Firefighters

Children's Literature

Conjure up the image of a fire running out of control. Then imagine yourself as a firefighter destined to make every effort to extinguish that blaze. Firefighters attracted a great deal of attention after the tragic events of September 11, 2001. In a single day hundreds of New York City firefighters were lost when terrorists struck the World Trade Center. Though less dramatic than those sad events in New York City, other fires injure and kill both residents as well as firefighters every year. In Firefighters, Brenda Ralph Lewis describes the life, work, and training of the men and women who stake their lives against various sorts of infernos. Lewis presents the work of firefighters in a multi-faceted manner. Space in this volume of the "Rescue and Prevention: Defending Our Nation" series is dedicated to the history of firefighting as well as the different types of fires that these public servants fight. As the author of this engaging book notes there is a great deal of difference between fighting a fire in a forest and in the densely populated landscape of a major city. Throughout this illustrated book, Brenda Ralph Lewis does a fine job of detailing not only the work that firefighters do but also the contributions they make to the world we live in. This is a fine book and one that readers will both enjoy and learn from. 2003, Mason Crest Publishers, Ages 12 up.
— Greg M. Romaneck