I see the same thing today--brilliant systems are in place, but human decisions enact or thwart the system's operation. I also learned that a Depression ultimately saved Chicago from burning again. There's a lot of about politics and sociology to discuss when reading with others!
Overall, this is a good choice for a middle school student who wants to read nonfiction, learn about history, or fulfill a nonfiction free-read/book report type assignment.
What is here, though, are a variety of perspectives and truths about how people behave in crises: scapegoating afterward, prejudice, panic, and a series of human errors that make matters worse. You can have great technology to prevent and aid in disasters, but one jerk can make it all useless (two stubborn a-holes asserting their authority in a time of dire need cost the destruction of an entire city). I see the same thing today--brilliant systems are in place, but human decisions enact or thwart the system's operation. I also learned that a Depression ultimately saved Chicago from burning again. There's a lot of about politics and sociology to discuss when reading with others!
Overall, this is a good choice for a middle school student who wants to read nonfiction, learn about history, or fulfill a nonfiction free-read/book report type assignment.
July 2, 2021
This part of history has always been so interesting to me. I think it could be because of the utter destruction a simple fire had over such a huge area is not the half of the picture. For me it was all of the small decisions of others that made it so calamitous, that interests me most. This book was good in that it explained the politics at the time and how they shaped the aftermath of the fire and the future of the city. These same politics can be seen in disasters all over the world and the separation of classes leading to great turmoil is played out on a global basis. These kinds of books give a peak into the root of current day issues.
April 18, 2020
I will never sing that silly song about Mrs. O'Leary's cow again without feeling guilty. This is a good overview for young and old alike of what went down that fateful October night. It is an intriguing look at how a few poor decisions can cost so much as well as an interesting look at human behavior in times of crisis and its aftermath. Great pictures and prose to give you a real sense of being there.
June 21, 2020
This was not the most interesting of children's nonfiction I've read, but it was interesting enough and written at a level to engage but not stump young readers. The photographs and maps were very helpful, and I really appreciated the final chapter which cleared up some myths about the fire that have lasted this long and also addressed the class issues exacerbated by the tragedy, and how the language we use and the assumptions we make can affect poverty.
March 23, 2019
I wonder how this happens, I fall into a series of books that are all very similar although they are completely unrelated. I did this a few years ago by linking "The Bird" to the Chilean miners who were rescued using a tube created by NASA, in six books.
This is the third book in about three I've read about cover ups and misleading the public.
I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend to readers who enjoy history.
This is the third book in about three I've read about cover ups and misleading the public.
I enjoyed this book and I'd recommend to readers who enjoy history.
August 26, 2024
This is a version of the great fire of Chicago from 1871 that was Newbery Honor book. It uses various sources to come up with a retelling of the story that gives details on what went wrong. It is clearly written towards a kid rather than an adult. I both listened and read this story.
April 4, 2020
Interesting read
July 11, 2025
short descriptive narrative about the facts surrounding the great Chicago fire. pictures and stories of the survivors.
May 16, 2024
Super informative, well-researched, well-organized. He invites you to follow along with certain people who recorded their experiences, one of whom is a cute nugget named Claire who got separated from her parents and survived. Glad I read it!
May 14, 2013
*5 Stars*
Before reading another of his Children's history books, I had written off non-fiction history books labeled for Children or YA because...they JUST WEREN'T GOOD! They wrote down to their readers, as if people without at least a college education couldn't hope to comprehend anything "history". I learned history on my dad's knee and he never talked down to me. So I skipped YA and children's and when straight to reading adult books. Some were extremely difficult to get through and I never got everything. It wasn't until graduate school that I was introduced to Jim Murphy through his An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, also a Newbery Honor Book as well as other awards. It was at times a difficult book for me to read, as the writer does not pull any punches, so to speak. It does not glorify in the disgusting, but it doesn't lie and try to write it down to what the author thinks they should hear. It is a history text with sources, lists of further books to look into, and (most importantly) it is based on mostly primary sources - aka, writings from people who WERE ACTUALLY THERE! Most history text in high school, never mind for children, wouldn't dream of using primary sources but rather secondary or even tertiary sources - texts and books written from other sources that were written from other sources that were written from primary sources. When this happens the heart of history is distilled down until it is dry and boring; something most people argue when they talk about why they don't like history. But when a young person reads what someone actually experienced, particularly when at least one of those people is someone of a comparable age, it ceases to be boring and not interesting but rather something that can actually touch them. They can understand and empathize and perhaps, want to learn more. The same can be said for this book.
