Strange but True: 10 of the World’s Greatest Mysteries Explained

by Kathryn Hulick, Gordy Wright (Illustrations)

Prepare to have your mind blown! As you explore ten of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries, you'll witness a UFO encounter, search for the lost city of Atlantis, tour a haunted house, and discover the kraken's true form. Along the way, you'll use the scientific method and sharp thinking to separate fact from fiction and explain the unexplainable.

Learn how sightings of flying saucers and stories of alien abductions can be explained by sleep paralysis, false memories, and hypnosis. Find out what pareidolia is and how this psychological phenomenon may explain some ghost sightings. Explore possible real locations for the lost city of Atlantis. Beautiful, haunting illustrations set the mood and spark the imagination.

Discover the fascinating truth surrounding these mysteries and legends:
Alien abductions, including the Roswell incident
Psychics
Mysterious disappearances, including plane MH370
Zombies
Ancient aliens, including the Nazca Lines
Curses, including King Tut's tomb
Monsters of the Deep, including Nessie the Loch Ness monster
The search for Atlantis
Ghosts and haunted mansions
Bigfoot

Genres: Nonfiction, Childrens, Middle Grade, Mystery, Paranormal, Science, History

128 pages, Hardcover

Published October 1, 2019

Reviews

[The Sassy Bookworm · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was actually pretty damn fun, fascinating, and perfect for an inquisitive younger reader. 🏫

It is broken up into the following ten stories...

-- AN ENCOUNTER WITH ALIENS 👽
-- THE HAUNTED MANSION (my fave) 👻
-- THE SEARCH FOR LOST WORLDS 🏰
-- THE STAR OF DEEP BEGINNING 🌟
-- WHEN THE DEAD RETURN 💃
-- AMAZING POWERS OF THE MIND 👵
-- THE SECRETS OF AN ANCIENT TOMB 🏯
-- LOST AT SEA 🚢
-- THE MYSTERY OF DEAD MOUNT AIN 💀
-- MONSTERS OF THE DEEP 🌊

It is visually a pleasure to look through with colorful graphics and interesting fonts. 🎨 Each story (from around the world) has a summary of events, facts, history, and what really may have been at play. 🌌 The stories are short and easy to read and not bogged down with details that would make a young reader's interest wane. 👍 I can see this book being perfect for any elementary school-aged child who loves mysterious stories and science. 🎒

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[Mel (Epic Reading) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical introduction discussing Occam's Razor, coincidence and the idea that the most logic idea must be the truth if there is a lack of evidence either way. There are ten broad categories that encompass many different mysteries in the book. The categories range from alien encounters, sea monsters, zombies, ghosts and more. Each category touched on has examples from around the world (including starting off right with the 1961 Hill alien abduction story in Montreal, Canada --sorry the proud Canadian in me can't resist but be excited). The illustrations by Gordy Wright are equally creepy and accurate. From alien ships to Bigfoot to illustrated maps and scroll designs. Wright has done an excellent job of both activating the imagination, while keeping the known articles to their 'fairly' factual design (given they are illustrated).

There is a lot of skepticism in Strange But True. I do like that it almost never says people who have experienced supernatural events are lying. But instead it offers many other explanations that combined may start to account for the types of things people say they have experienced. For example in the opening category of alien abduction we learn about sleep paralysis, highway paralysis, TV show illustrations, preconceived notions of ideas (ie: we exist so why not aliens?) and pareidolia which is most common with clouds (where our brain likens a shape to something we know already), etc. All of which together can explain many of the different alien abduction or experiences stories from around the world. No one thing is clear or obvious; but combined it is seen as powerful to have the large majority of the alien incidents complying.

So we move through the book from aliens, Egypt, Bigfoot and more into our last category, Sea Monsters. And now here is where I love what writer Kathryn Hulick has doe. She has taken mostly explainable phenomena and ideas and disproves them. Except for one; the giant squid. In 2012 the Triton deep sea vessel found a real-life giant squid and photographed it. The photograph is amazing and the intricacies of the intelligence in the eye of the squid are enough to make anyone wonder about all the mysteries of the world and what else we might not know exists but have legends or myths about it. This is the perfect ending as it leaves the door open to encourage the reader to keep searching; keep looking and keep hypothesizing about everything and anything. A truly clever way to bring to light some clear and obvious misconceptions; while still keeping the imagination alive.

