Volumes in series such as Guinness World Records, Ripley’s Believe It or Not (Scholastic), or Weird but True (National Geographic) never linger long on the shelf. Sure, young readers are drawn to the oddball elements and “ick” factors (for confirmation, check out the cover of the Ripley’s 2015 Special Edition showing a snake-like gentleman complete with tattooed scales and forked tongue), but beneath the siren call of the sensational lies kids’ insatiable need to know about the world around them. In fact, for many children, thumbing through these books and their ilk represent a first interaction with reference resources; driven by natural inquisitiveness and personal interests, these satisfying encounters build enthusiasm for learning, engender a passion for books, and ultimately forge life-long readers. Containing heavily illustrated tomes that present rapid-fire facts and those that take a more in-depth approach, the titles highlighted here will draw in readers, empower reluctant researchers, and help kids discover areas of interest for further pursuit.
Books about Everything
Like its predecessor, 5,000 Awesome Facts (About Everything) 2 (National Geographic Kids, 2014; Gr 3-8) presents a jam-packed collection of captivating and concise tidbits. Covering a wide range of topics, colorful spreads utilize different formats depending upon the number of items highlighted. For example, “15 Brain-Freezing Facts about Ice Cream” or “25 Splashy Facts about Water Parks” are laid out with boxed entries and a selection of full-color photos; 35 dangerous jobs are itemized in circles set against a photo of a tornado chaser in action; 75 “SU-PURR” morsels about cats are arrayed in vertical columns that surround an adorable kitten; and “100 Facts about Natural Disasters” (or video games, famous battles, etc.) are printed as straight text differentiated by colorful fonts. This visual variety allows the book to pack in maximum content and hold readers’ interest. The copious illustrations include crisp and bright photos, archival images, and reproductions of artworks. The volume’s playful titles (“Naked Truths about Underwear”), reader-grabbing topics (3-D printing, extreme gadgets, extremophiles), and never waning enthusiasm will keep kids riveted to the pages.
Those with a taste for oddball facts will devour Ultimate Weird but True 2 (National Geographic Kids, 2013; Gr 2-6). Inviting spreads adorned with electrifying photos and colorful type fonts showcase freaky and fascinating snippets. Some of the items are taken from recent headlines (such as Felix Baumgartner’s record-setting jump from the stratosphere to Earth, traveling faster than a passenger jet), others touch upon scientific wonders (weird weather conditions, creepy-looking animals, volcano facts), interesting inventions, leisure activities (crazy contests or a man posing with his collection of 1,600 gnomes), or other reader-enticing topics. Less cluttered than similar volumes, this book’s open layout and coffee-table size make it ideal for browsing. Kids will enjoy other volumes in the “Weird but True” series, as well as the “Ripped from the Headlines” offshoot.
Everyone loves a good top 10 list, and Paul Terry’s Top 10 of Everything 2015 (Firefly, 2014; Gr 4 Up) is squarely aimed at the interests and tastes of young readers, from its glitzy cover to its sweeping subject matter to its explosion of full-color images. Each spread is pushed to its visual limits with two or more marquee style lists, boxed facts, interesting captions, and collage of crisply cropped photos and slick graphics. Balancing general knowledge with plenty of pop culture, information is grouped into 10 loosely defined sections including mechanical marvels, gaming, sports, music, movies, human wonders, and space. Even chapters that would seem more data heavy contain a whole lot of fun; for example, the animal kingdom chapter incorporates “Coolest Pet Movies” along with “Deadliest Spiders” and “Fastest in the Ocean,” and “Epic Structures” highlights not only tallest buildings, but also biggest roller coaster drops, most futuristic buildings, and the world’s biggest LEGO structures (a Star Wars X-wing Starfighter comes in first utilizing 5,335,200 bricks). Kids will be enthralled by this abundance of information and while away hours flipping pages, absorbing information, and contemplating their universe.
True or False? (DK, 2014; Gr 3-8), by Andrea Mills, blends clear facts, an inviting tone, and eye-catching photos and illustrations. Headlined by a statement (“Elephants never forget” or “Vikings wore horned helmets”) that is succinctly proven or debunked, each spread features an array of captioned visuals, additional facts about the topic, and an interactive brain-teasing question (kids must flip to the back of the book for answers). The creatively envisioned images are often as intriguing and playful as the text—“The body is 75% water” is paired with a human figure that seems to pour out of a faucet and consists of splashing and flowing liquid; a chameleon walks the red carpet to illustrate a discussion of color change; and a spread about French Queen Marie Antoinette is adorned by an elaborately gowned cake figure. Sections cover the human body, nature, science and technology, space, Earth, and history and culture. Slightly more in-depth than many of its compatriots, this book is satisfying yet never overwhelming.
