The Totally Gross History of Ancient Egypt

Gr 5–8—There is plenty in this set to satisfy the middle school preoccupation with bodily functions, with coverage of each civilization's disposal of excretion, bizarre medical practices, bodily ornamentation and decoration, gruesome warfare, and religious rites. The titles are written at a fairly high reading level, placing the gross facts into a larger narrative about the civilization's history, albeit with use of words such as poop and boogers that appeal to the age group. Average-quality illustrations are mostly reproductions of period art and contemporary location shots rather than depictions of disgusting practices. The audience for this type of material is largely limited to middle school, although this set's advanced vocabulary and higher reading level will reduce its appeal to the readers who are most interested in the topics.