Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive! (Two Truths and a Lie #1)

by Ammi-Joan Paquette (Author) Lisa K Weber (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 4th − 5th Grade

"Considering the fresh attention being paid to teaching a skeptical approach to information evaluation, this series opener couldn't be better timed. A brief but savvy guide to responsible research methods adds further luster to this crowd pleaser." --ALA Booklist (starred review)

Two Truths and a Lie is the first book in a fascinating new series that presents some of the most crazy-but-true stories about the living world as well as a handful of stories that are too crazy to be true--and asks readers to separate facts from fakes! Did you know that there is a fungus that can control the mind of an ant and make it do its bidding? Would you believe there is such a thing as a corpse flower--a ten-foot-tall plant with a blossom that smells like a zombie? How about a species of octopus that doesn't live in water but rather lurks in trees in the Pacific Northwest?

Every story in this book is strange and astounding. But not all of them are real. Just like the old game in this book's title, two out of every three stories are completely true and one is an outright lie. Can you guess which? It's not going to be easy. Some false stories are based on truth, and some of the true stories are just plain unbelievable. And they're all accompanied by dozens of photos, maps, and illustrations. Amaze yourself and trick your friends as you sort out the fakes from the facts!

Acclaimed authors Ammi-Joan Paquette and Laurie Ann Thompson have teamed up to create a series of sneaky stories about the natural world designed to amaze, disgust, and occasionally bamboozle you.

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School Library Journal

Gr 4-7--The authors have essentially created a kid's version of the popular NPR program Wait Wait...Don't Tell Me (in which adults compete to determine which news story is false); however, in this case, the emphasis is on science rather than current events. There are nine chapters in total, each devoted to quirky stories related to a different topic (e.g., plants, animals, humans). Each chapter contains three tales: two true and one false. Readers are instructed to use their research skills in order to differentiate between fact and fiction, and to that end a "Research Guide" is included, offering tips such as how to evaluate Internet sources for authority, accuracy, and reliability. An "Answer Guide" explains which of the three stories in each chapter is false and why, and an extensive bibliography cites sources. Kid-friendly text and colorful sidebars and images combine to create an overall attention-grabbing effect. VERDICT Providing a framework from which to develop the tools necessary to think critically about information, this title is a fun and potentially useful curricular tool for teachers and librarians, as well as an entertaining read for tween science fans.--Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

Copyright 2017 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

Publishers Weekly

Each chapter of this highly entertaining volume, first in a series, recounts three hard-to-believe stories that revolve around plants, animals, or humans. But only two of them are true, leaving it to readers to identify the invented one. In one example, the choices include a tree-dwelling octopus, a headless chicken, or tiny, cave-dwelling dragons. Spoiler alert: thereas no such thing as a tree octopus, though the authorsa description of it is persuasive (aIn the early 2000s, the tree octopus was on the verge of extinction, but a strong grassroots campaign by dedicated Pacific Northwest communities helped reverse thata). Color infographics and photographsa some real, others fabricateda blur the truth further (one photo in the aforementioned chapter shows a bald eagle in flight, with an octopus in its talons). Readers can also have fun finding the false entries in 10-item lists of dinosaur names, diseases, body parts, and more. The authorsa casual tone should easily draw readers in, and activities at the end of each chapter underscore a key goal underneath all the fun: developing critical thinking skills. Ages 8a 12. Authorsa agent: Erin Murphy, Erin Murphy Literary. (June) Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly Used with permission.

Review quotes

"An engaging, entertaining compendium that will inform and confound."—Kirkus Reviews
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9780062418791
Lexile Measure
1010
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Walden Pond Press
Publication date
June 20, 2017
Series
Two Truths and a Lie
BISAC categories
JNF003000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Animals | General
JNF016000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Curiosities & Wonders
JNF051000 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | General
Library of Congress categories
Natural history

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