Two Truths and a Lie

Reviewed by: Jan Hamilton - Little Dolphin School, Scarborough, Southern Maine Library District

Review Date: October 9, 2017

Review

Young biologist and budding scientist will find Two Truths and a Lie irresistible. Presented in nine chapters of three stories each the book requires readers to decide which story is false in each chapter. The authors have chosen well as many of the stories have factual information that makes them believable yet each sounds slightly inaccurate. Royal fleece flower roots and tree living octopus might sound strange yet the storylines appear factual. Once the reader gets over the slightly gross areas there is lots to love in this fun non-fiction.

Beyond the content the big story is the presentation. Fun and colorful fonts, brightly informational sidebars, illustrations of a monkey scientist, and a scrapbook like appearance combine to make an attractive package. Young readers will enjoy the format as much as the content. Back pages include a research guide, answer guide, bibliography, photograph credits and an excellent index.

This book belongs in the hands of intermediate grade science teachers, on library shelves and on list as a holiday or birthday gift book. This is the first in a new series, librarians will want to watch for future titles in the It's Alive series.

Overall Book Score: very good