The Aztecs The Egyptians The Vikings

Gr 3—5—In each book, 10 or 11 facts are presented, such as "Aztec doctors used over 1500 herbal remedies and knew how to stitch wounds and set broken bones." The text continues with the "Gruesome Truth" about the ancient peoples. For instance, the herbal remedies used by the Aztecs oftentimes killed the patients or drove them insane. Some of these horrific facts are informative, but others are just plain inappropriate for a children's book. In The Egyptians, readers learn that King Menepta's well-trained army brought back to the pharaoh the penises of 1300 Libyans after a bloody battle. In addition to the grisly facts, each book also includes several true or false statements. The illustrations are rendered in a comical caricature style that greatly exaggerates the facial expressions and body language. This colorful style lightens the tone of the book and makes the facts a little less frightening. There are multiple illustrations on each page. Purchase where gory details and wacky trivia are in demand.—Wendy Woodfill, Hennepin County Library, Minnetonka, MN