What Was the Great Chicago Fire?
Sale price
$759
Chapter Book · Ages 8–12 · 2016 · Est. 1 hour read

What Was the Great Chicago Fire?

Written by Janet B. Pascal and Who HQ · Illustrated by Tim Foley

Part of the What Was . . . ? series

A fire breaks out in Chicago in 1871, destroying much of the city and leaving thousands of people homeless.

4.2 Goodreads · 584 ratings
112 pages· 8,040 words· Est. 1 hour read· 720L
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Bookroo's summary

On October 8, 1871, a devastating fire erupted in Chicago, fueled by drought and chaos. As flames leapt across the river, firefighters faced insurmountable odds. Was a cow truly to blame? Discover the real story behind this historic disaster and the evolution of firefighting. Can the truth extinguish the myths?

From the publisher

Did the Great Chicago Fire really start after a cow kicked over a lantern in a barn? Find out the truth in this addition to the What Was? series. On Sunday, October 8, 1871, a fire started on the south side of Chicago. A long drought made the neighborhood go up in flames. And practically everything that could go wrong did. Firemen first went to the wrong location. Fierce winds helped the blaze jump the Chicago River twice. The Chicago Waterworks burned down, making it impossible to fight the fire. Finally after two days, Mother Nature took over, with rain smothering the flames. This overview of a stupendous disaster not only covers the fire but explores the whole history of fire fighting.

At a glance
Format
Paperback
Pages
112
Words
8,040
Reading age
8–12
Audience
Juvenile Reader
Lexile
720L
Themes & topics
The author

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The fine print

Book details

Reading levels
ATOS
5
F&P level
~Q
AR points
1
AR interest level
MG
AR quiz
186694
Publication
Published
October 25, 2016
Publisher
Penguin Workshop
Edition
Language
English
Type
Chapter Book
Identifiers
ISBN
9780399541582
LCCN
2016033766

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Top contributors: Literary Leslie · Elaine R.