Editorial Review
SLJ Review of Gross, Awesome History

Historical facts can be awesome, disgusting, or both at the same time, and readers who want to know more can read this series. From gladiators and mummies, to the Middle Ages and the American Civil War, there’s a variety of information to learn. Images and infographics support the text, and bolded vocabulary words and pop-up facts, such as “People in the 1600s used mummy flesh in their medicine” (Mummies), grab the reader’s attention. Following significant events and important people in history, the text is short, and doesn’t romanticize the past “People in the Wild West dealt with terrible diseases… Fleas spread typhus… A mosquito bite could give you yellow fever…” (Wild West). The back matter has three short answer questions, a glossary and an index, and additional resources. Some of the facts are, as the titles indicate, gross, which will be the appeal to certain readers. Similar reads include the “Weird But True” and “FACTopia!” series. VERDICT For older elementary readers who love learning gross facts.