Did Fleming Rescue Churchill?: A Research Puzzle

by James Cross Giblin, Erik Brooks (Illustrator)

Jason is stuck with the most boring subject for a research paper— Alexander Fleming, the scientist who invented penicillin. Then he comes across the story about how Fleming rescued Winston Churchill from drowning. But the story circulating on the Internet might not be true. Jason must learn everything he can about Fleming and Churchill in order to solve this puzzle. Readers will learn various research tips, including how to tell fact from fiction on the Internet.

Genres: Realistic Fiction, Fiction, Mystery

64 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2008

About the author

James Cross Giblin was an American children's author and editor, known for his award-winning works. He won the Golden Kite Award and the Sibert Medal for his contributions to children's literature. Giblin was born in Cleveland and raised in Painesville, Ohio. He graduated from Western Reserve University and earned a master's in playwriting from Columbia University. After a brief acting career, he entered publishing, founding Clarion Books, a children's imprint later acquired by Houghton Mifflin. At Clarion, he edited works by notable authors like Eileen Christelow and Mary Downing Hahn. Giblin’s works include The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler and Good Brother, Bad Brother.

Reviews

[Lauren]

This is a good read aloud to introduce researching topics and writing a research paper. For the research nerds among us (raising hand now), the book captures some of the fun involved — questions leading to new questions, unraveling puzzles to find new answers. And it is an engaging little read (55 pages). There are appendices On helpful steps to researching a subject, modeling out questions and sources to review, and what research the author did to write the book. I’m glad I stumbled across this little gem.

[Susan]

An outstanding book for reading aloud to a class, grades 4 - 8 (if you read it to middle schoolers with a sense of humor). It's a quick read. The book addresses research and the use of the Internet - what information is accurate and what you can and cannot believe. The main character, Jason, finds several versions of the same story on the Internet, and he doesn't know what to believe. One story even goes on to say that it probably isn't true. The book is a good way to help explain how to handle the Internet and all of the information and misinformation one can find there. It's not the great American novel, but it IS an excellent teaching tool. The main character is in fifth grade, but I would have used it for middle school to get the point across and have told my students that I knew they were FAR more grown-up than this book, but that they could gain far more from the lessons in this book that younger kids could!

[Sq.Hill Library]

A great concept, but not executed as well as it could have been. It proposes to teach good research skills to readers, and it does that a little. Part of my problem with it is that it is really at a first chapter book reading level, but a subject (teaching research skills) that really is more for a 4th or 5th grader. I think that it could have been better executed if it were in a collection of research puzzles, sort of like a book of short stories. All that being said, I would still recommend it to kids in 4th or 5th grade and let them know that it will be a quick, easy read. I'm interested to see if the author does more with the "genre".

[Addison Children's Services]

Jason was at the dentist when the report topics were passed out. He got stuck with Alexander Fleming, the discoverer of penicillin. What a loser topic. Then he finds a great story on the Internet about Fleming's father (a poor farmer) saved a young Winston Churchill from drowning. In gratitude Lord Churchill paid to send young Alexander to college. Fleming went on to invent penicillin and penicillin saved W.C. from pneumonia. But is it true? (Does it matter?)

[Krista the Krazy Kataloguer]

This story was obviously written to demonstrate the research process, especially on the internet. As such, it does a great job. As a story, however, it was a bit plodding, and seemed to end abruptly. Nevertheless, I intend to order it for my library.

[Marcie]

I ran across this in looking for Historical fiction at Broomfield library and for some reason wanted to read it. I think it would make a great classroom read aloud for 4th or 5th grade students who are beginning a research project.

[Amy]

This was a fun read that all teachers that have their students do research should read.

[Andrea]

What a great book to introduce elementary students to the fun of research!

[Hubert]

mmmm

[10~11 Madison Markwood]

It was ok i didnt enjoy it as much as i would like to.

[Kim]

Great conversation starter with fifth graders re: the pro's and con's of depending on the Internet to answer all their questions.

[Donna]

Thought this would be an interesting historical work for young readers. Wasn't.

[Haim]

How often does the author provide you the hows of doing research in a narrative way? James Cross Giblin did a wonderful job.

[Mary]

Clever way to introduce children to internet research and to show that not everything on the internet is true. Plus I learned a fair amount about Alexander Fleming - even if it wasn't all true.