{"product_id":"worlds-afireisbn-9780763634001","title":"Worlds Afire","description":"\u003cb\u003e\"Riveting. . . . A memorable historical fiction selection, similar in intensity to Karen Hesse’s \u003ci\u003eOut of the Dust\u003c\/i\u003e and \u003ci\u003eWitness\u003c\/i\u003e.\" — \u003ci\u003eSchool Library Journal\u003c\/i\u003e (starred review)\u003c\/b\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne summer afternoon in 1944, hundreds of circus lovers crowded under the big top in Hartford, waiting for the show to begin. Minutes later, a fire broke out and spread through the tent, claiming the lives of 167 souls and injuring some 500 more. Paul B. Janeczko recalls that tragic event by bringing to life some unforgettable voices — from circus performers to seasoned fans, from firefighters to ushers. Using the lyrical power of language to render tragedy with a human face, this spare, startling book in verse leaves an emotional impact young readers will not soon forget.\"A searing account . . . that readers will not easily forget.\" — Karen Hesse\u003cb\u003ePaul B. Janeczko\u003c\/b\u003e (1945–2019) was a poet and teacher who edited numerous award-winning poetry anthologies for young people, including \u003ci\u003eA Poke in the I, A Kick in the Head, A Foot in the Mouth, \u003c\/i\u003eand \u003ci\u003eThe Death of the Hat,\u003c\/i\u003e all of which were illustrated by Chris Raschka; \u003ci\u003eFirefly July, \u003c\/i\u003eillustrated by Melissa Sweet; and \u003ci\u003eThe Proper Way to Meet a Hedgehog and Other How-To Poems,\u003c\/i\u003e illustrated by Richard Jones. He also wrote \u003ci\u003eWorlds Afire; Requiem: Poems of the Terezín Ghetto; Top Secret: A Handbook of Codes, Ciphers, and Secret Writing; Double Cross: Deception Techniques in War; The Dark Game: True Spy Stories from Invisible Ink to CIA Moles,\u003c\/i\u003e a finalist for the YALSA Award for Excellence in Nonfiction for Young Adults; and \u003ci\u003eSecret Soldiers: How the U.S. Twenty-Third Special Troops Fooled the Nazis.\u003c\/i\u003eWe laid nine hundred feet of hose\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethen another hundred and a half.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAbout a ton of hose.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut we all knew\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewe were too late.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThere was no tent\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ejust folding chairs\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand bleachers blazing\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003elike nobody's business.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eToo hot to get close.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eSee, they dip\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003etheir chairs in paint\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eand hang them up to dry,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eso as the years pass\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethey're adding another layer of paint \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eeager to burn.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBut that's not half the problem \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eof the tent itself.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eTo keep the rain out\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ethey coat the canvas\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ewith paraffin mixed with gasoline,\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003elaid on good and thick with stiff brooms.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOh, that waterproofs it all right—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebeen doing it that way for years—\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ebut what does it give you?\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOne huge candle\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003ejust waiting for a light.","brand":"Candlewick","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":46304509165797,"sku":"NP9780763634001","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1842\/7735\/files\/9780763634001.jpg?v=1730757562","url":"https:\/\/k12savings.com\/products\/worlds-afireisbn-9780763634001","provider":"K12savings","version":"1.0","type":"link"}