As a child of the 90's (who was a pre-teen when X-files first came to TV); myself and most of my friends of a like-age are fascinated by the supernatural. This would have been a perfect book for us between the pages of 8-13. For those, like me, that hope there are more unique sea monsters, Bigfoot, etc. out there it's an opportunity to link to aliens and perhaps accept that humans are far from the only intelligent life. All of these opportunities and more are left for anyone to explore at the end of Strange But True.

While there may be no magic in this book, or if there is it's likely disproven; I believe it certainly does have a magic that proves there is always more to learn. That science is never ending and that we can always strive to know more, find more and exist beyond our own mortal lives. Whether that's as a famous scientist or even a ghost. One thing is surely for certain; anything is possible after finding a giant squid; it's just that some scenarios are more likely to be true than others.

Please note: I received an eARC of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is an honest and unbiased review.

[Chelsea | thrillerbookbabe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Quarto books for this super fun and interesting book! Prepare to have your mind blown as you explore ten of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries. You'll witness a UFO encounter, search for the lost city of Atlantis, tour a haunted house, and discover the kraken's true form. Along the way, you'll use the scientific method and sharp thinking to separate fact from fiction and explain the unexplainable.

Learn how sightings of flying saucers and stories of alien abductions can be explained by sleep paralysis, false memories, and hypnosis. Find out what pareidolia is and how this psychological phenomenon may explain some ghost sightings. Explore possible real locations for the lost city of Atlantis. Beautiful, haunting illustrations set the mood and spark the imagination.

Thoughts: Some of the stories covered in this book are about alien abductions, mysterious disappearances, zombies, curses, ghosts, and bigfoot. This book is perfect for lovers of the strange and mysterious. The artist did a great job and the book is stunning! The book is super easy to read and full of fun information. I think kids will love learning about these mysteries and I like that there are possible explanations for things that otherwise haven’t been explained. The best part is that this book uses science to talk about interesting stories, and got me excited about the science behind it. 5-stars for this interesting book!

[Rebecca Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

Strange but True is a great and educational book which proposes possible solutions to several fascinating unsolved mysteries. I absolutely love the gorgeous full-colour artwork and all the interesting facts.

This is such a unique and pretty read! Writer Kathryn Hulick and artist Gordy Wright take you on a tour of some of the world’s most popular and enduring mysteries. The strange phenomena include zombies, haunted houses, aliens, the lost city of Atlantis and sea monsters like the Kraken. The book encourages readers to use science and critical thinking to figure out possible explanations for unusual phenomena. For instance, cases of alien abduction may be caused by sleep paralysis or false memories while frolicking otters and logs can explain sightings of lake monsters.

The book is filled with easy-to-read and fascinating information. Each short chapter is broken up into helpfully labelled subsections. I also like that Hulick sums up the most important points in brief sentences next to the paragraphs. This is a great primer to introduce young readers to these interesting mysteries. However, I wish that certain chapters gave a little more specific information on the stories. I also wish that some of the information was a bit better organized.

This book is so gorgeously put together! I love the cool fonts and how perfectly the illustrations are integrated into the page layout. Wright’s haunting artwork is gorgeous and eye-catching. I would purchase this book just for the softly coloured and detailed artwork!

Strange but True is a well-designed and entertaining read with beautiful illustrations. This book will be perfect for curious middle-grade readers who like mysteries and science. However, it will also be a great addition to any adult’s library because of the lovely artwork and interesting stories.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Children's Books for this book in exchange for an honest review.


👽👽👽👽 aliens out of 5!

[Zef Hennesy · Rating 3 out of 5]

a great read on the stories of famous conspiracy theories and debunked them

[Kirsty · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book gets straight to my X-Files-loving heart! I love anything to do with the unexplained, strange phenomena etc. – but I'm also a massive sceptic, so this book is perfect for me. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It explores the fascination and intrigue of the unexplained, while also explaining what a more logical, prosaic explanation could be. Particularly important for aspiring young investigators are the explanations of why it's important to find proper evidence for things, and the encouragement to see how wonderful and magical the world is even without aliens and monsters. Also the artwork is lovely – it somehow manages to be magical and spooky at the same time. A great Halloween gift for any small and curious person in your life.

[Etienne · Rating 4 out of 5]

But that presented the basis information about «paranormal» stuff (ghost, alien, monsters, ancient civilization and more). All is well presented and easily explain for younger readers. Could be a good way to be introduced to those kinds of things. As an adult interest in this subject, I didn’t find any new stuff for me, but I don’t think it was the purpose of this book so it’s alright.

[Ann-Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Miranda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a cute piece of nonfiction for children discussing topics such as Atlantis and alien abductions. I think it would be a really great read for those reluctant readers in later elementary school and early middle school.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC.

