A Shot in the Arm!

Big Ideas That Changed the World #3

by Don Brown

A Shot in the Arm! explores the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases, from smallpox—perhaps humankind’s greatest affliction to date—to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting deadly diseases such as measles, polio, rabies, cholera, and influenza, Brown tackles the science behind how our immune systems work, the discovery of bacteria, the anti-vaccination movement, and major achievements from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who popularized inoculation in England, and from scientists like Louis Pasteur, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology." Timely and fascinating, A Shot in the Arm! is a reminder of vaccines’ contributions to public health so far, as well as the millions of lives they can still save.

Genres: Graphic Novels, Nonfiction, Science, History, Middle Grade, Childrens, Health

144 pages, Hardcover

First published April 20, 2021

About the author

Librarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Don Brown is the award-winning author and illustrator of many picture book biographies. He has been widely praised for his resonant storytelling and his delicate watercolor paintings that evoke the excitement, humor, pain, and joy of lives lived with passion. School Library Journal has called him "a current pacesetter who has put the finishing touches on the standards for storyographies." He lives in New York with his family.

Reviews

[Rod Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fine introduction to the history of vaccines. It's amazing how many issues from the 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries repeated when COVID came around in the 21st: fear, scientific method, skepticism, human experimentation, government mandates, and countless lives saved.

I'm a believer in the science, getting my most recent COVID vaccine just last week along with a flu shot.

This historical dramatization is narrated by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, an 18th century woman who helped popularize inoculation against smallpox in England after witnessing its efficacy firsthand while living in the Ottoman Empire with her husband, a British diplomat. Smallpox takes up half the book, with some time spared for anthrax, rabies, and polio as well as an epilogue about the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Good and informative.

[Becca · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fascinating look at a very valuable big idea!
Points to discuss with your child/student:
1. Sometimes people make mistakes (as in editors): see pg. 51 "pass on it to people"
2. Vocabulary: "attenuated" (defined in the text the second use, but not the first, so a head's up might be appropriate.
3. What do you do when a book states as fact two differing things? (see pg. 103 where the author states, the CDC "has permitted only a dead-virus vaccine" and pg 124 under the timeline date 1960 where it states that Sabin's polio vaccine, which uses a live polio virus "comes to be the preferred vaccine in the United States.")
4. B.C. and A.D. versus B.C.E. and C.E.

[Isaac Thomas · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading this book, it is obvious that the greatest invention mankind has ever created is the vaccine. Lots of really good information is presented in a consumable way. It's just too bad that they didn't wait two months longer to publish this book. It mentions that a Covid-19 vaccine is in the works, but published this book right before the vaccine was released.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book, written as a graphic novel, tells the history of vaccinations in the world. It includes information including COVID-19. Good for all ages!

[Steve S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great introduction to vaccination and inoculation. Nice to have a graphic format easy for people to read quickly.

[Janssen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a quick, fascinating read.

[Trista · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read for mother daughter book club.

[Michelle Stimpson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was fascinated by the history of how vaccines were invented, and the science behind how they work. I was even more interested in the history and rationale of those who have been opposed to vaccines throughout history. I look forward to making this book available in my middle school classroom.

[Elizabeth · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.

This is a really solid primer for anyone (it's for middle grade readers but older readers will enjoy as well) looking to understand the history of vaccines (and some of the science as well). Having Lady Mary Wortley Montagu as the narrator to the story was a great choice. I was already familiar with a lot of the information presented here, but there were still a few new or forgotten facts included. I liked that it included information about the debunking of common anti-vaccine propaganda. The covid section towards the end was kind of disappointing as it became dated by the time it hit the shelves (and is even more so now), and I hope that the publisher and author consider an update in the future. Regardless, it's a fun and informative explanation of an important topic, and decent place to start for intimidated readers. I would also recommend readers (especially those interested in more MG/YA content) looking for more info check out other books such as Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield (a middle grade graphic nonfiction as well, focused more on the science side but still with plenty of historical details) and Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics (an upper MG/lower YA nonfiction book about epidemiology and how it was used to solve deadly epidemics in the past, with the revised edition including a detailed covid chapter).

