By positioning two children in the horror and uncertainty of this event, the reader is right there with them. The emotions are strong, and the story is easy to follow, even when the locations are unfamiliar.

Some of the facts are uncertain in this historical record, so varying stories about what someone did (or didn’t do, as there was a possibility of delayed warnings) are presented. So is the anti-immigrant context that caused the popular story about Mrs. O’Leary’s cow. Anti-Irish stereotypes were prevalent at the time, and some examples are cited. Although the content is disturbing, it does a good job breaking up the many pages of the kids running around trying to escape the fire.

The overall book is dramatic, with the experience of the children reflecting the facts we know about the catastrophe in a personal fashion. And I admit, I teared up at the eventual reunion. It’s an involving, fast-paced story that puts the reader in the events. The book continues to show us the 1893 Exposition as a way of showing how the city recovered. Plus, with the debut of the Ferris Wheel, it’s visually exciting.

History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire helps launch this line in strong fashion. It’s a great way to learn more about key moments of US history.

This is a great introduction for kids to learn about the Chicago Fire. It's an especially interesting topic since we are in the suburbs of Chicago. Even I learned something!

Middle grade graphic novel, historical fiction. After the success of the Science Comics series, the publisher has ventured into history. Kate Hannigan wrote the inaugural book, which makes sense since her historical fiction for this age is wonderful. The Great Chicago Fire in 1871 burned for 30 hours, destroyed 1/3 of the homes in the city, and changed architecture forever. After a letter from a Chicago Fire chaplain and historian, Hannigan takes us right to the neighborhood of infamous (and innocent) Mrs. O'Leary. We see the fire unfold through the eyes of J.P. and Franny, Irish American siblings who got separated from their family while trying to reunite a puppy with its mother. As they try to escape the flames and find their own family, they hear a lot of anti-Immigrant rhetoric. When the rain finally puts out the fire, they witness the devastation of their city. The last section shows the World Fair in 1893, which is celebrated as Chicago's "rebirth" after the fire. Back matter includes an author's note, an expanded timeline of the events of the fire, a map of the city with relevant landmarks, additional facts about Chicago and the Fire, and an extensive resource list.

I had heard about this event of course, but not recently and not in this detail. Reading that 100,000 people lost their homes, that over 70 miles of streets were destroyed, and that the damages would cost $4 billion in today's currency is just shocking. Seeing those numbers, it amazes me that only 300 people died from the fire. This story is done very well, with the fictional parts in white text boxes and the historical facts or primary source quotes being framed by beige text boxes. This keeps the flow of the story going while keeping a clear line between what is fact and what is story. The ways that the fire changed the city (it burnt so quickly because everything was made of wood) were also very interesting to read. Ending the story with the Columbian Fair keeps it from ending on a depressing note and also shows how quickly innovations can happen. Recommended for history and architecture buffs or anyone who wants to learn more about this famous tragedy.

May appeal to a similar age group as the I Survived series but accessible to less advanced readers. Will be purchasing for my public library.

Thank you Net Galley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thanks to First Second and Netgalley for the digital ARC.

This is a nice fictionalized but factual tale of the great Chicago fire and its long implications on both the city and the nation. While I felt some of the story was a bit over the top I loved that the book works to explain what actually happened and dispel the many myths of the fire such as Mrs. O'Leary's cow. And I like that it adds context to the events. A solid historical novel for kids.

discovered history was fascinating through historical fiction. The dusty old textbook facts became fascinating through the fictional stories weaved through true facts. While the History Comics series by First Second is dubbed as a nonfiction series, it uses fictionalization to tell its story.
Book Cover
History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire
Written by Kate Hannigan; illustrated by Alex Graudins
First Second. 2020. $12.99
Grades 4 and up
The story of the Chicago fire is told through the eyes of two children, John Patrick (JP) and Franny who start their evening out at the O’Leary’s backyard and get separated from their parents when they start chasing a puppy separated from its mother, just as the great fire starts to rage through the city.
As the fire spreads, the brother and sister get caught up in the throngs of people trying to escape, traveling from one part of the city to another and encountering people making the same flight in different ways. The ending is a happy one and we get a fast forward to the World’s Fair, which shows how Chicago learned from the fire and quickly rebuilt. The book is filled with fascinating endnotes, like a map of the fire, a list of places to visit, and a bibliography and resources. (With nonfiction picture books, the backmatter is essential and I sometimes enjoy the extras offered at the end more than the actual book!) The story examines why the fire likely got out of hand, what made Chicago so flammable, and how Chicago worked to rebuild and avoid another tragedy of the sort.
The fast-paced read is highlighted with superb artwork that evokes the time period and gives readers the feeling of chaos that ensued in Chicago. The sepia color palette with the added reds and yellows for the fierce fire create a dynamic visual experience.
Though not necessarily with the wit of Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales, this addition to nonfiction comics and learning about history through comics is a welcome addition. The vibrant artwork will make it an easy sell.