*The Gush*
The author does an excellent job of walking you through the hours during which Chicago burned. It is a, sadly, easy subject to keep a person's interest as the sheer detestation is almost unbelievable. The people whose words he gives voice are good choices from various sections and equally various backgrounds. What they see and how they interpret the events changes and he does a good job of pointing this out and helping the reader understand why. He never suggests you don't know better or you can't learn but rather teaches you without you even noticing. The writing flows well and keeps the readers focus well. The illustrations are well chosen, places carefully and with thought, and aid the story a great deal. The best are the I believe four maps of the city that show the path of fire as it is during the chapter you just read. This aids tremendously, as most readers won't know where places are, and they are easy to flip back to to check where the person is as you read.
Murphy writes the facts of the fire and waits until the last chapter to deal with the myths surrounding the fire and why they exist and how they were used. Even I learn a great deal in this chapter and was very surprised. He helps lead the reader to critical thinking, something every child should learn and something that is lacking in much of our history texts. Names and dates are all very well, but society and WHY people do things are often even more important.
All in all, a fine history book that is equally fine for children and adults.
*The Rant*
Little here other then at times the descriptions might be a bit too much for younger readers. Parents might want to be aware. They were not graphic however and most children should be able to handle it.
*Conclusion*
A wonderful children's history book that treats its readers better then many adult popular history texts do. A great way to learn about The Great Chicago Fire whether you are a child or an adult.
Before reading another of his Children's history books, I had written off non-fiction history books labeled for Children or YA because...they JUST WEREN'T GOOD! They wrote down to their readers, as if people without at least a college education couldn't hope to comprehend anything "history". I learned history on my dad's knee and he never talked down to me. So I skipped YA and children's and when straight to reading adult books. Some were extremely difficult to get through and I never got everything. It wasn't until graduate school that I was introduced to Jim Murphy through his An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793, also a Newbery Honor Book as well as other awards. It was at times a difficult book for me to read, as the writer does not pull any punches, so to speak. It does not glorify in the disgusting, but it doesn't lie and try to write it down to what the author thinks they should hear. It is a history text with sources, lists of further books to look into, and (most importantly) it is based on mostly primary sources - aka, writings from people who WERE ACTUALLY THERE! Most history text in high school, never mind for children, wouldn't dream of using primary sources but rather secondary or even tertiary sources - texts and books written from other sources that were written from other sources that were written from primary sources. When this happens the heart of history is distilled down until it is dry and boring; something most people argue when they talk about why they don't like history. But when a young person reads what someone actually experienced, particularly when at least one of those people is someone of a comparable age, it ceases to be boring and not interesting but rather something that can actually touch them. They can understand and empathize and perhaps, want to learn more. The same can be said for this book.
*The Gush*
The author does an excellent job of walking you through the hours during which Chicago burned. It is a, sadly, easy subject to keep a person's interest as the sheer detestation is almost unbelievable. The people whose words he gives voice are good choices from various sections and equally various backgrounds. What they see and how they interpret the events changes and he does a good job of pointing this out and helping the reader understand why. He never suggests you don't know better or you can't learn but rather teaches you without you even noticing. The writing flows well and keeps the readers focus well. The illustrations are well chosen, places carefully and with thought, and aid the story a great deal. The best are the I believe four maps of the city that show the path of fire as it is during the chapter you just read. This aids tremendously, as most readers won't know where places are, and they are easy to flip back to to check where the person is as you read.
Murphy writes the facts of the fire and waits until the last chapter to deal with the myths surrounding the fire and why they exist and how they were used. Even I learn a great deal in this chapter and was very surprised. He helps lead the reader to critical thinking, something every child should learn and something that is lacking in much of our history texts. Names and dates are all very well, but society and WHY people do things are often even more important.
All in all, a fine history book that is equally fine for children and adults.
*The Rant*
Little here other then at times the descriptions might be a bit too much for younger readers. Parents might want to be aware. They were not graphic however and most children should be able to handle it.
*Conclusion*
A wonderful children's history book that treats its readers better then many adult popular history texts do. A great way to learn about The Great Chicago Fire whether you are a child or an adult.
April 13, 2012
This book is nonfiction and is written for more Advanced reader. This book is a Newberry Honor Book, Boston Globe-Horn Book Nonfiction Honor Book and NCTE Orbis Pictus Award winner for Outstanding Nonfiction.
This story was written for more advanced readers such as 5th grade and above. This story is about the major Chicago fire in 1871 that changed the lives of people forever.
I rated this story with 5 stars. There were some pictures that were hand drawn and some photographs. The story was told in a way and had a word choice that would pull the reader in and want to know what happens next. It reminds me of 9-11 and how so many people died because of that terrible day. Both types brought the story to life. I think that if readers read this story now and were asked to relate this story to a event they could relate.
