Why am I passionate about this?

I find Plagues to be fascinating, especially having lived through COVID-19 (with masks and distancing and fear of catching an unknown sickness!). The Plague of London in 1665 especially interests me because it brings in the well-known character of The Plague Doctor. This iconic character is feared and admired (and still a very popular Halloween costume). I have done extensive research on the 1665 Plague in terms of how it affected food insecurity, homelessness, fear, trade routes, employment, and the different classes of a community.


I wrote...

Plague Thieves

By Caroline Fernandez,

Book cover of Plague Thieves

What is my book about?

“Steal. Trade. Survive.” That's what Father tells Rose and Lem moments before he dies of the Great Plague. Orphaned and…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of The Great & the Small

Caroline Fernandez Why did I love this book?

I like this young adult novel because it presents a fictional plague war. Set between humans and rats; I like how the author combines the history of plagues in a twisted plot of light and dark. I think young adult readers, having lived through Covid, will click into the storyline. 

By A T Balsara,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Great & the Small as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 12, 13, 14, and 15.

What is this book about?

Ananda is a troubled teen who feels like a misfit at home and at her new school, and her unusual ability to connect with animals makes her feel like even more of an outsider. Still raw from the death of her grandmother, Ananda's dreams are haunted by a long-buried memory that causes her to push people away.

Fin is a Tunnel rat who lives in the passages beneath the city, in the dark places humans overlook or despise. Orphaned as a pup, he is the nephew of the Tunnel's charismatic leader, the Beloved Chairman, and is willing to do anything…


Book cover of History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics

Caroline Fernandez Why did I love this book?

I loved this middle-grade book about plagues! It was a page-turner with interesting facts, fun stories, and great illustrations. I also found the easy-to-read history gripping. This book would be a great addition to home and school libraries. It is not just a reference book; it is a great MG read!

By Kate Messner, Falynn Koch (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked History Smashers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Myths! Lies! Secrets! Uncover the hidden truth about history's pandemics, from the Black Death to COVID-19. Perfect for fans of I Survived! and Nathan Hale's Hazardous Tales.

During the Black Death in the 14th century, plague doctors wore creepy beaked masks filled with herbs. RIGHT?
WRONG! Those masks were from a plague outbreak centuries later--and most doctors never wore anything like that at all!

With a mix of sidebars, illustrations, photos, and graphic panels, acclaimed author Kate Messner delivers the whole truth about diseases like the bubonic plague, cholera, smallpox, tuberculosis, polio, influenza, and COVID-19.

Discover the nonfiction series that…


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Book cover of From Cells to Ourselves: The Story of Evolution

From Cells to Ourselves by Gill Arbuthnott, Chris Nielsen (illustrator),

4.5 billion years ago, Earth was forming - but nothing could have survived there…

From Cells to Ourselves is the incredible story of how life on earth started and how it gradually evolved from the first simple cells to the abundance of life around us today. Walk with dinosaurs, analyse…

Book cover of What Was the Plague?

Caroline Fernandez Why did I love this book?

I like that this chapter book format works for middle-grade readers as well as high-low or ESL readers. The book layout was reader-friendly, and the illustrations were not scary or traumatizing. While I found this book a little less “exciting” compared to History Smashers, it delivered on the facts of the plague. 

By Roberta Edwards, Dede Putra (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What Was the Plague? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

Oh, rats! It's time to take a deeper look at what caused the Black Death--the deadliest pandemic recorded in human history.

While the coronavirus COVID-19 changed the world in 2020, it still isn't the largest and deadliest pandemic in history. That title is held by the Plague. This disease, also known as the "Black Death," spread throughout Asia, Africa, and Europe in the fourteenth century and claimed an astonishing 50 million lives by the time it officially ended. Author Roberta Edwards takes readers back to these grimy and horrific years, explaining just how this pandemic began, how society reacted to…


Book cover of Science Comics: Plagues: The Microscopic Battlefield

Caroline Fernandez Why did I love this book?

I think this comic book is perfect for visual learners who are in middle-grade or read hi-low or ESL books. I found the illustrations to be modern and catchy. I think the copywriting is kid-friendly. I believe it’s a great book to learn about how sickness is spread and the wider implications of the Plague.

By Falynn Koch,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Science Comics as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 9, 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic - dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you! This volume: In PLAGUES, we get to know the critters behind history's worst diseases. We delve into the biology and mechanisms of infections, diseases, and immunity, and also the incredible effect that technology and…


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Book cover of Funny Folk Tales for Children

Funny Folk Tales for Children by Allison Galbraith,

These are the funniest folktales in the world. You will be amazed at the intelligent animals and LOL at the ridiculous scrapes the humans get themselves into in these short stories. Discover why dogs are our best friends, learn how to change a cow into a zombie, and meet a…

Book cover of The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now

Caroline Fernandez Why did I love this book?

I think this book is for advanced middle-grade or even on the lower end of middle grade. I found it to be chocked full of facts, history, and information about deadly diseases. I think fans of “scary” kids’ (aka Bendy, Five Nights at Freddy’s, Haunted Canada) books will appreciate the real-life terrors of real-life diseases. 

By Deborah Hopkinson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

Perfect for young readers of I Survived and the Who Was series! Packed with graphics, photos, and facts for curious minds, this is a gripping look at pandemics through the ages.

The deadly outbreak of plague known as the Great Mortality, which struck Europe in the mid 1300s and raged for four centuries, wiped out more than 25 million people in the course of just two years. With its vicious onslaught, life changed for millions of people almost instantaneously.

Deadly pandemics have always been a part of life, from the Great Mortality of the Middle Ages, to the Spanish Influenza…


Explore my book 😀

Plague Thieves

By Caroline Fernandez,

Book cover of Plague Thieves

What is my book about?

“Steal. Trade. Survive.” That's what Father tells Rose and Lem moments before he dies of the Great Plague. Orphaned and homeless in London 1665, all Rose and Lem have left are their wits, each other, and three bottles of Thieves Oil—a medicinal blend Father created that can protect people from the sickness.

But then Lem goes missing, and Rose is left to fend for herself. As words of Thieves Oil spread to London’s most desperate scavengers, Rose must band together with her fellow street orphans, steal the essentials to survive, and protect herself and her newfound friends against both the Plague and a world filled with dangers.

Book cover of The Great & the Small
Book cover of History Smashers: Plagues and Pandemics
Book cover of What Was the Plague?

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5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in plagues, the Black Death, and epidemics?

Plagues 59 books
The Black Death 37 books
Epidemics 50 books