Great illustrations and a story full of historical facts make for a great reading experience for younger readers. My son loved this book and I look forward to adding to the Library's shelves.
Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to read and review this title. All opinions and mistakes are my own.

History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire is a nice addition to the new History Comics line from First Second. I knew only a little bit about the event previous to reading this graphic novel (mostly I knew the song "Hot Time" from marching band...). I like that this entry into the History Comics line took a different approach to telling the story than the other entry I've read thus far (Roanoke), in that it is really a well-researched historical fiction story, as opposed to being narrated by those who were actually there (which admittedly is also its own form of historical fiction). I'm not sure I like the History Comics line as much as the Science Comics or Maker Comics just yet, but for the beginning of a new line, these first titles are good.

This installment of the new History Comics series focuses on the Great Chicago Fire. Told through the eyes of 2 Irish immigrant siblings the book covers the facts about the fire and provides some of the cultural context of the time. It was interesting that they noted the changes that came about in fire code/ fire fighting as a result of the fire. Readers will also enjoy learning how Chicago rebounded so quickly to be able to hold the Columbian Exposition in 1893. The story might have benefited from placing the map of Chicago in the beginning of the book, instead of in the back to help readers situate themselves as they followed the protagonists' adventures.

Kate Hannigan, author of the Cape series, does it again with another highly engaging historical fiction novel. This one is told in graphic novel format, which only enhances its appeal.

Hannigan tells the story of a brother and sister who become separated from their parents at the onset of the Great Chicago Fire. As they flee north, they notice familiar landmarks being destroyed along the way. Using these landmarks along with maps, the reader is given an idea of the large scope of destruction. The end section of the novel is devoted to the 1893 World Fair, where Chicago was able to show off its absolute stunning rebuild and resurrection.

Educators: the front and back matter of this book is very useful, and includes a letter from a Chicago fireman as well as facts that loop in the Chicago of today. Highly recommend for classrooms in grades 3 to 6.

I have always been intrigued by history, especially history near to my home. This graphic novel telling of The Great Chicago Fire will be great for young readers. I loved that it was a mix of panels, speech bubbles, diagrams, and other text features. The illustrations are wonderful, and I think it is overall pretty engaging (I think for reluctant readers too). My only worries is the hard to follow pace. There were moments where it felt rushed and you kind of asked yourself, "What did I just read?" But then there were parts/text features that could have been placed elsewhere so it would flow better. Other than that, I think this is a great start to a series that I would like to add to my classroom.

Thank you to #NetGalley and First Second Books for allowing me the opportunity to read a digital ARC of History Comics: The Great Chicago Fire: Rising From the Ashes by Kate Hannigan. This book will be released on June 30, 2020. All opinions are my own.

In this installment of History Comics, it's 1871 and a fire is blazing through Chicago. The story follows a two siblings as they struggle to stay ahead of the fire and reunite with their family. It not only discusses theories about how the fire started, but it goes through why the fire was so damaging, and what changes came about in regards to architecture and city planning due to the fire.

I found this to be a fun way to learn more about the Great Chicago Fire. I liked that it discussed more than just the Old Lady Leary theory. I also like that it stated that Mrs. Leary was cleared of fault. There was a big focus on architecture and how the fire changed the way buildings were built. In 1871, Chicago was a wooden city and that had fatal repercussions. I also liked that it discussed the Chicago World's Fair and all of the events and things that occurred there. The Orville brothers play a cameo as do Frederick Douglas, Ida B. Wells, and Buffalo Bill. There is also a focus on acceptance. It examines the way Irish immigrants were treated and then Polish, Greek, Italian, and Jewish immigrants. One of the young characters questions why we can't all get along which is a question still being asked today. Another character makes it a point to state that we're all originally from somewhere else. I think this book could spark great discussions with students and is a fun way to introduce them to the topic of the Great Chicago Fire.

