National Geographic Kids Myths Busted!: Just When You Thought You Knew What You Knew...
Some myths take on a life of their own after they are repeated over and over and over. This book encourages readers to “unthink” more than 100 facts that they took as truth and dispels age-old truisms, such as George Washington’s wooden teeth, the five-second rule, and the full moon’s effects on human behavior. Krieger includes the origins of each untruth, giving readers insight into how mistaken beliefs come into being, become popular knowledge, and persist over time. The text is punctuated by relevant statistics from actual scientific studies and quips from experts. Cocotos’ artwork, in the form of photographic collages, enlivens each two-page spread of quick and portable knowledge, such as seven things dirtier than your toilet and six human-built objects you can see from space. The book’s thesis encourages healthy skepticism and discourages taking facts as truth without verification. This unlearning results in some serious learning. Grades 3-6. --Erin Anderson