| Horrible Science | |
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The front cover of Measly Medicine. |
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| Author(s) | Nick Arnold; Phil Gates |
| Illustrator | Tony De Saulles |
| Cover artist | Tony De Saulles |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Subject(s) | Biology, Physics, Chemistry |
| Genre(s) | Children's; Science |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
| Publication date | 1996 |
Horrible Science is a spin-off series of books of Horrible Histories written by Nick Arnold (with the exception of Evolve or Die, which is written by Phil Gates), illustrated by Tony de Saulles and published in the UK and India by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in science by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or unpleasant. A chemistry professor at Stanford reports that her students often attribute their interest in science to the Horrible Science series. Similarly, Amazon.com reviews of books in the series sometimes attribute their children's interested in science to the series. The books are in circulation in 24 countries, and over 4 million books have been sold in the UK alone [1].
Nick Arnold had released a paper entitled "Teaching Science the Horrible Way [2] in which he demonstrates the reasons why the Horrible Science series has a positive contribution to learning. In it he quells possible fears for the subjects by saying that "Horrible Science books are based on everyday topics and key areas of the curriculum. There are titles on the most popular science topics the bias towards the body and animals reflects the commercial appeal of these titles. All Horrible Science books contain experiments under the heading Dare you discover… in addition the series features books of experiments and Galt sell a range of experiment kits. Several books deal with topics that children can perceive as potential threats for example global warning in Wasted World and personal healthcare in The Body Owner’s Handbook. Several of the books end with thoughts on how science will shape our future. Horrible Science experiments do not require expensive or elaborate equipment. They are cheap and easy for children to perform. The range of approaches used in Horrible Science books are intended to emphasise the drama and excitement and wonder of science. Science words and concepts are introduced gradually often using humour or fact files. Although mathematics are not needed at the level of science covered in the books, some activities require calculators. The reader is clearly and gently guided through this work." On his website, Nick Arnold also has downloadable experiments for teachers to use in the classroom as an aid to his books (e.g. the HORRIBLE HYDROGEN experiment at [3]).
Contents
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These are the original books in the core series:
There are also the 'Two in One' versions:
There have even been 'Three in One' books:
There is also a set containing ten books, comprising
There is also a box set of 20 titles in the series named Bulging Box of Books. These range from Blood, Bones and Body Bits to Ugly Bugs.
It may be noted that the Sticker-Activity books have be re-named, along with their new design, by dropping the "Sticker" aspect and leaving "Activity".
There are a few books in the Horrible Science series that have a special sign on the front cover that indicate their inclusion in the Special sub-series of Horrible Science. They are:
Following suit with the other main Horrible series', Horrible Science has recently introduced a new range of books, known as Handbooks.
The Horrible Science Teachers Resources subseries is, as described by Nick Arnold: "a whole series of books full of expert tips and photocopiable resources designed for pupils aged 7-11". They are intended for use by teachers in classrooms [4].
These are the books that do not fit into the other categories. They are:
There is also a magazine collection to this series, which is collectively known as the Horrible Science Collection. They are as follows:
There have also been three 'special' magazines in the series. They are:
S1. DIY Shocking Science- (Experiments)
S2. Spooky Science- (Hallowe'en and Monsters)
S3. Alien Science- (Aliens)
Not unlike Horrible Histories, the Horrible Science magazines have proved so popular that they have decided to add another 20 issues to the collection, starting from issue 60, It's About Time.
Explosive Experiments: Science with the squishy bits left in! Want to know:
Which scientist blew up his barbie in an experiment? How scientists tracked down the chemical cause of cheesy socks? Who ate electrically-charged pickles? Get the awful answers in Explosive Experiments!
Suffering Scientists: Science with the squishy bits left in! Want to know:
What made Albert Einstein forget where he lived? Which scientists were too smelly to stay in a hotel? Who made medicine with cinnamon, beetles and ground-up bones? Get the awful answers in Suffering Scientists!
Evil Inventions: Discover why someone invented the bottom-stabbing bike saddle and why you would need a toilet snorkel.
Sick! From measly medicine to savage surgery: You will be fascinated to find out which scary surgeon stole a giant's dead body and what Egyptians did with tortoise brains. Find the answers here!
Wasted World The first Horrible Science book to tackle the issues of global warming, and climate change: · What are the sickening secrets of gruesome greenhouse gases? · Which is the deadliest toxic waste? · Will the Earth make it to the year 2100?
Find the awful answers to these questions and more in this title.
The fight for flight You will be blown away by how to see the earth's shadow, how to build a flying saucer, and how, after centuries of fearsome flight flops, people have finally taken to the skies.
Killer Energy Fans will love all the gory details of why space loos spray out frozen pee and which chilling chemical can preserve pets!
Angry Animals Discover where you can find dragons with bad breath and which scientist ate a poisonous snake for dinner!
The Terrible Truth About Time Find out what happens if you go too close to a black hole and how flies tell the time!
Painful Poison Discover how can you turn your brother into a zombie slave and why you are breathing poison right now!
