Blizzard

Bibliography:
Murphy, Jim. Blizzard! the Storm That Changed America. New York: Scholastic, 2000. Print.


Plot Summary:
This nonfictional story written by Jim Murphy begins on March 12, 1888.  This is a story about how many states from Virgina to Maine experienced the worst blizzard for three days and nights of harsh winds and snow.Thousands of people were trapped at home and work and many people died as they tried to survive the storm that changed America. There was more than 40 to 50 inches of snow. Winds broke powerlines, and blocked buildings. Transportation was shut down and many cities became ghost town. Many trains were derailed during this storm.This natural disaster was the worst  storm of its time. The book shows how prices went up and it documents through newspaper articles, illustrations, and memoirs from business owners.

Critical Analysis:
This book is well written. The descriptions leading to the storm are very detailed. As you read the story you are drawn in instantly as you begin to anticipate what will occur to hundreds of people.The  narrative is told through the eyes of the survivors and victims. Life was changed forever because of this storm. The National Weather Service was formed and weather forecasting was no longer the job for the Army. Weather forecasting became monitored for 24 hours and there were no days off which may have helped some of the people prepare for the storm. Power lines were now placed underground instead of up in the air and many cities now had to create an emergency plan. The book has many illustrations and captions about the events that took place.

Reviews:

Kirkus Review
In the same format as his Newberry Honor title "The Great Fire(1995), Murphy brings the blizzard of 1888 to life. He shows how military weather monitoring practices, housing and employment conditions and politics regarding waste management, transportation monopolies and utilities regulation, all contributed to- and were subsequently affected by-the disaster.

Connections:

1. Students can read the informatioon about one person's experience during the blizzard. Have the students write what the person was doing before the blizzard.
2. Students can create a timeline of events of the historic events.
3. Listen to the audio version and compare it  to the written text.
4. Choose several illustrations from the story and retell it and write an expository poem.