Catching Fire

June 1, 1999
Gr 7-10-A thorough introduction to the topic, from the bucket brigades of olden times to the state-of-the-art equipment used today. The author has included a wealth of related information that will be of interest to general readers as well as to students doing research. She presents the science behind how a fire burns, provides short descriptions of important blazes in history, discusses how equipment has changed, and explains the tactics used by modern firefighters to control and extinguish flames. She also covers wildfires; arson; fires on ships, airplanes, and subways; fire safety; and the varied skills and roles of current-day firefighters, including cleaning up spills and search and rescue. These chapters add significantly to the breadth and depth of the book. Numerous black-and-white illustrations, ranging from reproductions depicting equipment and blazes from the past to action photos of contemporary firefighters at work, appear throughout. Lively and informative, this is an excellent addition to nonfiction collections.William C. Schadt, Glacier Park Middle School, Maple Valley, WA

Copyright 1999 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.