Blood, Bones and Body Bits Where does your food go? What happens when a boil bursts? Which animals live in your eyelashes
Get the awful answers in Blood, Bones and Body Bits! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Chemical Chaos Why aren't glass eyes really made of glass? What would make the worst stink bomb ever? How do you make your own toothpaste?
Get the awful answers in Chemical Chaos! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Disgusting Digestion What disease makes your eyes bleed? Why can't astronauts eat beans before a space flight? Which part of your brain makes you throw up?
Get the awful answers in Disgusting Digestion! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Nasty Nature Why do vultures have bald heads? What kind of frog lives in a toilet? How do vampire bats slurp blood?
Get the awful answers in Nasty Nature! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Ugly Bugs What do slugs do with their slime? Why do flies throw up on your tea? How do insects drink your blood?
Get the awful answers in Ugly Bugs! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Deadly Diseases What happened when a nurse drank diarrhoea? Why does deadly cholera make your skin turn blue? Which scientist used eyeballs as food for bacteria?
Get the awful answers in Deadly Diseases! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Bulging Brains Why does ice cream gives you a headache? Is chopping your brain in half always fatal? Are girls or boys are the real masterminds in this book about grey matter?
Get the answers in Bulging Brains! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Fatal Forces Why do your ears stop you falling off your bike? How could a little bit of gravity make you lose your head? What can make your fillings explode?
Get the answers in Fatal Forces! Includes an extra 16 pages of squishy bits!
Awfully Big Quiz Book Could YOU challenge a chemist or baffle a biologist? The Awfully Big Quiz Book is bursting with hundreds of quirky questions to puzzle your pals, freak out your family and torture your teacher. Find out the foul facts of science you really need to know...
Evolve Or Die Dare you discover:
Why are mutating mosquitoes man’s worst enemy? Which dinosaurs let loose some deafening farts? Why do rabbits eat their own poo? Get the awful answers in Evolve or Die!
Really Rotten Experiments Really Rotten Experiments is packed with loud, noisy, wet and soggy experiments that are guaranteed to make your friends and teachers squirm! Are you itching to find out... · who invented pong-free underpants? · which strange scientists ate tadpoles for tea? · the revolting recipe for green slime? · how you can make £5 without doing any work?
Shocking Electricity Dare you discover:
Which scientist gave electric shocks to his eyeballs? How can an electric eel give you a nasty shock? Why does electricity keep your heart beating? Get the awful answers in Shocking Electricity!
Sounds Dreadful This bestselling title has been given a fantastic new cover, plus there are 16 brand-new horrible pages of facts and a horrible index.
Vicious Veg This bestselling title has been given a fantastic new cover and there are 16 brand-new horrible pages of facts to make your brain boggle.
Stars, Space and Slimy Aliens Science with the squishy bits left in! • Why does space make the guts explode? • Which astronomers killed people? • What does the moon smell like? Get the awful answers in Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens!
Microscopic Monsters Science with the squishy bits left in! What makes your guts a brilliant home for bacteria? Which creature lays its eggs between your toes? Why is your toothbrush covered in germs? Get the awful answers in Microscopic Monsters!
Body Owner's Handbook How does your auto-repair function work? Where's your top-of-the-range sensory equipment? What's your rear gas and waste disposal? Get the awful answers in the Body Owner's Handbook!
Frightening Light What stops your eyeballs from falling out? Why can dead bodies make ghostly glowing lights? How can a laser beam sizzle human flesh? Get the awful answers in Frightening Light!
Annual 2011 The only book in the world with a sickening science fact or joke for every single day of the year. It can only be the Horrible Science Annual!
Horrible Science of You Everything the young scientist needs to know about their body and what it does all day. The shrinking scientists are staying with the Normal family – a perfectly normal family – and studying how their bodies work. Full of seriously squishy facts, cartoons and quizzes – our bodies have never been so horrible!
The Horrible Science of Everything Taking a journey from the very small to the very big, you are taken on a tour of everything in science from the smallest thing ever to the horribly huge universe. And it's all in full colour!
Beastly Body Experiments A horrible handbook stuffed with yucky experiments to make your skin crawl. Pop an eyeball! Create a sickening sneeze! Make a shrunken head! You probably thought biology was boring, but no! Learning about your beastly body is sickening fun! What's more, it's all in foul full colour too.
Famously Foul Experiments A hilarious handbook bulging with evil experiments to make your blood run cold. From drinkable blood to a giant see-through eyeball, cook them up at home – but don't be sick!
Freaky Food Experiments So you're not allowed to play with your food? Well why not experiment on it instead? Create awesome alien eggs! Sample spiders in jelly! Get stuck into gruesome goo! Warning: Over 20 eye-popping experiments to make your stomach squirm!
Bulging Brain Experiments Experiments with the squishy bits left in! What's going on between your ears? Why not try these brain-baffling experiments and find out? Find out how to trick your brain! Test your rotten reflexes! Look at some scary and sinister illusions! Over 20 brain-bending experiments to blow your mind!
