Emmi in the City: A Great Chicago Fire Survival Story

by Salima Alikhan, Alessia Trunfio (Illustrator)

Overview

Although Emmi has lived in Chicago for two years, she finds it hard to love her adopted city. As a German immigrant in the early 1870s, she's often teased by her America-born peers. But when the Great Fire breaks out on October 8, 1871, Emmi and her enemies find themselves braving the smoke and flames together. Can Emmi and the others survive the danger to escape the burning city? Readers can learn the real story of the Great Chicago Fire from the nonfiction back matter in this Girls Survive story. A glossary, discussion questions, and writing prompts are also provided.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781496580115
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	02/01/2019
Series:	Girls Survive Series
Edition description:	Reprint
Pages:	112
Sales rank:	528,915
Product dimensions:	5.20(w) x 7.40(h) x 0.30(d)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Salima Alikhan has been a freelance writer and illustrator for fourteen years. She lives in Austin, Texas, where she writes and illustrates children’s books. Salima also teaches creative writing at St. Edward’s University and English at Austin Community College. Her books and art can be found at www.salimaalikhan.net.

Alessia was Born in southern Italy in 1990 but she grew up in Rome, where she still lives. She has wanted to be an illustrator since she was a child. After a Degree in the Animation course of the International School of Comics based in Rome in 2013, Alessia has worked as Background Artist for some of the most important roman animation studios. She currently works as a freelance artist on various Animation and illustration projects.

Interviews

History made personal by experiencing it through a fictional character. Survival stories are perennial favorites. Focus of female main characters allows girls to see themselves (and boys to see girls) as integral parts of history.

Editorial Reviews

2018-11-21

In this entry in a series of heroic-girl survival stories, Emmi must escape the relentless flames of the Great Chicago Fire.

Emmi has lived in Chicago for two years, but she still misses the high mountaintops and fresh air of her hometown in Germany. She immigrated with her father, her only family, so he could start a toy shop in America. Emmi doesn't think she will ever fit in. Seamus and Cara, a pair of Irish-immigrant twins, are particularly cruel to her. However, once the wall of fire begins to advance across the city and Emmi is separated from her father, she suddenly finds that her two enemies might be her only chance of survival. Emmi, Seamus, and Cara run through choking smoke and burning embers, trying to outmaneuver the flames. Perilous close calls, with some admittedly convenient coincidences, make for a gripping storyline. Although all three primary characters are white, Alikhan does explore prejudices immigrants faced along with tensions between religious groups. An author's note further explains that the Great Fire had a way of equalizing everyone. Tragedy often brings unity. Alice on the Island, Ann Fights for Freedom, and Noelle at Sea publish simultaneously, spotlighting Pearl Harbor, the Underground Railroad, and the Titanic, respectively.

Fast-paced intrigue, especially for reluctant readers; there may be a plethora of survival stories, but this one doesn't disappoint. (glossary, connection questions) (Historical fiction. 7-10)

Kirkus Reviews

Emmi and her toymaker father immigrated to Chicago from Germany in 1869, two years ago, but the city still doesn't feel like home. Emmi misses her hometown, and she's mercilessly teased by peers — including Seamus and Cara, a pair of Irish immigrant twins who seem to have adjusted to their new country much more easily than Emmi. But when the Great Fire breaks out on October 8, 1871, the divisions between people fall away as everyone struggles to survive. Can Emmi, Seamus, and Cara make their way through the flames and choking smoke and find a way to rebuild their lives afterward? This gripping story from the Girls Survive series includes backmatter with an historical overview of the Great Chicago Fire, photos, maps, a glossary, and more.

A Mighty Girl - Katherine