Blizzard!

Blizzard!
By Jim Murphy
Scholastic Press, 2000. 136 pgs. Young Adult Nonfiction

Murphy recounts the blizzard that hit the eastern United States in 1888. Focusing on accounts of people in and around New York City, Murphy shows how the storm disabled the city, shutting down transportation, limiting food supplies, and even causing many deaths.

Award-winning author Murphy does a great job of making the blizzard of 1888 interesting for children and teens. His writing is engaging, and readers will come to understand why this storm had such a profound effect on people directly involved in it but also those of us today, since many practices (such as the New York subway system, cities' responsibility to clear snow off streets, and more) were instituted as a result of this storm and how unprepared New York was to handle it. Informative and interesting, this is a great nonfiction title.

AE