They Lost Their Heads!: What Happened to Washington's Teeth, Einstein's Brain, and Other Famous Body Parts

In this quirky, clever compendium, Beccia (Fashion Rebels) digs through history to unearth stories about the posthumous fates of notorious individuals' body parts. These include Galileo's fingers, vertebra, and a molar, purloined by men tasked with moving his body to a more prestigious spot a century after his death; Franz Joseph Haydn's head, swiped from his newly interred coffin for scientists to study; Sarah Bernhardt's leg, amputated after an onstage fall and preserved in a French medical school's storage room; and Thomas Alva Edison's literal last breath, captured in a vial and sent to the inventor's closest friend, Henry Ford. The author's chatty, irreverent narrative profiles each highlighted luminary and offers supplementary info on such topics as embalming, phrenology, and cryonics--and ample doses of downright creepy, kid-pleasing trivia. Footnotes contain some factual clarification, but largely provide off-the-cuff commentary that will further engage readers (comparing John Wilkes Booth to a "Hollywood A-lister" of today, Beccia adds, via footnote, "Ryan Gosling also happens to bear an uncanny resemblance to Booth"). Etching-like period illustrations echo the macabre underpinnings of the text and its playfully subversive tone. Ages 8-12. (Apr.)

Gr 5-8--These tales of the bizarre and ghoulish "afterlives" of body parts include Galileo's fingers, George Washington's teeth, Lincoln's much-moved body, and other fleshly bits and pieces from actors, musicians, and artists. The book has 17 six-page chapters about wandering body parts, each concluding with a "Where are they now?" sidebar that provides their current locations. Chapters are followed by sections that offer information about related topics such as historical burial traditions and practices, the value of bodies for research, and advances in forensic and pathological science. This topic is one that has perpetual appeal to middle school readers, but the writing and presentation are flawed. Beccia is overly flippant: "The human teeth were sometimes George's own teeth or sometimes teeth he bought from his slaves. I know...pretty gross." Also, her attempts at humor frequently fall flat. The overuse of footnotes, which are a strange mix of additional information and jokes or asides where the author interjects information about herself or her opinions ("Well, duh") or her willingness to "totally" wear Nefertiti's headdress, will likely distract readers. Illustrations are simplistic black-and-white cartoons, many intended to be comical. This book is not as well written or compelling as Georgia Bragg's How They Croaked: The Awful Ends of the Awfully Famous. VERDICT An additional choice where gross-out books are very popular.--Mary Mueller, Rolla Public Schools, MO

"Frequent black-and-white spot art and snarky footnote asides add comedy to this already high-interest blend of history and science. Entertaining and fascinating, with a clever incorporation of STEM topics." - starred review, Booklist

"Beccia's light, cheeky approach to the subject matter is tailor-made for a middle-grade audience . . . Readers fond of the gruesome and grotesque with a heavy dose of humor will find much to enjoy here." - Kirkus Reviews

"[A] quirky, clever compendium. . . . The author's chatty, irreverent narrative profiles each highlighted luminary and offers supplementary info on such topics as embalming, phrenology, and cryonics—and ample doses of downright creepy, kid-pleasing trivia." - Publishers Weekly

"This topic is one that has perpetual appeal to middle school readers." - School Library Journal