[K.C. Shaw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well written with atmospheric illustrations! I would have liked more in depth treatment of topics but the book is more of an overview for younger readers. It's great to find a book about unexplained mysteries that is fact based instead of sensational. It's still a lot of fun and a quick read.

[Sharon Tyler · Rating 3 out of 5]

Strange but True: 10 of the World's Greatest Mysteries Explained, written by Kathryn Hulick and illustrated by Gordy Wright, explores ten of the world's greatest unsolved mysteries. Readers can witness a UFO encounter, search for the lost city of Atlantis, tour a haunted house, and discover the kraken's true form. The book utilizes the scientific method and sharp thinking to separate fact from fiction and explain the unexplainable.

Strange but True: 10 of the World's Greatest Mysteries Explained takes the stories of the unexplained and offers readers as much of the story as they can. I like that the book offers the legends, witness statements, and scientific information to give readers of all ages the tools and information necessary to make up their own minds. I love the documentaries and television show that do this, so not much of this book was new to me. However, I think it was a well organized and structured book that can help interested readers take the time to look at mysteries and experiences like those discussed from multiple angles. I thought the illustrations were well done and broke up the text nicely to keep the pages and blocks of text from becoming overwhelming. I did think that some of the font choices, particularly the chapter headings and sidebar commentary was hard to read- however that could have been partially because I was reading a digital copy. I did like that in the end notes the author included information on his sources, so that if readers are interested in a particular story they can do further research.

Strange but True: 10 of the World's Greatest Mysteries Explained is a well organized and interesting read. I think many middle grade readers will enjoy it.

[Nathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars.

Here it is, right up front: It's a great book to expose kids to. They, imaginative and impressionable as we know them to be, get easily caught up in the sensational side of odd phenomena throughout the world, right? Hulick's book helps to orient their thinking toward a more methodical, sensible direction, prompting them to ask the right questions when these stories pop up.

To assuage any fears, the point of this book isn't to poo-poo on anyone who believes in UFOs, ghosts, etc. but to simply take the facts as they are. Hulick states within that these instances are fun to think upon, that they're interesting and captivating in their abilities to not be fully explained, and that *that* is the key to all of this. Are ghosts real? Maybe, maybe not--but just take a look at what we do know. Lots of kids could use this reassurance, to be told that there's more than just a stuffy, rigid response from academia; that science and folklore can share a common ground, should things line up.

Hulick stokes the imagination, prepares the mind to better receive material a little on the weird side, and probably will even save some kids from a few sleepless nights.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group, and Frances Lincoln Children's Books for the advance read.

[Olivia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fascinating! It is a methodical exploration into the explanation of some of the universe's ancient mysteries and folklore: aliens, ghosts, lost worlds, sea monsters (The Kraken? Eeek!), etc. Each passage briefly summarizes the mystery, related hypothesis that have been forwarded in solving it, and any research that has been conducted. The sections were well-written—not mired in detail, entertaining, and intriguing. This book is a perfect primer to spark a student's imagination and inspire them to learn more about scientific methods of discovery. It can also be utilized as a resource for some parent/child learning lessons. This book will definitely be incorporated into my son's reading list. Wonderful book. Thank you!

Thank you to NetGalley, Quarto Publishing Group - Frances Lincoln Childrens, and Kathryn Hulick for and ARC of 'Strange but True: 10 of the world's greatest mysteries explained' in exchange for an honest and voluntary review.

[Theediscerning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a very good book indeed, carefully and scientifically debunking a lot of the common stories of the unexplained for the under-twelves. We start with alien visitation and UFOs, then go through ghosts and hauntings and Atlantis, delve into darkness with potential zonbis, before progressing in very intelligent ways around the Fortean world – and ours, as we zigzag from Nazca lines to the Bermuda Triangle to the curse on Carter in the Valley of the Kings. Good design and illustration mean we speed through the pages, but the level of learning is great here, the subject is bound to appeal – and any person of any age deserves to have a corrective to the von Danikens and Gellers of this world. There's so very little wrong with this, and I know of no other, similar book, so it gets five rational stars.

[Loreto · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stranger but True es un libro visualmente precioso, las ilustraciones son realmente bonitas y es un placer ir leyendo las diferentes historias. La verdad es que la edición está muy cuidada y ojalá tenerlo en papel para poder mirarlas una y otra vez, me gusta mucho ese estilo de dibujo. En cuanto a lo otro, me parece una buena manera de acercar lo paranormal a los más jóvenes y está escrito de una forma estupenda para ellos. Conserva un toque misterioso e introduce el método científico de manera divertida, haciendo que los más pequeños aprendan además de que les llegue a gustar la ciencia. Recomendadísimo, a mí me ha gustado muchísimo.

