Fooled You: Fakes and Hoaxes Through the Years

 Why yes, that is a mosasaur in a coffee cup

Pascoe, Elaine and Keller, Laurie. Fooled You: Fakes and Hoaxes Through the Years. New York : Henry Holt, 2005.

Plot: Frauds existed for hundreds of years. Some stem from attempts to make money, such as P.T. Barnum's Feejee Mermaid. Others, like crop circles, simply start as a joke on the local community, but quickly capture global attention. A few hoaxes bloomed from attempts to avoid trouble, while some seem made to create it. Modern technology contributes to the rise of frauds, as the urban legend of Snowball the cat displays. The text's humorous illustrations add to the lunacy of responses to the hoaxes, while outlining the stories within the chapters. By learning about frauds of the past, perhaps we can be more cautious in the future.

Genre: History, Science, Technology

Reading Level: Grades 4-9

Similar Titles: Hoaxes that Made Headlines, Fakes

Personal Thoughts: The title offers an excellent example of combining history and current events. While the individual stories may not make the textbooks, they do provide the opportunity to review personal opinions and experiences, allowing readers to begin thinking critically about sources of information.