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A review by kateteaching7and8
Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg
5.0
@Kidlitexchange
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg with the #Kidlitexchange network. This historical fiction novel in verse will be published October 6, 2020. All opinions are my own.
For years the people of Johnstown feared that the dam was weakening and wouldn't hold. They pleaded with the wealthy businessmen who owned the private club at the lake (and thereby the dam) to reinforce it, but their "improvements" to the lake only worsened the dam's condition. Then the rains came and Johnstown was wiped off the map. This novel in verse is based on the true events of May 31, 1889 when the South Fork Dam collapsed. Each of the narrators is based on a real person who lived in Johnstown at the time. The story details the days leading up to the dam breaking, the day it flooded, and the events that occurred in the days, weeks, and years after the flood.
This is a beautifully written book that pulls the reader in. Burg does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and creating a community. I was able to picture the small town of Johnstown and I connected with each of the narratives and became invested in their lives and stories. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of the Johnstown Flood. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the theme of perspective and how it changes from person to person. To start, I had only ever heard of Carnegie and Mellon in positive activities. They were wealthy self-made entrepreneurs who went on to build libraries and donate money. The people of Johnstown though had a very different perspective of these two men. Additionally, the perspective of what money can bring you changed throughout the story for several of the characters. This book is also about the power of humanity and resilience. Though so many were lost in the disaster, the town came together, with help from around the country and world, to rebuild. I very much enjoyed this book and it's lyrical style and will be looking to add a copy to my classroom library.
Thank you to @scholasticinc for sharing an advance copy of Flooded: Requiem for Johnstown by Ann E. Burg with the #Kidlitexchange network. This historical fiction novel in verse will be published October 6, 2020. All opinions are my own.
For years the people of Johnstown feared that the dam was weakening and wouldn't hold. They pleaded with the wealthy businessmen who owned the private club at the lake (and thereby the dam) to reinforce it, but their "improvements" to the lake only worsened the dam's condition. Then the rains came and Johnstown was wiped off the map. This novel in verse is based on the true events of May 31, 1889 when the South Fork Dam collapsed. Each of the narrators is based on a real person who lived in Johnstown at the time. The story details the days leading up to the dam breaking, the day it flooded, and the events that occurred in the days, weeks, and years after the flood.
This is a beautifully written book that pulls the reader in. Burg does an excellent job of bringing the characters to life and creating a community. I was able to picture the small town of Johnstown and I connected with each of the narratives and became invested in their lives and stories. Prior to reading this book, I had never heard of the Johnstown Flood. One of the things I enjoyed about this book was the theme of perspective and how it changes from person to person. To start, I had only ever heard of Carnegie and Mellon in positive activities. They were wealthy self-made entrepreneurs who went on to build libraries and donate money. The people of Johnstown though had a very different perspective of these two men. Additionally, the perspective of what money can bring you changed throughout the story for several of the characters. This book is also about the power of humanity and resilience. Though so many were lost in the disaster, the town came together, with help from around the country and world, to rebuild. I very much enjoyed this book and it's lyrical style and will be looking to add a copy to my classroom library.