[Blaire Malkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Interesting history of vaccination in graphic novel form, however, still has some fairly big blocks of texts that might be difficult for middle grade readers. Interesting to read about early anti-vax movements and fears and how the reasoning and fears were so similar to present day anti-vaxxers - especially since this was written before the covid 19 vaccine was available. Books end when research into possible covid vaccines was ongoing.

[Saturday's Child · Rating 3 out of 5]

Narrated by Lady Mary Wortley Montagu this is an informative graphic novel aimed at the younger reader. It provides a basic understanding of how vaccines began and how having a vaccination is one of the best ways to help keep a population protected from a disease. Perhaps some skeptical adults could also benefit from reading it instead of what they are reading from other sources.

[Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

The science was kinda meh but I like the context it provides on how vaccines were developed and improved over the years. I think it's a good conversation starter for kids about who new medical breakthroughs have been traditionally tested on (marginalized, mentally ill) and I like that it addresses the (many times refuted) claim that vaccines cause autism.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars. While this was a wonderful introduction to the history of vaccines, there were some parts that seemed as if Brown glossed over or didn’t fully answer. However, what he did include is very well-researched and sourced and I think it is a good primer on vaccines for all of us.

[Danielle · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book in Don Brown's Big Ideas That Changed the World series I've read. I wasn't really sure what to expect with this series, but I have really enjoyed Brown's previous graphic novels, so I figured this one would be just as enjoyable. I really enjoyed having a historical figure share the history of inoculation and vaccination with the reader. I learned quite a bit about how vaccinations originally started. I also really appreciated the information that was included about the Covid-19 vaccination. I will never get over the fact that so many people willingly take other vaccines, no questions asked, but the Covid vaccine is one to question and "research" independently. This was a great resource for me as an adult so I can safely say this book would be enjoyed by readers of all ages.

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

A graphic novel that explores man's first experiments with stopping viral epidemics through a variety of methods, what caused big break throughs, how those lead to vaccines, what diseases used to be a big deal but aren't any more thanks to vaccines, and how vaccines work with covid-19.

A quick read that does an excellent job exploring the history and science of fighting infections, especially epidemics. Brown obviously did a lot of research for this book. I taught AP Bio and Biology for several years and most textbooks leave out some of those early experiments from the Middle East and Asia that were the predecessors to vaccines. I'm glad Brown included those. A fascinating read that though short, goes to more depth historically than any other book I've seen recently on this topic.

Notes on content: As you'd probably guess from the topic, injuries, grossness, and deaths related to diseases and failed treatments are included but covered appropriately for the target audience.

[Barbara McVeigh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enjoyed this look at the history of vaccines via Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Great list of resources at the end of the book.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

With diseases continuing to ravage the world on a daily basis it's useful to have a working knowledge of the science behind vaccines. Told in a comic book format, Brown presents readers with an introduction to vaccines and some of the events and people who helped in their development. Basic information about bacteria, viruses, and the human immune system's reaction to them is shared in order to help readers understand how vaccines work. The author doesn't shy away from some of the awful things that have occurred related to disease such as blaming certain races or ethnicities for the spread of disease. Nor does he shy away from pointing out some of the problems that have occurred during the development of certain vaccines. Being a work for young readers, and in a graphic format, the book doesn't cover everything related to vaccines, but it provides a good basic introduction to the value of vaccines and how they come to pass. The book was publishing during the COVID-19 pandemic and so does introduce the topic, but doesn't include all the latest information. Because of the nature of the topic (disease) there are some gross and disgusting parts, but to me it doesn't get too graphic, but it will depend on the reader. This is another fine work that is well researched and includes a solid amount of back matter including a time line, bibliography and author's note.

