Compassionate and arresting, this exploration of three major diseases that have changed the course of history—the bubonic plague, smallpox, and AIDS—chronicles their fearsome death toll, their lasting social, economic, and political implications, and how medical knowledge and treatments have advanced as a result of the crises they have occasioned. "A book that would serve well for reports, but it is also a fascinating read."—SLJ. Best Books of 1995 (SLJ) Notable Children's Trade Books in Social Studies 1996 (NCSS/CBC) 1995 Young Adult Editors’ Choices (BL) 1995 Top of the List Non Fiction (BL) 1996 Best Books for Young Adults (ALA) Notable Children’s Books of 1996 (ALA)
Author
James Cross Giblin was an author of biographies and history books for children and younger readers, as well as some history books for adults. In his own words, he was "shy, bookish, and a little spoiled." He loved comic books and drew his own comic strips. Giblin worked on his school newspapers and wrote a play while he was at Western Reserve University. That play, My Bus Was Always Late, was published in 1954. He worked hard at writing plays, but disappointment followed. After receiving his MFA in creative writing from Columbia University, he went to work at the British Book Centre, which proved to be his doorway into the publishing field. An associate editor at Lothrop, Lee & Shepard from 1962 to 1967, Giblin then moved to Seabury Press as editor-in-chief of its children's division, Clarion Books. In 1989, he stepped back to the position of contributing editor so he could focus on his writing career. The Truth About Santa Claus and Chimney Sweeps: Yesterday and Today were named ALA Notable Books. Walls: Defenses Throughout History received an SCBWI Golden Kite Award. The Secrets of the Sphinx was given the Orbis Pictus Award. Most recently, The Life and Death of Adolf Hitler received a Sibert Award in 2003.
