Wild, Alisa, Briony Barr, and Dr. Gregory Crocetti. Invisible War, The: A World War I Tale on Two Scales. Ben Hutchings, Illus. Graphic Novel. Graphic Universe, 04/2019. 68[+12]pp. $29.32. 978-1-5415-4155-9. OUTSTANDING. GRADES 5-12.
The dramatic scenes of deadly battle being played out in France in 1916 are only half the story in this creative graphic novel which also depicts the interior battles of a war nurse as her body fights infection by lethal dysentery bacteria. Filled with remarkably clear and educational drawings of the infection process, the book also depicts the challenges and realities of a field hospital during the first world war, making the reader realize the seriousness of both the disease and the war, the personal and the more global. Eight pages of detailed back matter enhance the book and add to its efficacy as a learning tool. A remarkable approach to both history and the exploration of microbiology which will impress readers with curiosity and strong stomachs.
Lesley Mandros Bell, Oakland Library Advisory Commission