[Ellon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was released in 2021 but is, sadly, already out of date. It ends with the hope of a COVID-19 vaccine on the horizon. I guess that's what happens when you write a book about current events. When reading, I actually thought that the COVID-19 vaccine would have already come out at the time this book was published because it seemed like the anti-vaccine section in the middle (which was about smallpox vaccines) was trying to hint at the current anti-vaxxers. I guess history really does just repeat itself *sigh*

But anyway, the book gave a lot of interesting information. I think that layout was a bit awkward, especially the beginning. There were many moments of "but we'll get back to that" and it just didn't flow well.

This is nit-picky and such a weird thing to notice but the pages were oddly thick and it really threw me off a lot while reading.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars.
Bless Dan Brown for his excellent nonfiction graphic novels. The big ideas series is particularly great, with its novel sized format, mix of humor and dead-accurate facts and use of a framing narrator who imbues the information with a conversational tone.
Shot in the arm provides the perfect level of mechanics and specifics as humans try to find ways to avoid the devastation of infectious disease.

[Maeve · Rating 2 out of 5]

A history of vaccines; starting with smallpox and early inoculations, a link between smallpox and cowpox, anti-vaccination groups, bacteria and viruses, more modern vaccinations, and ending with COVID-19.

This book felt rushed in its publication (the illustrations were sometimes not very original, the text felt jumbled, and there were key terms that weren't defined) and is already outdated, considering the ever-evolving situation. It was a good idea, but could have been executed better.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this thoroughly, at least up until the section on COVID-19. I think it is still early to publish a book on all the "certainties" of what has happened and is happening with this virus. The rest of the book was an interesting look back on disease, inoculation/variolation, and the creation of vaccines.

[Jurij Fedorov · Rating 4 out of 5]

Don Brown is a bit all over the place with his writing and drawings. The New Orleans flood book is ugly and lazily drawn with to the point text. While the Spanish flu book has way better drawings and feels more detailed instead of being a shallow overview. This one has by far the best drawings. I think the New Orleans book is unacceptably lazy and extremely dull to look at. Now we have vivid colors and nice illustrations of the planet. Everything looks nice instead of ugly. But the text was great in those other books and here that part is lazy. It really depends on what you value.

We have a woman who introduced a smallpox vaccine to her city by learning about the practice in India and wanting her kids to get it hence the idea spread via her and other newcomers to Europe and USA. Yet she talks from 1730. So when she comments on stuff pertaining to the future of USA, modern women issues, or slavery issues way down the line it feels off. This is clearly a modern progressive voice the author uses to give the book his own personal opinions. Which would have worked if he had picked a modern teen girl. Why is she judgmental and braggadocios? It's traits you find in modern teen girl why would she herself brag about her influence and how it is brought up hundreds of years later, as if she cares or knows about it? The book also uses Marvel dialogue. Snippy remarks everywhere with rapid fire interjections made in jest. Yet here there is no humor she just notes various stuff or judges it morally. We could see a green house and she would interject "this house is very green" etc. Clearly not funny nor spicy. Just filler text meant to entice young school kids to read yet they will see it the same way as adults do - as filler lines they have to read. Marvel dialogue is extremely popular right now. But the whole idea is to make things funnier and more personal not just to interject with "remember kids, I'm still here, the famous lady who influenced vaccine research by adopting it for my own kids". We do get proper scientists too that all develop their own vaccines and frankly it's a good overview of the science. I have read about all this stuff, but it's nice with a fast refresher.

It's not that the book is bad. I'm just disappointed at the writing taking a step back quality wise as this is clearly aimed at progressive, feminist, school children. Instead of being focused on the science and history we get way more moral preaching about various societal issues. And when it's a 1730 woman acting like she knows way more about moral values than modern people it feels off. I assure you she would not even keep up for 10 minutes in a debate about morals and history with someone who grew up with the internet.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative - I can't say I knew much at all about the history of vaccines before reading this, and I much prefer learning factual information in a fun graphic format such as a graphic novel. This particular book can be enjoyed and used as a helpful resource for readers of all ages (including adults). The timeline and massive bibliography (as it should be for the research needed to inform the author/illustrator) is a great asset for those looking to pursue further information-seeking beyond this book.

