Fever Year
The Killer Flu of 1918: a Graphic Novel
HarperCollins · Print & ebook · February 3, 2026
From the Sibert Honor–winning creator behind The Unwanted and Drowned City comes one of the darkest episodes in American history: the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918.
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- Who it’s for
- Don Brown examines the 1918 influenza epidemic, its causes and effects, and lessons from modern science.
- Themes
- The 1918 influenza epidemic, Epidemic causes and effects, Lessons from modern science
- Pacing
- Fast
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From the Sibert Honor–winning creator behind The Unwanted and Drowned City comes one of the darkest episodes in American history: the Spanish Influenza epidemic of 1918. This nonfiction graphic novel explores the causes, effects, and lessons learned from a major epidemic in our past, and is the perfect tool for engaging readers of all ages, especially teens and tweens learning from home. New Year’s Day, 1918.
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America has declared war on Germany and is gathering troops to fight. But there’s something coming that is deadlier than any war. When people begin to fall ill, most Americans don’t suspect influenza. The flu is known to be dangerous to the very old, young, or frail. But the Spanish flu is exceptionally violent. Soon, thousands of people succumb. Then tens of thousands . . . hundreds of thousands and more. Graves can’t be dug quickly enough. What made the influenza of 1918 so exceptionally deadly—and what can modern science help us understand about this tragic episode in history? With a journalist’s discerning eye for facts and an artist’s instinct for true emotion, Sibert Honor recipient Don Brown sets out to answer these questions and more in Fever Year.
The 1918 Flu
Don Brown examines the 1918 influenza epidemic, its causes and effects, and lessons from modern science.
Come here for
- The 1918 influenza epidemic’s causes and effects
- Questions about what modern science can explain
Expect
- A nonfiction graphic novel about a major epidemic in American history
- Questions about why the flu proved exceptionally deadly
Where it sits
| Comics History | 77% |
|---|---|
| 20th Century U.S. | 52% |
| Illness & Injury | 31% |
Percentages are BookFrontier’s reading of the book.
Publisher categories
- Illness & Injury
- Military & Wars
- 20th Century U.S.
- Biology & Life Science
Show all 8 publisher categories
- Natural Disasters
- History of Science
- Social Science
- Death & Grief
- Authors
- Don Brown
- Publisher
- HarperCollins
- Published
- February 3, 2026
- Format
- Print & ebook
- Theme
- The 1918 influenza epidemic · Epidemic causes and effects · Lessons from modern science
- Reading lane
- Illness & Injury