The Medical Mystery That Forever Changed the Way We Heal
Written by Lori Alexander, Illustrated by Daniel Duncan
Joseph Lister is apparently the father of modern surgery, but I had no idea! This is a nonfiction book about his life and how he changed medicine. Certain older elementary students will like learning about how barbaric surgery was in the 1800s and they will also like the ick-factor in some of the pictures. This book describes Lister’s life and how he worked and researched to try to save lives by preventing infection after surgery. It’s long for a nonfiction book (about 100 pages), but it reads like a story and is broken up by great illustrations and little factoid blurbs that offer historical context. this won’t be for everyone! It made me feel a little squeamish and it isn’t a topic every kid will connect with, but I know several kids that will be excited for this.
Reviewed by Lana Gukeisen, Librarian, Farnsworth Elementary
Review shared in August 2024
Rating: ★★★½✩ (3.5 stars)
Interest Level: Grades 5-8
What’s a Germ, Joseph Lister: The Medical Mystery That Forever Changed the Way We Heal
Written by Lori Alexander, Illustrated by Daniel Duncan
Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers
133 pages
Release Date: October 10, 2023
ISBN: 978-0-358-53817-2
A review copy was provided by the publisher.