Quiz Mania
Kathy Furgang’s books present three statements per brightly laid-out spread and challenge kids to determine if they are Fact or Fib? (both Sterling, 2014; Gr 2-5). An easy page turn reveals the answers (two are true and one is false) along with brief additional facts. Volume 1 focuses on dinosaurs, insects, and animals while Volume 2 covers space, the human body, and technology. The perfect size and shape for quick flipping, glossy photos, illustrations, and colorful fonts keep the pages lively and inviting. Students will enjoy quizzing themselves and testing their friends’ knowledge.
“Quiz Whiz: 1,000Super Fin Mind-Bending Totally Awesome Trivia Questions” (Gr 3-8), a series published by National Geographic Kids, will wow youngsters with thematically arranged spreads featuring multiple choice and true or false queries. Pages are laid out with bright backgrounds and an array of photos, maps, illustrations, and other visuals. Depending on the volume (vols. 1-4 are currently available), categories include topics such as pop culture, animals, natural wonders, history, sports, and more. Answers are provided at books’ end along with brief explanations. Kids can tally their score for correct responses in particular sections or add them up for a grand total.
Animals Everywhere
Sometimes the pleasure is in the journey. Laura Lyn DiSiena and Hannah Eliot’s Did You Know? Hippos Can’t Swim and other Fun Facts provides a delightfully meandering miscellany of animal facts. Pitched directly to readers, the picture book poses and answers frequent questions that keep youngsters involved in the narrative. Facts about one species (hippos do not swim but instead walk along the riverbed) segue smoothly into info about another (sea turtles do swim, and up to an astounding 35 miles per hour), allowing for comparison and contrast and encouraging youngsters to think more broadly about physical attributes and behaviors across the animal kingdom. This approach also creates a sense of surprise and enthusiastic adventure. After journeying into sky and onto land, the breezy text circles back to blue whales, which “sure can swim!” Featuring bright colors and comic exaggeration, Pete Oswald’s whacky animation-style artwork keeps the tone appropriately buoyant. Don’t forget the companion volume, Did You Know? Chickens Don’t Fly and other Fun Facts (both Little Simon, 2014; K-Gr 2).
Gloriously illustrated with vibrant cut-paper collages, Steve Jenkins’s The Animal Book: A Collection of the Fastest, Fiercest, Toughest, Cleverest, Shyest—and Most Surprising—Animals on Earth (HMH, 2013; Gr 2-6) is both stunning and elucidating. More than 300 critters, “the exotic and the everyday,” are featured here, organized into thematic sections treating topics such as family life, senses, predators, and defenses. Spreads pair basic explanations of concepts (protective poison, for example) with illustrations and captions that provide specifics for particular species (“The boxer crab defends itself by plucking poisonous anemones from the sea floor and waving them like boxing gloves in the face of an attacker,” or the slow loris, the only poisonous primate, licks venom from glands on its elbow and bites its enemy, “chewing toxic saliva into the wound). A chapter about “Animal Extremes” presents lists of the longest, loudest, deadliest to humans, etc., along with life-size portrayals of creatures (or parts of creatures) and spreads that highlight closely related critters that vary greatly in size (e.g., a Siberian tiger and housecat). The book’s thoughtful design, exquisite artwork, and intriguing content encourage readers to explore, learn, and imagine while also thinking about how animals are alike and different, the essentials of survival, and the astounding variety of species that populate the Earth. Visit the author’s website for a video about the making of this book.
Ultimate Bugopedia (National Geographic Kids, 2013; Gr 2-6), by Darylne Murawski and Nancy Honovich, swarms with eye-dazzling super-sized photographs and interesting information. The first segment provides an introduction to insects that alights upon topics such as diversity, life cycle, reproduction, senses, communication, colors and patterns, and more. The next two much larger sections feature profiles of insect species divided according to the type of metamorphosis that they undergo—simple or complete—then broken down by groups or orders. Included are 83 profiles of species that blend engagingly presented facts with spectacular photos: a bombardier beetle shoots a “boiling-hot, skin-blistering liquid” as a defensive measure; a black-and-yellow irritator wasp drills a hole in wood with her ovipositor; a wheel bug, a type of assassin bug, “plunges its beak into a bee;” and a Morgan’s sphinx moth unrolls its 14-inch proboscis (“three times longer than its body!”) into an orchid’s nectar spur. Inset photos are included throughout, and species are always identified with captions that also add to the content. Running footers list each bug’s scientific name, size, wings (or lack of), food, habitat, and range. Mesmerizing for browsers and useful for researchers.