The youngest age group I would suggest this book be given to is 5th grade. Children that age and older would be able to understand what happened in the story and be able to relate to it. Children could discuss how the story made them feel and how they would feel if they were in that situation.
This story was written for more advanced readers such as 5th grade and above. This story is about the major Chicago fire in 1871 that changed the lives of people forever.
I rated this story with 5 stars. There were some pictures that were hand drawn and some photographs. The story was told in a way and had a word choice that would pull the reader in and want to know what happens next. It reminds me of 9-11 and how so many people died because of that terrible day. Both types brought the story to life. I think that if readers read this story now and were asked to relate this story to a event they could relate.
The youngest age group I would suggest this book be given to is 5th grade. Children that age and older would be able to understand what happened in the story and be able to relate to it. Children could discuss how the story made them feel and how they would feel if they were in that situation.
December 16, 2013
When I taught elementary music, I used to teach a camp song that the kids loved. The words were:
One dark night when the world was all in bed, old lady O'Leary took a lantern to the shed and when the cow kicked it over she blinked her eyes and said, "it'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!
Little did I know that the song was a part of the ridicule and misinformation put out about the "Great Fire" as the Chicago fire of 1871 has come to be known. Jim Murphy got a well deserved Newbery Honor for this book in which he weaves personal accounts of survivors of the fire with strong storytelling. The fire did begin in the O'Leary's shed, but unwarranted blame was put on the family for the disaster and it became a way of further putting down the poor of the city and putting them in their place when it came time to rebuild. Another interesting account in this book was the vast difference in people's ability to communicate from what technology's advances give us today. It is a fascinating book!
One dark night when the world was all in bed, old lady O'Leary took a lantern to the shed and when the cow kicked it over she blinked her eyes and said, "it'll be a hot time in the old town tonight!
Little did I know that the song was a part of the ridicule and misinformation put out about the "Great Fire" as the Chicago fire of 1871 has come to be known. Jim Murphy got a well deserved Newbery Honor for this book in which he weaves personal accounts of survivors of the fire with strong storytelling. The fire did begin in the O'Leary's shed, but unwarranted blame was put on the family for the disaster and it became a way of further putting down the poor of the city and putting them in their place when it came time to rebuild. Another interesting account in this book was the vast difference in people's ability to communicate from what technology's advances give us today. It is a fascinating book!
August 10, 2023
I have fond memories of reading this book as a 6th-grader, having found it on my science teacher’s bookshelf. It turned me on to narrative nonfiction and I devoured all of Jim Murphy’s books, learning for the first time those parts of history that don’t make it into our public schools’ rather bland social studies curriculum.
I am so pleased that this book is still as gripping and informative as I remember. I love that Murphy includes both polished newspapermen accounts and simple retellings from the perspective of a struggling widow or an average 12-year-old girl.
The final chapter, dealing with the repercussions of the fire, I found especially shocking as a child. That Katherine O’Leary, despite all evidence to the contrary, could be so maligned by newspapers and public opinion still troubles me. It’s a shame that even today the loudest voices tend to be the most believed, regardless of facts.
I am so pleased that this book is still as gripping and informative as I remember. I love that Murphy includes both polished newspapermen accounts and simple retellings from the perspective of a struggling widow or an average 12-year-old girl.
The final chapter, dealing with the repercussions of the fire, I found especially shocking as a child. That Katherine O’Leary, despite all evidence to the contrary, could be so maligned by newspapers and public opinion still troubles me. It’s a shame that even today the loudest voices tend to be the most believed, regardless of facts.
November 15, 2009
This is a very different version of the story of the Chicago Fire than I have ever heard before. It uses real accounts from various people, photos, maps, and artifacts to tell the story of the errors, mistakes, and confusion that made the Chicago Fire the infamous disaster it became. Listening to this book had both its advantages and disadvantages. The advantage was the way it was read. Listening to the various accounts of actual people who were involved in the Chicago Fire read with such energy were both exciting and intriguing. The disadvantage of listening to the book is that it (apparently) has a number of pictures, diagrams, maps, etc. that are (obviously) not visible to the listening reader. As soon as a copy of this book becomes available at my library, I will have to go back and see all of the visuals that were missing in the audio. Grades 4 (advanced) and up.
May 20, 2016
So the story we think we know is NOT the story.
Murphy tells the story of the Great Chicago Fire through the people who were affected. The story is centered on four witnesses to these events -- two very journalists, a visitor, and a 12-year-old girl who is separated from her family as they were fleeing from the fire.
