Scandalous!

A fascinating, fun, and well-researched popular history. Scandalous!has plenty of shelf appeal but doesn’t sensationalize its subject matter, instead letting the eye-popping facts speak for themselves. The format is lively and engaging: in each chapter, a headline captures the essence of a scandal (e.g. “Rock Singer Elvis’ Sexy Hip-Shaking on TV Shocks the Nation”), separate boxes provide additional details and identify the “players” in the story, well-chosen quotes add information and personality, and iconic photos illustrate the events. “Why We Still Care” sections explain the contemporary relevance of the scandals, while sidebars give examples of similar and often more recent scandals that teens will recognize. For instance, the chapter detailing the accusations against director Roman Polanski also includes mentions of R&B star R. Kelly and actor Charlie Sheen, as well as their respective imbroglios. Even readers familiar with events in Scandalous! will learn something from these surprising accounts.