What Was the Great Chicago Fire?

What was...?

by Janet B. Pascal

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.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Childrens, Historical, Middle Grade, American History, Juvenile

112 pages, Library Binding

Published October 25, 2016

About the author

Janet Pascal, author of many YA biographies and Viking’s senior copy-editor, lives in New York, New York.

Reviews

[Sheri · Rating 4 out of 5]

A most interesting read on the Great Chicago Fire and the history of firefighting. The facts and details are presented in a way that makes the scene feel real, like you are right there either helping to fight the fire or rushing to save your family and friends along with precious belongings. The mistakes and assumptions made that day had devastating consequences, but also served as a powerful teaching tool for better and more effective firefighting, and remind us yet today that fire is a quick and destructive force. I would have liked to see a one-page tip sheet of action steps for kids to take to prevent and/or respond to fires, but otherwise I really enjoyed this quick read.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best written in this series. I recently read a couple other books about the Chicago fire and still found this one fascinating and full of interesting information. I was actually quite moved when the author was describing people trying to save their possessions and escape the fire. I thought of all these people sleeping and suddenly their whole life is burning to the ground. It's so sad.

I love this series. Great for kids and adults alike.

[Readasaurus Rex · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good

This was really interesting. I learned things I didn't know. Even though this was a disaster, the city rose again quickly.

[Beth · Rating 2 out of 5]

NOPE. This hits on one of my greatest pet peeves. One page 30, the author claims that there is no East Side of Chicago. THERE IS! While technically a neighborhood or community area, it does exist. My family has a long history there.
Still don't believe me?
http://www.encyclopedia.chicagohistor...
http://crime.chicagotribune.com/chica...
http://abc7chicago.com/place/east-side/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_Si...

[Janete on hiatus due health issues · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting and important pieces of information about the Great Chicago Fire itself and the evolution of the firefighters through the times. In this book, the firefighters are the big heroes and the civilians too, because they were brave enough to rebuild the city and to move on.

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I honestly really enjoyed this and learned a LOT from it!

[Clare D · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick easy and interesting read about the Chicago Fire. Extra information about the history of firefighting make it perfect for the child who wants to more about firefighting.

[Sylvia "Chivy" · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book. Learn a lot about the city of Chicago and firefighters history.

[Tam Newell · Rating 4 out of 5]

2019 Bluestem nominee. Since I was a kid, I’ve heard the story and sung the song about Mrs O’Learys cow. The facts in the story were fascinating though.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This has everything you could want in a nonfiction book for early or reluctant readers. There is a B&W sketch on most pages, a section of photos from 1871, a map, a few fact boxes, timelines, and bibliography. Gives historical background on building practices and how fires in large cities resulted in changes to present practice.
Bluestem Nominee 2019

[Ross Edward · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned many things about the Great Chicago Fire. Its was started in a barn. There was a person who drooped the lantern on hay. The water would get so hot it would start to boil. I also learned people would run from the fire and go to Lake Michigan neck high to get away from the fire. They put the fire out by firefighters and civilians. The civilians would make a bucket brigade while
the firefighters would spray the fire with water.
The fire destroyed almost all of the buildings in Chicago. This is what I learned about The Great Chicago Fire.

[Caleb Holzhausen]

Fire went burrrr. Turns out the cow didn't kick over the lantern. 🤷‍♂️

[Valencia]

This was a good book! It was interesting and would be a great read for middle grade readers.

[Nichole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've seen these books around and I worried that they'd be really trite or and silly or overly boring. However, now that I've read one, I felt that this one, at least, was done really well. I'm interested enough to read more. I learned a lot of really cool things I didn't know about firefighting and the Great Chicago Fire. I will definitely be looking to add more of these to my library's collection and advertising them to students.

[Pat Salvatini · Rating 5 out of 5]

This topic is widely written about yet Pascal offered some new and interesting facts, if not a bit quirky. It is easy to read and students enjoy the format of the information presented. This is a great series.

[Mrs. Melaugh · Rating 5 out of 5]

This well-written and well-organized account of the one of the most disastrous fires in history starts with the founding and growth of Chicago up to 1871 as well as information about the early history of firefighting. Next, there is a step-by-step description of the perfect storm of mistakes that led to the ferocity of the Great Chicago Fire as well as anecdotes guaranteed to hold readers’ attention – debunking the myth of Mrs. O’Leary’s cow, harrowing incidents of people barely escaping the inferno, and thrilling stories of personal heroism. There are sixteen pages of photos, including a fascinating one of marbles that were fused together by the heat. As with the others in this series, all this is accomplished in just over one hundred pages and using only black-and-white images.

[Kerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 8 year old son gave this to me "because it's about Chicago." We both read it. It's geared toward elementary school but I thought it was very well written, had lots of pictures and we both learned a lot (like did you know Lincoln's original Emancipation Proclamation was in chicagos historical society's building and burned in the fire?)

[Kellan Francis · Rating 5 out of 5]

The great chicago fire was one of the biggest fires in the world and it was crazy how that many people had to survive it.It was a good book because there was a lot of action in the book so it amazed me that how many people had to take shelter for that long and stay away from it.The part that i was shocked by was when the fire started the wind spread it all along the hole city.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great details. I lived in Chicago most of my life and didn't know some of these facts. Another great "What was" book!

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read out loud to my 8 year old. He was captivated. For a children's history, there was a great deal of detail. Print.

[Paige Soule · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read with interesting information most don’t know about this momentous event.

[Steph · Rating 3 out of 5]

Simple but informational. The inclusion of photographs was nice.

3.5 stars

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

According to an age old rhyme, the Great Chicago Fire was started by Mrs. O'Leary's cow. This book separates facts from fiction about the Great Chicago Fire.

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.

The book starts with a history of firefighting. Chicago was fortunate to have an unlimited supply of water from Lake Michigan. Chicago was proud of its firefighting program, which was ahead of many cities, but the pride actually caused some of the problems during the fire.

A short description of Chicago in the 1800's is given, which sets the scene for the calamity that follows when the fire hits. Several chapters focus on the fire and the devastation. The illustrations are plentiful and include old photos and drawings to help the reader visualize the event.

In an "After the Fire" section we learn about the "Little Chicago Fire" that took place the same year and burned about 800 buildings. There is also a shout out to the Great Peshtigo Fire in Wisconsin which burned at the same time as the Great Chicago Fire but with more devastating results. I appreciated this inclusion because I am from Wisconsin and that piece of history is taught in all Wisconsin schools.

The last pages of the book include a timeline, bibliograpy and website information for further research/reading.

This is a wonderful book in a fantastic series that is perfect for younger non-fiction readers grades 3 and up.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I listened to the audiobook version of What Is the Great Chicago Fire? by Janet B. Pascal, and it was a quick, engaging, and informative listen. The narration was clear and well-paced, which made it easy to follow along and stay interested throughout.

The book offers a solid overview of the events surrounding the Great Chicago Fire—how it started, the chaos it caused, and how the city came together to rebuild. It’s packed with historical details and personal stories that really bring the disaster to life, especially for younger audiences or anyone looking for an accessible introduction to the topic.

While the audiobook is great for a quick history refresher, I did find myself wishing for a bit more depth in some parts. Still, the storytelling is compelling, and it does a great job of explaining the significance of the fire and its impact on Chicago’s future.

Overall, a strong addition to the Who Was?/What Was? series and a great listen for history buffs of any age.

[Prabhat sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

What Was the Great Chicago Fire? (Hardcover) By Janet B. Pascal- Children’s Picture Book- The book narrates the story of Great Fire in Chicago. The incident occurred on Sunday, 08 October 1871 when a cow kicked over a lantern in a barn in the south side of Chicago. This fire made the neighborhood go up in flames. A luck would have, things went wrong. It was Sunday and a holiday. 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 book explores the whole history of firefighting. Coloured illustrations help the reader to relate to the story. I have read the Hindi language translation of this book.

[Liesl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book of this extensive series that I read aloud with my son and it will certainly not be the last. Since my love of non-fiction runs deep, it is a joy to share a book like this with my child and spark genuine interest in the subject covered. I knew nothing about the Great Chicago Fire prior to this reading and was impressed at how much the book covers while keeping the topic easily understandable for young readers. The tangential passages at the ends of chapters are a nice way to widen the scope of the event at hand, and the inclusion of real photographs and timelines is appreciated. Very well done!

[Linda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book to be very interesting and I learned facts I didn’t know about the history of fire fighting including the man in Greece who would barter with you and buy your burning property as it was burning. I think children will find it fascinating and the writing is very accessible. Good illustrations and primary sources.

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

These books provide the perfect amount of interest to spark a young reader's attention. My hope would be that any kid who gets their hands on one of these books would want to continue their learning and grab a book that will provide them with a more in-depth look into the people, places or events discussed.

[Elina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice book but also sad. But anyway on to the story. So Chicago was always bragging that it was the best city. And then one day on oct 8 the great Chicago fire came And can you believe that it lasted till Oct 10 2 whole days. And then in Chicago a little fire came to let you know the fire is called little fire. Because there was only little fire. Don't forget to read the book.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, did Mrs. O'Leary's cow really cause the Great Chicago Fire? You will have to read this book to find out the answer to that question and learn of the events of that disastrous day. This was a well written book and gave many interesting facts about the event and the theories surrounding the great mystery.