Ripley's Special Edition 2014 (Ripley's Believe It Or Not Special Edition)
What has always drawn so many middle-graders to Ripley’s? The grotesque, weird, exaggerated, and just plain fascinating, of course. This 2014 edition will not disappoint. From the 3-D holographic cover that pictures Liu Fei with cauliflower snakes in his nose and mouth to the UK artist who uses meat in his paintings, amazing feats and quirks from around the world hold readers’ rapt, slack-jawed attention. Pick your poison: the kitten who came out an exhaust pipe, the “mystery marbles” that fell from the England sky, the bus inside of which you can ride your bike—they’re all here. Six chapters categorized by broad topics bring order to the book, with each one broken down into two-page spreads that focus on narrower aspects of the subject. Throughout the book, colorful, busy pages mix text boxes, photographs, and drawings to capture and affix readers to the pages. Grades 4-8. --J. B. Petty