Hoaxed!: Fakes and Mistakes in the World of Science

by Editors of YES Mag

Scientists are smart people, trained to be skeptical and to test their hypotheses. But sometime hoaxes, fakes and mistakes rock their world. Hoaxed! uncovers and explains 17 brilliantly bogus stories from the history of science. You'll find usual suspects such as Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, as well as some lesser known but fascinating phony ancient bones, a "lost" tribe who weren't what they seemed, a UFO crash landing and many more. The combination of far-out facts, archival photos and comical illustrations keeps science interesting for youngsters. Hoaxed! is a sure way to promote a high level of science literacy, keep kids questioning their world and get their hoax antennae twitching. Hoaxes * Crop circles made by a couple of British hoaxers that ended up creating a cultural phenomenon * Cold fusion, the scientific "discovery" that promised humanity cheap, clean fuel forever * A fake "Stone Age" tribe in the Philippines that caused a global media frenzy

Genres: Nonfiction

48 pages, Hardcover

First published September 1, 2009

Reviews

[Lydia · Rating 2 out of 5]

A quick look at multiple hoaxes (usually 4-6 pages spent on each) and a few topics that were thought to be hoaxes and actually weren't (the discovery of platypuses). Mostly focuses on how to spot a hoax, or at least warning signs to encourage skepticism.

So as a lesson in spotting "fake news" this is pretty good, but as a scientific look at the topic it is a bit disappointing. Though the authors touch on the scientific method very briefly in exploring cold fusion, it is lacking for other topics. Then the actual hoaxes chosen are a bit odd; the ornithologist Richard Meinertzhagen who faked / stole a lot of his research and collection (who I'd never heard of) gets eight pages where as the Loch Ness Monster and Bigfoot get half a page each. Also when discussing crop circles, the book actually teaches readers in detail how to make crop circles (they do understand that is trespassing and destruction of property, right? And this is supposed to be a book for kids...).

No issues, though a lot of questionable science.

[Penelope Wright · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought this book did a great job of introducing healthy skepticism in an age appropriate way. I loved the way it ended with Ockham's Razor, something I'd never heard of but which I'm probably going to reference frequently from now on.

[Katie Helwig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ever wonder what exactly scientists do and why they are so important? If it weren’t for scientiss, some of the biggest hoaxes in the history of the world would have never been revealed. If it weren’t for scientists, most of us might still think that UFOs are flying around the sky at night. They are important because they find the truth behind real science versus lies and hoaxes. A hoax is a lie that is purposefully meant to deceive people. How do you know when something is a hoax or not? In Hoaxed! Fakes & Mistakes in the World of Science, you will learn what signs to watch for that something might be too good to be true. Was Big Foot ever real? Maybe after reading this book, you will have some clues as to how to start researching on your own. Maybe one day you will be the scientist to uncover a hoax!

This book would appeal to students in upper elementary school who have an interest in science, especially weird and abnormal science! This book could be read for fun or to help children understand the process of scientifically proving something is or isn’t real.

I found this book to be fun and interesting. It was a different approach to learning a little bit about science. I like the wierd aspects of science and I like how this book explained how each hoax came to be and how it came to be revealed.

Science hoaxes: fakes and mistakes that shocked the world. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2009. Print.

[Kaley Robinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was filled with information! The book was a little random it what it choose, but it gave a lot of things to read and look at. It was fun to read about the science experiments, like cold fusion, that went wrong. One reason I did enjoy this book was because the book wasn't full of just photographs and bland writing. It was humorous and made it feel like I was reading for leisure and not learning a lot of information.

Purpose in the classroom:
Read aloud: This book could be used for a lesson on science. Because it is a science book, some of the vocabulary is pretty challenging. This would be a book for older students, probably in the 3rd-5th grade range. This book might be geared more toward male students because of the topics, like hunting and balding, but female students could read it and get some enjoyment. This book would probably be for a small group of students who enjoy science or enjoy seeing if different theories or practices are really hoaxes.

Non-ficition conventions: This book has a table of contents, glossary, and an index. The book has photographs and drawings. Each photograph has a caption that explains what the photo is about. Everything page or so has a pop-up that describes a fun science experiment, or gives a short glimpse at something that was mentioned in the chapter.

[Emily · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is definitely still one of my favourite books, after almost three years since Yes Mag, the Canadian science magazine for kids, was shut down. I still look over the books and magazines that were written by these amazing authors and think how could MAD SCIENCE shut down this incredible source of knowledge, written by Canadians! The stacks books and of magazines I have in my room, dating back from 2005 (when I was only eight years old) to the final issue in 2012, have never seen dust on them as they are still read to this day.

[Kate Hastings · Rating 4 out of 5]

Grades 4-7. Picked this up to see if it could supplement the lesson on urban legends, hoaxes and superstitions I do with 5th grade. Book covers examples of hoaxes like Piltdown Man (faked fossil of ape-like humanoid), bird "collector" Richard Meinertzhagen, platypus non-hoax, the stone-age T'boli tribe discovered near the Philippines, crop circles, cold fusion and Roswell. There are great tips on clues to look for in a hoax so that you don't fall for them.

[Mielasbooks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was about various hoaxes and fakes that have rocked the scientific community in the past two centuries.

I didn't really enjoy this book much, but for some students who are middle-grade readers interested in science, it would be interesting.

Isabella, Jude, and Howie Woo. Hoaxed!: fakes & mistakes in the world of science. Toronto: Kids Can Press, 2009. Print.

[Sunnyvale Librarian]

Don't be fooled! Learn how to spot the difference between a hoax and the real thing. Along the way you'll find out about a dinosaur fraud, crop circles, famous UFO landings, the Loch Ness monster and Bigfoot Bob. Packed with information, photos and cartoon illustrations, this book is a fun way to pick up some scientific know-how.