The Seriously Squishy Jigsaw Book A fun and accessible entry into the world of Horrible Science: with six 48-piece jigsaws on: the Smashing Solar System · Beastly Body Bits · Deadly Dinosaurs · Ugly Bugs · Angry Animals · Loony Lab. Each jigsaw is accompanied by text on each topic – pulling out details from the jigsaw scenes and there are quiz questions under each jigsaw.
Dangerous Dinosaurs Jigsaw Book Dare you discover: Which dinosaur ate like a hamster? How to make a fossil dino sick? What would happen if you arm-wrestled a T. rex? Dangerous Dinosaurs contains six 48-piece jigsaws plus crazy quizzes, awesome activities and EVEN MORE fearsome facts hidden under the jigsaws!
Disgusting Digestion Sticker-Activity Book Packed full of horrible facts as well as fiendish quizzes, puzzles, activities and stickers. Colour illustrations on the insides of the covers allow readers to make their own sticker scenes.
Ugly Bugs Sticker-Activity Book Packed full of horrible facts as well as fiendish quizzes, puzzles, activities and stickers. Colour illustrations on the insides of the covers allow readers to make their own sticker scenes.
Ugly Bugs Jigsaw Book Dare you discover:
Where cockroaches go to the toilet? Which insect eats its brothers and sisters? What looks like a flower with a cold?
Ugly Bugs contains five 48-piece jigsaws and a seriously scary spider to make, plus crazy quizzes, awesome activities and even more creepy-crawly facts hidden under the jigsaws!
The Blood, Bones and Body Bits Shuffle Puzzle Book Puzzles with the squishy bits left in! Dare you discover:
How much your brain weighs? What makes your body’s cells explode? Why your tummy rumbles? Move the tiles and discover gory and gruesome body facts hidden underneath the five fantastically foul shuffle-puzzles!
The Seriously Squishy Quiz Book Pack Packed full of seriously squishy quiz questions and everything you need to play some horribly scientific games! Including a spitting cobra target game with a water squirter, a squishy eyeball spider web board game, a bee board game and more. It's all the squish you could wish for!
Angry Animals Shuffle Puzzle Book Dare you discover How sharks scoff a seal Could you beat a cheetah? What vultures like for lunch Move the tiles and discover awful and amazing animal facts hidden underneath the five fantastically foul shuffle-puzzles!
On 03 Mar 2008, there were a number of online flip charts (aka Activlessons) released on Promethean Planet [5][6]. As the site explains, "these ready-made interactive whiteboard resources have instant child-appeal, making the teaching of the QCA Science units fun and effective". The titles included are:
The series has proved so popular, Horrible Science decided to have a book makeover, altering the covers of some of their old books, and all of the new books being published to have a new, more colourful background.
The Horrible Science series has received the following awards [7]:
The response towards the series has been generally positive. Some reviews of the series website [8] included a The Independent review that Really Rotten Experiments is "Perfect for keeping the kids occupied on a rainy day, this is full of useful tips…and fun, naughty experiments". Another review by the Evening Express (Aberdeen) said that the book Horrible Science: Painful Poison is "With fantastic fact files, quirky quizzes, humorous cartoons and easy-to-understand text, it makes science pretty horrible, but great fun". Books For Keeps said of the book Deadly Diseases: "Gruesome gut churning contents, you need a strong stomach to tackle this, and certainly before eating". The Scotsman commented on the series as a whole, "Nick Arnold has a reputation as quite a showman and his Horrible Science series provides him with plenty of opportunity for stunts. Children emerge wide-eyed and inspired". A review at [9] described the series as "These are so much better than some of the dry textbooks that I used to have to read when I was in school...I'm saying that books like this are great for students because they show students that science is truly interesting and amazing!". A review by Roberta of the Growing with Science blog said of the book Chemical Chaos: "It is every bit as humorous (downright silly in spots) and as comprehensive as the history series was". She adds that the "[series as a whole] go a long way to fill that gap [between middle and high school students". As said of Evil Inventions in a review by Jennifer Cameron-Smith at [10]: "This is a delightful book and would make a wonderful present for any budding young scientist as well as a worthwhile addition to a school library. Making science fun can sometimes be a challenge, but books such as this certainly assist."
There has been a negative response to Issue 6 - Hidden Horrors in the Home in the magazine adaption of the book series. The article named "Loony Lab" in this Horrible Science Collection had a section called "Grow your own manky microbes". A compainant, a biology teacher and parent, described it as "irresponsible in the extreme". A plastic petri dish and sachet of agar powder are provided as a ’free gifts’, and children are encouraged to sample areas which may harbour disease-causing organisms (pathogens), such as a toilet handle, a dog's ear, or a "bogey". Under certain circumstances, contact with these substances is potentially life-theatening. The complainant added "The potential for real harm is jaw-dropping. Even in school, under supervision of trained staff, we would not be allowed to do much of what the article suggests, namely for health and safety reasons. How can they be sure that every child will follow even the meagre and woefully inadequate safety advice given?" [11].
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