After reading this and several biography picture books on some of the important figures in vaccines over the last 100 years, which were all published in 2020-2021, I will say that it seems that these books were fast-tracked for publication because of a very clear need to educate the masses on the already long history of pandemics and vaccines. So, I am thankful for these books being so promptly available. However, you can notice this in some details here and there as a result of being slightly more rushed, perhaps.

- As another reviewer mentioned, "attenuated" was quickly defined in its second use in the book (p.82), but not the first, so I know I had to look it up the first time, and then paused when I saw it defined the second...
- A few editorial errors that a closer copy edit might have caught.
- I also think it would have been beneficial to more clearly describe the differences between variolation, innoculation, and vaccination. Lady Wortley notes at one point, "Let me pause for a moment. Some quibbling reades will take me to task for confusing inoculation with variolation. I'm told they are the same, but the second seems to be preferred by scientists, so let's defer to them shall we?" This was not followed up with any clarification. So, I think it was a missed learning moment.
- I don't think impact was considered with this passage: "Still unconvinced, the good princess then experimented with children plucked from an orphanage. That experiment ended successfully, too...thank goodness! In the end, the princess had two of her daughters inoculated" (p. 34-35). The author touched on an extremely terrible event earlier (the British purposefully infecting Native Americans), but didn't provide any quick commentary here as to how this was unethical using children of lower socioeconomic status as guinea pigs before subjecting royal children to the same treatment. "Good" might have been in quotation marks.
- Similarly, this note in the back discussing who Mary Wortley Montagu was: "She escaped death but not disfigurement. It seems the loss of Mary's beauty brought on the loss of her husband's affections..." (p. 127). Surely the word "perceived" or "subjective" could have been coupled with "loss of Mary's beauty."

I am curious about the timeline of this book's publication. It seems like Brown finished writing it in November 2020, and if it was published April 2021...I don't know anything about the publishing industry, but might there have been an opportunity to reach back out to Brown for another one or two 2-page spread to include, declaring that the COVID vaccine is now available and being distributed?

Ultimately, still a big fan of this book. If I learned one thing at all, it's that history is repeating itself, in a bad way, due to those who don't believe or are unwilling to learn about science and vaccines (and/or who don't care enough about others). Pages 66-73 could be updated with modern-day clothing, and they would read the same.

[Sheila Bracken · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not only does Don Brown create graphic novels that provide young people with historical information that either supports what they’re taught at school or fills in gaps left by the standards driven curriculum, but he’s also created a collection of graphic novels to help students better understand concepts taught in science.
As usual, Brown includes big names directly related to the topic, the famous and the infamous. In this case, we read about Louis Pasteur, FDR, Jonas Salk, and Andrew Wakefield–the British doctor who said that the MMR vaccine caused autism. I like how he used an actual smallpox victim–Lady Mary Wortley Montagu–as the narrator. She was lucky in that she survived smallpox, but she was left with scars all over her body and without eyelashes. She tells how vaccines came about (gross!) and the consequences of having both of her children inoculated during outbreaks.
We learn that British Army distributed blankets infected with smallpox to Native Americans and again to slaves during the American Revolution with very different results. We learn how inoculation became a hot topic with some fighting for it and others against; some of the things people believed to be true is mind boggling. We see how the discovery of bacteria led to the development of other vaccines and ultimately the development of the CDC. The book explains how vaccines work and includes what information was known about Covid-19 by the time the book was sent to the publisher in 2020. It is an interesting read that helps readers separate fact from fiction. 4

