Blizzard!, Jim Murphy
Blizzard!, Jim Murphy
4 Rating(s)
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Blizzard!
The Storm That Changed America

Author: Jim Murphy

Narrator: Taylor Mali

Unabridged: 2 hr 38 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 10/01/2011

Synopsis

On March 12, 1888, hurricane-force winds and unrelenting snow began to bring the region of Virginia to Maine to its knees. During the next three days, the Great Blizzard raged out of control, devastating every community in its path. Through the eyes and words of survivors and victims alike, as well as the careful research for which Newbery Honor Award author Jim Murphy is known, listeners will experience one of the most devastating natural disasters in US history and understand why, from that day on, life in the United States was forever changed.

About Jim Murphy

Jim Murphy is an editor and writer with more than a dozen books for young readers to his credit. Research Mr. Murphy was doing on the Civil War inspired his book The Boys’ War, as well as The Long Road to Gettysburg.

About Taylor Mali

Taylor Mali is the former president of Poetry Slam, Inc., and one of the most well-known poets to have emerged from the poetry slam movement. He is the author of two books of poetry, What Learning Leaves and The Last Time as We Are, and four CDs of spoken word. He has appeared on the first two seasons of HBO’s Def Poetry Jam and won the jury prize for best one-man show at the United States Comedy Arts Festival. A passionate advocate of teachers, he travels the country recruiting the next generation of teachers with his 1,000 Teachers Campaign. Taylor lives in New York.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Jim on June 27, 2015

This book is targeted at the YA market, so it isn't a super in depth history. Actually, that's one of the big pluses for me. Murphy seems to have covered everything I want to know & he did in a way that made me feel it. He included a lot of personal accounts & wrapped up with the effects that this s......more

Goodreads review by Josiah on December 08, 2022

You won't get nonfiction that's much more detailed than what two-time Newbery Honoree Jim Murphy offers, and Blizzard!: The Storm That Changed America is a story of all the little details that went wrong to set New York City and much of the Eastern Seaboard up for one of the most devastating natural......more

Goodreads review by Cherie on August 25, 2014

That was the most amazing, wrenching, incredible 144 pages I have ever listened to! A three day freak snow storm from Virginia up to the Canadian border and Michigan to the east coast that brought EVERYTHING to a stand-still. Much of the story was about the effect on New York City and the immediate c......more

Goodreads review by Melissa on January 17, 2018

I read this aloud to my children. We digested it a few chapters a week for three weeks. It was a good dose of reality without over-explaining too many sad details of the sorrows of the blizzard for my elementary age audience. We had very good discussions around the differences modern conveniences ma......more

Goodreads review by Linda on May 23, 2021

I wish I'd had the print version of this nonfiction book but have only listened to the audiobook, which was included (free) with my annual (not free) subscription to Audible. The text was impressive enough, but I know from having read the print version of another Jim Murphy book, The Great Fire, tha......more

Quotes

“The dramatic power of the splendid narrative, coupled with carefully selected anecdotes, newspaper accounts…will keep the pages turning. Murphy does a fine job describing the incredible storm, the reasons behind the tragic consequences, and the terrifying fates of victims. Booklist (starred review)

“Murphy’s ability to pull in details that lend context allows him to tell this story of a place in time through the lens of a single, dramatic episode that will engage readers. This is skillfully done: humorous, jaw-dropping, thought-provoking, and chilling.” Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“Accounts of survivors and victims provide a captivating blend of gravity, immediacy, and drama. Murphy’s well-rounded information about the various circumstances that worsened the effects of the storm make the tale both more fascinating and more tragic.” Publishers Weekly

“Murphy does a fine job describing the incredible storm, the reasons behind the tragic consequences, and the terrifying fates of victims.” Library Journal, audio review

“The text is exciting, and Taylor Mali provides a mesmerizing reading of this fascinating story. His steady voice holds listeners spellbound and waiting for what will happen next. Listeners young and old will learn a great deal about US history and science, and how this storm changed our nation.” School Library Journal, audio review

Awards

  • ALA Best Book for Young Adults
  • ALA Notable Book
  • Horn Book Fanfare Best Book
  • School Library Journal Best Book
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