Book Reviews
Fellow survivors, students and contributors from our Network Team have been reading and reviewing books and articles about Polio - Biographies, the History and Vaccines.
(Use the Index to search for specific topics)
“We really liked this book. It was upbeat and made us feel good. We know we are still young, but this book showed us that feeling comfortable at the doctors, dentists, etc., has a big effect on you. They want you to feel safe. “
By Avery and Ariana
“There are three reasons I thought The Germ Patrol would help kids get over their fear of vaccines. It gives a lot of interesting facts about how the Germ Patrol goes through your body and gets the viruses out. It is very funny.”
By Colin
“The Autumn Ghost: How the Battle Against a Polio Epidemic Revolutionized Modern Medical Care by Hannah Wunsch is an enlightening and deeply impactful story of this critical moment in medical history. “
By Pamela Sergey
"I hope this will help people remember what it was like BEFORE the vaccine. It was an eye-opener for me to see how much advocacy comes from polio survivors.“
By the PA Polio Network
The book reminded me that “we all get the same vaccines and that you shouldn’t be scared to get them. We get them to protect ourselves and to protect others who cannot get the vaccines.”
By Avery and Ariana
Have you ever met a kid who said they wanted to make the world a better place? Have you ever said that? Maybe you have qualities like Jonas Salk! Jonas was a kind and curious kid. He was a dreamer; a believer and he had GRIT.
By Avery and Ariana
The author’s timely and captivating The Polio Pioneer: Dr. Jonas Salk and the Polio Vaccine, recounts the story of Dr. Salk’s determination to produce a safe polio vaccine during the heights of the 1940s and 50s polio pandemic in the US.
By Pamela Sergey
Have you ever asked yourself if polio, in a curious way, enriched your life? Unexpected Journey: A Physician’s Life in the Shadow of Polio recounts Dr. Lauro Halstead’s personal quest to answer this question.
By Pamela Sergey
“The book explains how shots/vaccines show your immune system what different germs and viruses look like and how your immune system can get rid of the germs before they make you sick. The book tries to help you feel better about having to get these vaccines.”
By Avery and Ariana
I am not sick. I am broken. But I am happy to be alive as long as I can paint.
By Pamela Sergey
“Joyfully returning each day for new adventures at my easel, I engage my jerking arms and trembling hands.” Sharon (White) Richardson
By Pamela Sergey
I just finished reading Dr. Richard Bruno’s book, “The Polio Paradox.” I learned so much about polio that I never knew.
By Laura Vittorioso
“In 128 packed pages, Fran Henke has gathered the latest information from world polio experts and "lived it" experts -- polio survivors themselves -- to bring together a wide range of solutions to the diverse issues that affect ‘polios.’ Life Skills, with Fran’s quirky illustrations, may also help families and caregivers understand and appreciate what’s going on with PPS.
By Richard L. Bruno
“Millie Malone Lill, the ‘Mark Twain of polio survivors,’ returns with her combination of mid-western charm and razor-sharp wit.. Join Millie in her native Iowa, on her trips through America and then into Canada, where’s she’s run off with a Canadian truck driver! It’s scooter versus eighteen-wheeler. . . and if you know Millie, you know who wins that race.”
By Richard L. Bruno