[Donna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great little graphic novel that gives a good overview of how vaccines came into being. Beginning with the spread of the deadly smallpox disease and ending with vaccines to minimize COVID-19, the book provides simple explanations that include the history, people, animals, places, and results of various vaccines. It shows how the big idea of vaccines came largely by observation, by trial over time, by word of mouth, through desperation, and by some brave people who were willing to risk something new. It also shows how big ideas can also go astray, as in when a doctor claimed to have evidence of the MMR vaccine causing austism. Later proven false, the fear of vaccines has sometimes led to suffering and death. And yet, poorly made vaccines have also caused death. My take-away from the book was that observation and common sense from mothers and lay people (not scientists in a lab) actually lead to the first successful vaccinations. They observed the "what" that was required to expose the immune system to a mild case of the disease, without understanding the "why" and the "how" it worked. And that big idea was enough!

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love the idea of students being interested in the development of vaccines, the practice, the process, the deniers, and the effects they have on future development when new viruses need dealt with, but I really do not. Though, using graphic format is likely to engage younger readers and possibly even adult readers. I was interested and I do believe this would be a great addition to a high school or public library as it could be used by those already interested in the use of vaccines to keep people healthy and to eradicate disease. All the big names are in here from the Roman Empire through the Covid-19 virus. Though Covid is most recent and likely most known by the reading community, there is very little about that virus. This book is published in 2021 and likely would get additions, if it were to be republished. The illustrations are cartoon like when dealing with the viruses and bacteria in the book, but more realistic in representing animals and humans. It was engaging. It was interesting. I am just not sure how to target the audience for this book.

I hope I am wrong.

[Alyson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book makes learning fun. I loved the graphic novel medium for teaching a little bit of history and science. This book explains the history of vaccinations. The timing is perfect as young readers may be curious about infectious diseases now due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It certainly makes this book more relevant. Besides being informative it is also humorous. The book was published in 2021 while we are still dealing with Covid-19. As a result the book doesn't feel complete because there isn't a conclusion yet. I'm not sure there is an ideal time to publish this book. I assume it will be quiet sometime before scientist figure out all there is to know about Covid-19 and we have resolution with it. In the mean time the history and information is needed today to help students learn. I highly recommend this informative and enjoyable book!

[SouthWestZippy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Taken from the book "A Shot in the Arm! explores the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases, from smallpox --perhaps humankind's greatest affliction to date --to the COVID-19 pandemic." This young adult/children's book, highlights measles, polio, rabies, cholera and influenza by using a graphic novel, comic book approach and with the voice of Lady Mary Worthey. Lady Mary Worthey was born May 15, 1689 and passed away, August 21, 1762. She helped popularize inoculation in England and was an aristocrat, writer and poet.
The book moves fast and does not go overboard with details. Uses explanations geared for a younger audience but a good book for adults too. I recommend this book if you interested in Science history.

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book - the history of vaccines as well as a simplified explanation of how vaccines work, all in the format of a graphic novel. I learned quite a lot from this book even though I already knew a bit.
This book was written before the development of the Covid 19 vaccine (and all the controversies about its effectiveness and safety), but one can see that this is part of a pattern and that there is a long history of such concerns being raised about vaccines. This too is an interesting part of the story.
After the main graphic part of the book there is a little more information about Mary Wortley Montagu and, in the author's note, a little more narrative about the history of vaccines. I found all of this interesting and it answered a few questions I had after reading the book.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Third in a series of nonfiction books for kids. Graphic Novel.

Information is told by a narrator, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, a woman who helped popularize getting vaccines. Starts with smallpox but covers other vaccine discoveries as well has how bacteria was found and how a human body works to defend itself from diseases. Did include information about how throughout history some people have disputed the validity of vaccines as well as why some people believe that the measles vaccine causes autism.

It is very informative. I learned some new facts and would be good for kids who are interested in things that are a bit gross. I did find the end to be a bit abrupt though.

Texas Topaz List Grade 3-5