Product Description

If kids think pus and gas are fun, wait until they hear the lowdown on the real Dracula, samurai, gladiators, guillotines and vomitoriums, pirates, vikings, witch trials, and the world's poxiest plagues. This work is impeccably researched, deliciously wry, and subversively educational. "Oh Yikes!" covers people, events institutions, and really bad ideas, alphabetically from April Fools Day to zany Zoos. Here are the Aztecs, sacrificing 250,000 people a year for the gods, and for food. Organized from A to Z, complete with wacky photos and illustrations, Joy Masoff explains the hows and whys of the unbelievable, yet true. Did you know that the Hun warriors used raw meat for saddles? Riding around on it all day tenderized it so there was no need for cooking. How about the fact that in the 11th century a dog sat on the throne of Norway for three years? The human king, angry at his subjects, crowned his pooch, Saur, and demanded that he be treated regally. This is the stuff that makes eight- to twelve-year-old kids' (especially boys') hearts go pitter pat. Topped off with hundreds of illustrations and photographs along with hands on activities that bring the past to life, "Oh Yikes!" puts the juice in history in a way that makes it irresistible.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #243084 in Books
• Published on: 2006-09-18
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 308 pages

Customer Reviews

one for the Americans.
I bought this book simply because I thought "OhYuck!" to be so good and was hoping for more of the same.
I got more of the same, however this book does not translate so well to the English auidence and whilst it is a good book with lots of information it is for the American market and concentrates on American presidents, American history etc and would be an excellent book to use in your 3 grade homework, not your KS1 or KS2 homework.
If you are looking for a book that gives a fun insight to history and is designed for the English reader I would recommend giving this one a miss and going for one of the "Horrid histories".

Buy if you are American.
if you are British buy the "horrid histories" if you are American this is a great book about your history and will be full of stuff you need for school.
If you are not American it isn't much use for you.