I enjoyed the telling of the Great Chicago fire through a graphic novel. The details to history and also the capture of feelings of how people must have felt during this time was evident in the graphics.

Separated from their parents, Irish immigrant siblings John Patrick and Franny (and their puppy, Lucky) must find a way to survive the Great Chicago Fire.

One of the first two titles to launch First Second's new History Comics line, The Great Chicago Fire is overall a nice addition to any library's graphic novel collection. Readers who enjoy Victoria Jamieson and Raina Telgemeier will see a similarity of artistic style, while fans of such series as Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales or even Lauren Tarshis's I Survived... will love learning about a lesser-discussed moment in history.

On the negative side, the way firsthand accounts were incorporated, though interesting, occasionally made the story feel disjointed and difficult to follow. In addition, the transition to the World's Fair for the last section of the book made an interesting contrast, showing how much Chicago changed in the 20 years after the fire, but it detracted a bit from the account of the fire itself.

All told, though, young readers looking for a little history with their comics will enjoy this title - and hopefully find many more to love with this new line.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review

History Comics reminds me so much of Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales which my students adored reading this year. I love how it not only highlighted the Great Chicago Fire, but also the ways that Chicago rose as a result of it. It was a super quick and easy read. I think this will be great for upper elementary and middle grade students who love historical fiction, I Survived, or Hazardous Tales.

This is a title I cannot wait to add to the graphic novel section of our classroom library!

The book was full of interesting historical information. It was an exciting read that showed the Great Fire well. The pictures were well drawn.

Readers who enjoyed Nathan Hale’s Hazardous Tales will devour these stories. This title is more accessible than the previous entry in the series.

This is another historical fiction graphic novel that I really enjoyed. All in all, the characters are mostly white Europeans- so it lacks diversity in the skin color area- but it does talk about how during the time of the Chicago Fire white Europeans were not all treated equally either- Italian and Irish were especially hated.

The story itself doesn't just focus on the Great Chicago Fire but also looks at how Chicago changed and rose again largely due to the fire- I had no idea the fire spurred so many architectural advancements that were focused on fire-proofing.

The story moved quickly and the inclusion of Lucky the dog added a great "aww" factor to a story that easily could have become overwhelming in it's tragedy- even for kids.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in history or likes graphic novels.

Readers follow two kids trying to reunite a very young puppy with its mother on the night of the start of the Great Fire in Chicago. Their quest turns into one of trying to find any family and stay ahead of the flames. As they go along, readers get loads of information about the historic even, Chicago of that time period, the anti-Irish immigrant prejudice of the time and how that fed the myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, how the fire changed the city of Chicago, and then how the Columbian Exposition of 1892 sought to show the world how Chicago had recovered from the disaster.

This was very informative but still engaging and a quick read. I learned quite a few things from reading this, and I think kids will eagerly gobble it up. It will both entertain and satiate their curiosity about the past. The drawing style is such that both elementary and middle school readers will be drawn to this. If you’re looking for a way to teach kids about the Chicago Fire in a way they will remember, look no further. Highly recommended to reluctant history readers, history buffs, and graphic novel fans.

Notes on content [based on the ARC]: No language issues. No sexual content. Deaths and injuries in the fire are mentioned but not really shown. Property destruction is shown and an animal death.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

In October of 1871, a fire started in the city of Chicago and burned for two days, destroying homes, taking lives, and causing millions of dollars in damage. It's become a moment in history and an American legend. The story of the Chicago Fire is told here, through the points of view of two siblings, Franny and John Patrick (JP), as they search for their parents in the midst of the fire and the chaos that erupts. It was a disaster that made an urban legend out of a woman named Catherine O'Leary: the fire began about 10 blocks from her home, leading anti-Irish residents to lay the blame on her and her cow; stories ranged from the cow kicking over a bucket while being milked to one of O'Leary's renters hosting a drunken party which resulted in a lantern being knocked over. These theories, and more plausible ones are covered here, as Franny's and JP's story progresses. 

Back matter includes a timeline of the fire, a map of spots mentioned in the story, a section dedicated to fire sites to visit in Chicago, a list of fast facts, and a bibliography and resources for further reading. Rising From the Ashes is a comprehensive, thrilling retelling of a major moment in American history.

Booktalk these to your I Survived readers - they will eat these up (especially with I Survived graphic novels also hitting shelves). There is an I Survived the Great Chicago Fire chapter book available, so make sure to have a copy handy (cross-promotion is everything)!