Germ Hunter: A Story about Louis Pasteur

by Elaine Marie Alphin, Elaine Verstraete (Illustrator)

Growing up in the 1830s, Louis Pasteur saw the horrifying effects of diseases like rabies and tuberculosis. Filled with curiosity and imagination, Pasteur began a lifelong search for answers to his many questions about diseases. Although many scientists disagreed with his unusual ideas, his discoveries made him famous. Through his dedication and insight, Pasteur saved millions of lives and laid the groundwork for future medical advancements.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Biography, Childrens

Paperback

First published January 1, 2003

About the author

I was born on 30 October 1955 in San Francisco, California, and attended Lafayette Elementary School in San Francisco. Then my family moved to New York City, where I attended William H. Carr Junior High School. This is a school picture of me from my junior high school days. After that we moved to Houston, and I went to Westchester High School and on to Rice University.

Reviews

[Jessi · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know how people read children's books to study for Jeopardy? This would be a perfect fit.

I recommend this completely to anyone who wants to learn a lot, easily.

If you don't know what living books are, they're books like this one. The facts are presented in a narrative style, and not in detached text book speak with little boxes and bullet points of information. They're readable and give you space to make connections as you dive deep into a wider story surrounding the facts. The facts stick with you because the story sticks with you. There's a humanness to them.

[La-Shanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

When science meets health conditions and human history it makes a great story! The "Germ Hunter: A Story about Louis Pasteur" tells about the schooling and career of Louis Pasteur along with his interaction with Emperor Napoleon III, the Academy of Science and other influential people in world history. I am adopting this short read for my Comprehensive Law Class (grades 9-12) as a part of a grant on "Healthy Habits" sponsored by Donors Choose and Ripple (2018). Students will read the story and discuss how they can relate to Louis Pasteur in terms of college and career opportunities or just following his advice about maintaining healthy habits of washing your hands and keeping a clean environment at home (kitchen and bathroom) to reduce the amount of germs one can encounter.

[Cathleen · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent story of the life of Louis Pasteur. I love the emphasis on working through problems and trying through failure after failure as good scientists do. I also like the recognition that he sometimes worked on things he didn't want to out of duty to his country and the tie in that every scientific puzzle he solved was a stepping stone to his end goal of learning to fight germs. It's a great story to explain the scientific method, perseverance, duty, disappointment, and teamwork.

[Jacque · Rating 4 out of 5]

CN, MD and I gave this book 4 stars. MK gave it 3.5. MK and CN liked that it was short but informative. MD thought is was cool learning about Louis Pasteur and his determination. Louis was smart and determined. I loved that his goal was to improve humanity!

[Ritsumei · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a kids' biography, and it's interesting. My son enjoyed it, and I liked it too, but for myself, it was a very quick read. Which is not unexpected: I didn't buy it for me. But it was good enough that I wish I had a more extensive biography to read myself.

[Leila Chandler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! The history of the search for germs is so fascinating, and this author did a great job telling it. Read it aloud to my kids for homeschool. They especially liked the part about using chickens to research anthrax, and the part about finding a cure for rabies.

[Erika · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great biography for children about a truly great man and his contributions to humanity.

[Michelle Bartley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love learning new things right alongside my boys. They also enjoyed this story of Louis Pasteur.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great narrative biography of Louis Pasteur from his early life to his work studying disease and how to prevent and cure it. It is designed as a short chapter book with some pictures to break up the text. It would be a lovely read for anyone who wants to know a little bit more about Pasteur, and it would be helpful in children's research projects, as well.