Gifted Issues Discussion homepage Forums Recommended Resources Horrible Books-Do you recommend?

Thanks to this forum I picked up the Murderous Math box set and my DS5 ADORES them! Obviously a lot of the math is over his head, but he won't stop reading them-all of them. So I was thinking of getting him the Horrible Histories, Horrible Science and Horrible Geography. Are these series as good? I notice they are written by different authors. If you child liked one, did they like them all? Is the content appropriate for a five year old?

Hmmmm.. well, I don't know how "appropriate" they are, and I suspect that my family's standards there may not be the same as others' are. Also understand that my DD is by far better able to process difficult/emotionally challenging stuff than most age-mates, even HG+ agemates (she's not "sensitive" to news stories, etc and has never been)...


but I will say that she's gobbled up the Horrible books since she was about this age. She still loves them, and she's nearing 14yo. Some of them she likes better than others, for example she much prefers the Ireland HH to the ones about the Victorian era or the Puritans, but that could be topical rather than the writing quality.

DS7 started with the horrible science, then math, then geography. I don't think he started at 5, maybe 6, I don't remember exactly. But he has read all except the histories. He just did one horrible history. We kept history for the last because it seemed to be the most blood thirsty. They all skew towards inappropriate in terms of focusing on odd bits of death and dismemberment - but DS loved it - he loved the English humor, and for awhile was amusingly using English terminology. Like "Maths" so if your kid is comfortable with an approach to things focused on snot and boils and bad smells they will love it. And they are all like that even with the different authors. You can absolutely tell which books DS adores, they are falling apart, while others are bent but not broken. But none of them unfortunately look new.

And surprisingly they are very age appropriate or cautious on reproduction - no pictures, no explicit discussions of sex, but a hilarious discussion about how puberty makes you smell because of the hormones. And for knowledge, you can't beat them. And DS started with the math books uninterested in math and because of them became very interested in it. So now while doing all the rote crap in school, which I don't object to because he does have to learn it, he already knows that math is a lot more interesting and has a good understanding of theory. We adore them. Wish there were more.

I also recommend the basher science books and the brainwaves books. All really quirky and great on supplying knowledge.

DeHe

Glad MM is a hit! DS9 was like that at 5 and still reads them lots, though he knows them by heart... He likes the Horribles too, but I don't think they are quite as good in their content. Have caught the HSs in various mistakes/over-simplifications/sillinesses, while the MMs are very sound IME. But I do still think the Horribles are worth reading.

HK, thanks for your input. I am glad these books have the ability to last in terms of interest...then I feel okay about buying them all. 10 years is a long time when your kid pops through books like candy. Dehe, glad to hear about Brainwaves and Basher, as those popped up in my Amazon recs, and looked fun. Seems like a good idea to hold history to the last. Colinsmum, thanks for the compare; I'm glad to hear they are worth reading.

I love that this is a place where you can ask if this stuff is appropriate for a five year old and not get strange "looks".
Specifically though, one of the amazon reviews on the MM said there was crude humor. As I only proof read half a book before giving him the whole set, I am starting to wonder if I exposed him to bad things without knowing. So I thought I would look into it more before giving him the Horribles. Is there crude humor I am not aware of? (Besides what dehe mentioned.)

Hmmm... well, poo-based, you mean? Some, yes. Mostly it's the gross-out factor, though. Snot and bodily fluids. This is mostly from the Science and History selections, mind.

DS7 loves both the MM and Horrible series. I bought the MM series; I try to pick up the Horrible books at used bookstores or through interlibrary loan. Sometimes we get them sent from my UK-in-laws.

Kjartan Poskitt, the author of the MM series, has a degree in math or physics/engineering, I think. That's probably one reason why the MM series are so solid in terms of math. DS loves them and keeps going back to them though he's read the entire series. I think he's learned a lot from them without letting on.

The Horrible Histories series, by comparison, is written by Terry Deary and he doesn't have a degree in history. He comes from a theater background. As a result, Deary relies on researchers for the series. While the history is accurate, I have to turn the other way with some of it since I was studying for a PhD in 17th-century history (UK/New England) before I had DS. The facts are accurate and the material is presented in an engaging Capt Underpants-type way, but there's definitely some oversimplification in areas. But that's ok with me.

I have to say that DS7 absolutely loves the HH series. I cannot keep DS7 away from the HH series and it has served as a gateway to studying time periods or peoples/places further. He's since been reading about the Aztecs and Incas, which he probably wouldn't have done so otherwise. DS loves the HH videos (on YouTube) and has pick up tons of general knowledge from them. Beware that bathroom humour features strongly and the chopping block talk (think Henry VIII). There's no images of blood or gore, but the songs are full of them (i.e. divorce, beheaded, and die; divorce, beheaded, survive for Henry VIII's wives).

Horrible Science series has books like Chemical Chaos or Blood, Bones, or Body Parts. Ironically, I didn't find them as gross as the Grossology series, which seems to be full of bodily fluids.

My (MG and aspie) DD got really distressed by the first HS book she read, I think it was Monstrous Microbes. She finished it in the end but hasn't read any more and it's definitely fed her germ phobia and excessive hand washing tendencies.... But that's more about the type of kid she is than the books, this is a kid who used to want to be a DR so she could cut up dead bodies at Uni (charming I know) and now falls apart at the mere suggestion her sister might need a blood test, and is icked out by all things sticky and messy. Her sensory seeking younger child is morphing into extreme sensory avoiding tween. She was on that path already but the Monstrous Microbes did not help.

Dd7 has only recently been able to cope with HH because she was horrified by anything that involved blood, executions etc. Now she is OBSESSED. She is at this minute, watching the HH songs on YouTube and has 20 odd HH book sitting beside her bed (from the library). She is, however, a newly minted history nut. A family friend who is high school history teacher, examiner and has PhD in history loves the series - he'd agree it's very much oversimplified but thinks a great intro for kids.

Thanks for all your responses. One more quick question...the Horribly Famous series (looks harder to come by, older series). Has anyone done these? They come up alongside (Amazon) of the Dead Famous series. anyone read these that can offer opinion?