How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous

"WARNING:

If You Don't Have the Guts for Gore, Do Not Read This Book"

King Tut...Julius Caesar...Cleopatra...Christopher Columbus...Henry VII...Elizabeth I...Pocahontas...Galileo Galilei...Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart...Marie Antoinette...George Washington...Napoleon Bonaparte...Ludwig Van Beethoven...Edgar Allen Poe...Charles Dickens...James A. Garfield...Charles Darwin...Marie Curie...Albert Einstein...

You're familiar with the lives of these people, right? But do you know anything about their deaths? Did you know it is believed that Henry VII's remains exploded within his coffin while lying in state? Did you know doctors "treated" George Washington by draining almost eighty ounces of blood before he finally kicked the bucket? Did you know right before Beethoven wrote his final notes, doctors drilled a hole in his stomach without any pain medication?

"Even though everybody in this book has been dead a long time, reading about their last dying days will make your toes curl. But these stories will also fascinate you and make you realize how lucky you are to live in a world with painkillers and X-rays and soap and 911."

"There are nice things to say about everybody, but this book is full of bad news. There are funny crying parts and disgusting stupid parts and hideous cool parts, but it's pretty much one train wreck after another. And who can tear their eyes away from a train wreck?"

Readers will not be able to tear their eyes away from How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. It is a fascinating look at the lives and deaths of some very famous figures in history. But this history lesson will have readers glued to the page with the awful descriptions of the unfortunate circumstances of their deaths.

A nonfiction read with mega-pop, I know this will be a book popular with my middle grade students. Written with a kid-friendly voice, How They Croaked will be a book that will fly off my shelves in the upcoming school year.

Click HERE to visit NPR's website and a review of the book with an excerpt about Beethoven.

Happy (and Gross) Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!

Don't Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Tell You

"I'm sure you've heard a lot of weird things over time from your parents, your grandparents, or even your teachers. You'll probably find some of those sayings here within these pages. Some of the expressions will thrill you, some will make you think, others will just gross you out, but what you'll find really interesting is where and how these crazy expressions got started as well as how they've been passed along from generation to generation."

"Don't Touch That Toad & Other Strange Things Adults Can Tell You gives it to you straight. Find out if lightning can strike the same place twice, if eating fried foods can cause acne, if an elephant never forgets... Well, what are you waiting for? Get reading!"

The book cover and introduction just about says it all. This 96 page book is a treat for young inquisitive readers. It is divided into four sections: Healthy Habits, Weird Science, Food Fallacies, and Animal Tales. Catherine Rondina gives readers an adult saying such as "Cracking your knuckles can cause arthritis." The author then provides readers with an answer of "True", "False", or "You Decide" based on the scientific evidence that follows. Comical illustrations by Kevin Sylvester can be found on nearly every page.

I was eager to find out about the following sayings:

*Don't eat raw cookie dough, or you'll get worms.
*Don't swallow bubble gum because it takes your body seven years to digest. (Does it really?)
*Don't sit too close to the TV, or you'll ruin your eyes. (My husband used this line just today!)
*A chicken can live without its head. (Gross!)
*A dog's mouth is cleaner than a human's.

And my favorite:

*Eating Pop Rocks candy and drinking a soda pop at the same time will make your stomach explode. (I've been waiting for a long time for someone to explain this one to me!)

Pick this book up! You'll have it devoured in no time!

Happy Reading!
Mrs. T :)

P.S. Reading is like breathing chocolate air!