by Gail Jarrow
2023 Honor Book
Jarrow takes a close look at hookworm, the parasitic scourge that sickened and killed millions of Americans at the turn of the 20th century. Primary sources and archival photos are used to scrupulously detail how the discovery of the parasite led to a public health movement aimed at eradicating the hookworm, and how efforts to defeat similar organisms continue today.