American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the South
by Gail Jarrow
Buy on AmazonIncluded on NPR's 2022 "Books We Love" List Finalist, 2023 YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction ALSC Notable Children's Book What made workers in the American South so tired and feeble during the 19th and early 20th centuries? This exciting medical mystery uncovers the secrets of the parasite hookworm, commonly known as the “American Murderer,” and is the latest title in Gail Jarrow’s (YALSA Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults award-winning author) Medical Fiascoes series. Imagine microscopic worms living in the soil. They enter your body through your bare feet, travel to your intestines, and stay there for years sucking your blood like vampires. You feel exhausted. You get sick easily.…
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"Gail Jarrow’s latest entry in the “Medical Fiascoes” series for kids focuses on the history of the hookworm and how it sucked the blood and energy out of the American South in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Good luck prying this book – terrifying and fascinating by turns – out of the hands of young readers who love getting grossed out. (For ages 10 to 17)"
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