Murphy presents an overview of events leading up to the outbreak as well as the series of mistakes at the outset that allowed the fire to get out of hand. He captures the panic, the highs and lows of behavior, the aftermath, the rapid rebuilding and its consequences.
So, the story that we know is based on the newspaper accounts with their collective biases that set the narrative --
"... idle gossip had hardened into established fact."
― Jim Murphy, The Great Fire
Great introduction to this event!
** read by Taylor Mali
app 2.5 hrs
Murphy tells the story of the Great Chicago Fire through the people who were affected. The story is centered on four witnesses to these events -- two very journalists, a visitor, and a 12-year-old girl who is separated from her family as they were fleeing from the fire.
Murphy presents an overview of events leading up to the outbreak as well as the series of mistakes at the outset that allowed the fire to get out of hand. He captures the panic, the highs and lows of behavior, the aftermath, the rapid rebuilding and its consequences.
So, the story that we know is based on the newspaper accounts with their collective biases that set the narrative --
"... idle gossip had hardened into established fact."
― Jim Murphy, The Great Fire
Great introduction to this event!
** read by Taylor Mali
app 2.5 hrs
March 31, 2014
I still remember when I read "Blizzard" by Jim Murphy. It was August and I was working on a siding job in the blistering sun in the hot hot heat. Haha, very interesting timing to read a book about people freezing to death and 20 feet of snow etc...
Now I'm in Mongolia. How appropriate if I could say it was one of those great -30 degree days.. However, it is March, and it was lovely Spring weather. Oh well. Bad timing.
Anyway, who knew that it WASN'T Mrs. O'Leary's cow that started the great Chicago Fire?! The book that takes the facts and tells the story, I learned a lot about the city of Chicago and the events of the fire. :) I enjoyed it and the author's other book, Blizzard. I recommend them!
Now I'm in Mongolia. How appropriate if I could say it was one of those great -30 degree days.. However, it is March, and it was lovely Spring weather. Oh well. Bad timing.
Anyway, who knew that it WASN'T Mrs. O'Leary's cow that started the great Chicago Fire?! The book that takes the facts and tells the story, I learned a lot about the city of Chicago and the events of the fire. :) I enjoyed it and the author's other book, Blizzard. I recommend them!
August 19, 2014
This book was knocked down in rating for the acceptance of Peg Leg Sullivan's testimony. Maybe I missed it. But I didn't hear anything definitive about the start of the fire. Now, this book may have been published before the exoneration of Mrs. O'Leary and her cow. It has been determined that Peg Leg was peeved at being cut off by O'Leary and somehow, whether on purpose or dozing off in the barn, knocked over the lantern. The City Council has absolved her of all blame.
The rest of the book was pretty interesting. It folled the stories of 4-5 people who were in Chicago on October 8, 1871.
Although this book turned out to be YA-oriented, it mad the story fairly understandable to all. Not over the heads of the young and not so simple that adults have a problem with it.
The rest of the book was pretty interesting. It folled the stories of 4-5 people who were in Chicago on October 8, 1871.
Although this book turned out to be YA-oriented, it mad the story fairly understandable to all. Not over the heads of the young and not so simple that adults have a problem with it.
December 29, 2018
Although this was a short book, the research was impeccable and brought the Chicago Fire to life on a personal level. You can't imagine what the residents lived through as fired burned uncontrollably through the city. There were heroes and those who were less than noble. We often look back at tragedies like this with an historic perspective, but forget about the personal toll. Jim Muphy did a fine job merging the facts with the real people who lived through the ordeal. I just wish the book had been longer as it was a fascinating read. Oh and just so you know, Mrs. O'Leary and her cow got a bum rap. The fire did start in her barn, but the actual cause was unknown and the entire O'Leary family was in bed at the time.
November 15, 2009
Awards Won: Newbery Honor (1996)
As someone who is not a native Chicagoan, I found this book very fascinating and educational. The photographs that accompanied the narrative provided a great mental image of the destruction that Chicago faced that tragic night.
I think that this would be a great book to use when third graders learn about Chicago. The book is definitely appropriate for older readers, but could be used for a whole group read-aloud to engage the students. Other content areas could also be incorporated such as social studies, science, and math. Students could create map showing the course of the Chicago fires, build structural replicas of Chicago, and much more!
As someone who is not a native Chicagoan, I found this book very fascinating and educational. The photographs that accompanied the narrative provided a great mental image of the destruction that Chicago faced that tragic night.
I think that this would be a great book to use when third graders learn about Chicago. The book is definitely appropriate for older readers, but could be used for a whole group read-aloud to engage the students. Other content areas could also be incorporated such as social studies, science, and math. Students could create map showing the course of the Chicago fires, build structural replicas of Chicago, and much more!
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