[Suzanne Mitchell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers an excellent illustration of the scientific method through its application to a range of strange and mystical events in a way that keeps you riveted to the page. Through a series of fascinating and page-turning mysteries, the author gently guides the reader into using scientific reasoning to consider and decide for themselves what to believe—and reveals that sometimes fact can be even stranger than fiction! Highly recommend this to anyone, especially if you have or work with upper-elementary aged children or young teens. It’s a page-turner you won’t be able to put down!

[Alicia · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a super fun larger-sized middle grade nonfiction to explain the cooler parts of mysterious sightings and happenings from yeti and Loch Ness to UFOs and the pyramids. Each gets a chapter with complimentary images of what is being read about and a few quotes pulled out and added along the side for effect.

It was an enjoyable and informative read that provides perspective and understanding specifically from a scientific perspective about understanding phenomenon and not jumping to conclusions. It was unbiased in a way that paves the way more for science than it does the mystic.

[Vonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a fascinating learning tool. Scientific facts and mesmerizing photographs. It is broken up into the following ten stories...AN ENCOUNTER WITH ALIENS .THE HAUNTED MANSION,THE SEARCH FOR LOST WORLDS, THE STAR OF DEEP BEGINNING,WHEN THE DEAD RETURN ,AMAZING POWERS OF THE MIND , THE SECRETS OF AN ANCIENT TOMB , LOST AT SEA , THE MYSTERY OF DEAD MOUNTAIN , MONSTERS OF THE DEEP . All highly informational and enjoyed by the grandparents, parents and grandchildren in this household.

[Leigh · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was given a copy of this book free from Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

I've never read anything so satisfying, as this book that teaches us to think critically when faced with the unknown. I loved the call backs to the scientific method and the mix of old and new oddities.

The only thing that took enjoyment from the book was the format. It is not an easy read on a kindle, but I'm betting that the physical copy is lovely and would make a great gift for curious children.

[Pumkin pie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very fun and educational book. I enjoyed learning about the mysteries of the world and learning the logical explanations behind them. In this book, there are 10 mysteries. You learn about the background of them, and what other people think the explanations are. Then, you learn about the scientific explanation, and why it makes sense. I reccomend this book to curious people and to scientific people.

[Fern · Rating 4 out of 5]

Discover the truth behind some of the world's greatest unexplained mysteries using the power of science and critical thinking to expose aliens and sea monsters, haunted houses and lost cities for what they really are. Accompanied with hauntingly, beautiful illustrations, Strange but True, is a must read this Halloween!

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked this up for my 9 year old son but read it first. I used to live reading unsolved mysteries at his age. This offers a good mix of mysteries, a few of which I hadn't come across before with some perennial favourites. This book emphasises scientific methods of enquiry and research, something that is really lacking in these times. Great to dip into or read straight through.

[Beverly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Examines supernatural/other-worldly claims for extraterrestrial aliens, haunted places, lost worlds, ancient monuments, zonbis, psychic powers, Egyptian tombs, the Bermuda Triangle, cryptozooligal creatures, and the kraken. In each case, Hulick also offers natural, possibly scientific explanations for each wild claim.

[Julio R. Ra · Rating 4 out of 5]

This short book is an easy read despite the choppy editing. It touches on good cases but unfortunately, very unfortunately, it makes up your mind for you instead of letting people do their own research and come to their own conclusions. The arguments presented are not conclusive evidence yet the misleading conclusions are presented. Read with this caveat and allow kids to make up their mind.

[Sarah Phillips · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun little bathroom book, though all of these stories have been covered in most unexplained type shows, this version gives some refreshing realistic explanations that may take the fun out of it for some people.

[Mercedes McLean-Wheeler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and informative with great art.

[Liz Derouet · Rating 5 out of 5]

A book for middle school readers, I found this fascinating! Full review in Magpies

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a really fun read with great examples of critical thinking - almost as good for adults as for kids!

[Elysephone · Rating 4 out of 5]

My type of Non-Fiction book. No one blame me when its on every library display from now till March.

[Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a hit at our household story time. We read 1-2 mysteries a night. There are 10 total - encompassing a number of strange sightings and myths including alien abductions, superstitions, the undead, cryptids, krakens and more. Its highly readable non-fiction that presents the mystery along with possible rational and scientific explanations. It does' t solve the mysteries, but gives compelling non-supernatural options to consider. It does a good job of talking about fact vs. various levels of fiction.