Review: Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History by Lois Miner Huey

SUMMARY FROM NETGALLEY.COM:

In history class, you've studied people who lived long ago. But do you know just how gross daily life was in the United States around the time of the American Revolution?
• People rarely bathed.
• They didn't wash most of their clothes regularly.
• Their teeth were rotting.
• Bedbugs feasted on people as they slept.
• Lice crawled through their hair (and their wigs) day and night.
Ready to step out for a breath of fresh air? Well, look out, because the streets were filled with poop. Don't believe it? Hop in a time machine and travel back to June 1770 in the pages of this book! 

MY TAKE:
If your child likes gross stuff, he or she might like this book.

In Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History, kids can learn about the past and how our ancestors had some pretty gross habits and had to live in gross conditions.

I'm not super squeamish so I had no problem with the material at all. I was already familiar with a lot of the stuff mentioned in the book, but there were still some trivia that were new to me. I liked that the book presents the facts as though you traveled back in time and experienced the places and times for yourself. It might not work for everyone as it feels a little bit like choose-your-own-adventure books do, but overall, it shouldn't be too bothersome for most readers.

I'm not a fan of orange, especially dark orange, but otherwise, I liked the layout and pictures used for this book. The old pictures and illustrations, in particular, were fun to look at.

Thanks to NetGalley and Millbrook Press for the e-ARC. Publication date of Ick! Yuck! Eew! Our Gross American History is on October 1, 2013.

THE GOOD:

1. The pictures and illustrations are nice to look at.
2. The anecdotes are fascinating.
3. The text is very descriptive.

THE BAD:

1. The you-traveled-back-in-time premise used may or may not work for readers.

FAVORITE QUOTE/S:

The family who lives here eats fresh meat, vegetables, and fruit in summer.

READ IT IF:

1. Your child likes gross things.
2. Your child likes reading about history.
3. Your child likes reference and trivia books.

RATING:


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