Dr. Jo: How Sara Josephine Baker Saved the Lives of America’s Children
by Monica Kulling (Author) and Julianna Swaney (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Sara Josephine Baker was a strong girl who loved adventure. Growing up in New York in the late 1800s was not easy. When she lost her brother and father to typhoid fever, she became determined to pursue her dream of becoming a doctor. In Jo’s day, medical schools were closed to women, but times were changing, and Jo was at the forefront.
When she graduated in 1898, Dr. Jo still faced prejudice against women in her field. Not many people were willing to be seen by a female doctor, and Dr. Jo’s waiting room remained mostly empty. She accepted a job in public health and was sent to Hell’s Kitchen, one of New York’s poorest neighborhoods where many immigrants lived. There, she was able to treat the most vulnerable patients: babies and children.
Snippet: Each morning Dr. Jo put on her sturdy walking shoes, picked up her medical bag and headed for Hell’s Kitchen.
She was making her way to work one morning when a frantic man stopped her.
“Please come quick!” he said. “My baby is dying!”
It’s Nonfiction Monday!
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