April 1, 2014
Gr 4-7-Decidedly not for the weak of stomach, these provocative surveys aim to shock-and, by and large, succeed. Top Secret Science, the mildest of the lot, covers suppressed government projects from Britain's World War II anthrax research to Area 51 and other U.S. "black ops" but only mentions Nazi concentration camp experiments in passing. The other volumes go for the (dis)gusto: from photos of a smallpox victim on the cover of Dangerous Diseases and equally disturbing views of animal vivisection in Mutant Animals to accounts of Mad Scientists who drank the vomit of a yellow fever patient, self removed an appendix, or kept a dog's head alive. Some of the photos are uncaptioned filler, but mesmerized readers are unlikely to notice, much less mind.
Copyright 2014 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.
July 1, 2014
Drinking vomit, performing your own appendectomy, inviting a snake bite--all in the name of science? This book looks at daring experiments, deadly research side-effects, and other "groundbreaking craziness." This high-interest topic will attract readers, even though there's not much depth to the actual information. The choppy text, which plays up the sensational, is supported by captioned photos and fact boxes. Reading list. Glos., ind.
(Copyright 2014 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)