Don’t Let History Bug You
Sarah Albee’s Bugged: How Insects Changed History (Walker, 2014; Gr 4-9) delves into the millennia-long coexistence between creepy crawlies and humans. Through the centuries, disease-causing insects have altered the course of war, staved off invasion, and caused major shifts in human migration and population. Bugs have also been beneficial, serving as an important food source (roasted, raw, and chocolate-covered), providing the basis for making silk and dyes, and allowing forensic entomologists to uncover information. Epidemics, scientific discoveries, and more are presented with clear historical context and gleefully gruesome details. Kids witness many and varied instances of insect encounters: “the ‘manna from heaven’ that the Bible says kept the Israelites alive as they fled through the desert from Egypt is thought to have been aphid doo;” “scientists examining Viking poop (now that’s a fun job) have discovered it to be full of fossilized parasites;” two World War I soldiers left for dead were found with maggots crawling in their deep wounds (a good thing, since the larvae ate the dead tissue and secreted a bacteria-killing antibiotic that started healing); and New York Yankees pitcher Joba Chamberlain was swarmed by clouds of mayflies during a 2009 game against the Cleveland Indians, resulting in two wild pitches and a walk that may have cost the win. Photos (often comically captioned), cartoon artwork, and cleverly titled “Insect Aside” boxes complete a volume that is entertaining, outrageously icky, and incredibly enlightening.
Lois Miner Huey’s Ick! Yuck! Eew!: Our Gross American History (Millbrook, 2014; Gr 3-8) transports readers back in time to an early American City circa 1770 to reveal what day-to-day life was really like. Fast-reading chapters packed with archival images and artifacts, reproductions of paintings, and contemporary photos help readers to experience “The Awful Smells” (poop-piled streets, slowly spoiling food, the “necessary,” unwashed bodies, and bad breath from rotting teeth), “The Creepy-Crawly Bugs” (swarming mosquitoes, biting bedbugs and lice, fly-covered food), “The Nasty Germs” (and torturous medical care), and “The Uncomfortable Fashions” (too many layers but no underwear, corsets, and clothing scrubbed with lye soap “and sometimes stale urine”). Informative and delightfully disgusting, this book is enough to make readers grab the soap during bathtub, put their clothes in the laundry basket, and brush—and floss—their teeth!
Mind-Stretching Offerings
From acrophobia (fear of heights) to wiccaphobia (fear of witches), Sarah Latta’s Scared Stiff (Zest, 2013; Gr 6 Up) provides a look at 50 phobias. Entries include a description of each phobia and its name, how and why it develops, historical and pop culture representations, and anecdotes about famous phobics. Mixed among more well-known conditions are dentophobia (fear of dentists, which was exhibited by Abraham Lincoln), gephyrophobia (fear of crossing bridges; sufferers can request assistance when driving across Maryland’s lengthy Chesapeake Bay Bridge), koumpounophobia (fear of buttons,), and sinsitrophobia (fear of left-handedness). Taking into account both biological causes (fears can be survival mechanisms) and the effects of personal experiences (many fears are linked to traumatic childhood experiences), interweaving historical examples with current-day cultural references, Latta’s text is lively, informative, and thought-provoking.
In What If: Serious Scientific Answers to Absurd Hypothetical Questions (HMH, 2014; Gr 8 Up), Randall Munroe, a former NASA roboticist who currently authors a popular webcomic and science question-and-answer blog, presents a mind-spinning assemblage of eccentric inquiries s
ubmitted by readers and his carefully reasoned, imaginatively thought-through, and comically enhanced replies. “If every human…disappeared from the face of the Earth, how long would it be before the last artificial light source would go out?” “From what height would you need to drop a steak for it to be cooked when it hit the ground?” “What if everyone actually had only one soul mate?” “If every person on Earth aimed a laser pointer at the Moon at the same time, would it change color?” To field these queries and others, Munroe pulls out mathematical formulas, delves into current-day research, confers with scientific experts, creates step-by-step scenarios, and even calls his mother. The science is clearly explained and accessible, as he considers each angle of a problem, tackles the impossible, and occasionally (and humorously) strays into the philosophical. Droll renderings of stick figures and simple cartoons and diagrams add to the charm. A fun treat for thoughtful students who appreciate good nerd joke and seek answers to big questions.