Bones Unearthed!

August 15, 2021
Murder and mayhem from the annals of osteoarchaeology, with modern instances of cannibalism and like chewy topics on the side. Continuing her ventures into the more lurid corners of history and prehistory, Hollihan opens with the discovery and excavation of King Richard III's hacked bones from beneath a modern parking lot and closes with the still-ongoing project of piecing together and identifying the jumbled skeletons of hundreds of servicemen who died in the bowels of the Oklahoma at Pearl Harbor. In between she reports on rattling finds including the 10,000-plus 13th-century burials at London's Spitalfields and the immense tolls of various volcanic explosions. She also tucks into Inuit accounts of the ill-fated Franklin expedition and other well-documented cases of people becoming cuisine and, with a certain relish, details how the last czar and his family were shot, stabbed, looted, splashed with acid, dismembered, burned, buried, and reburied. Providing some contrast, she also describes digs that uncovered couples holding hands or hugging each other and sensitively reports on controversies with Native American and other Indigenous groups over the custody of remains like those of Kennewick Man. Photos aplenty add to the fun with views of skulls or half-excavated skeletons in situ, archaeological sites, fleshed-out portrait reconstructions, and historical images. In the pictures, most but not all of the faces (the ones with skin still attached anyway) are White. Solidly researched and, no bones about it, both eye- and mind-widening. (source notes, further reading, index) (Nonfiction. 10-13)

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December 1, 2021

Gr 4-7-In the latest installment of the "Creepy and True" series, a range of scientific disciplines are tapped in this exploration of bones rediscovered and reinterpreted with modern science. The high-interest back stories are compelling, weaving history, geology, biology, math, criminology, and anthropology into the narrative to provide explanations to some gory bits from history. Stories about cannibalism and grave robbing will hook in readers, but the text also delves into the responsibilities of discovery. Each chapter takes on a topic and digs in with several historical examples. In the chapter titled "Shafted," incidents of bones found in mines and wells are explored, including the first evidence of homicide from Cranium-17, the death of the Romanov family in Russia, and the catacombs in Paris. There are a few instances where illustrations are not aligned because the narrative has moved on to the next example. Technical vocabulary is explained as is the research that was done to glean information from the found bones. The book has a conversational tone and manages a sense of humor despite the cadaverous subject. VERDICT This accessible informational text will appeal to readers who gravitate toward the morbid and scientific.-Erin Wyatt, Highland M.S. Libertyville, IL

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July 1, 2021
"There's no cow on the ice" (ie there's no rush) perusing this global survey of twenty-nine idioms, a companion book to Edwards's What a Wonderful Word. American readers will enjoy the introduction to some new turns of phrase (including the giggle-inducing Icelandic "peeing in your shoes will only keep you warm for a short while" and the evocative Japanese "not seeing is a flower") and may be equally intrigued to learn about possible origins for phrases like "to cost an arm and a leg" and "to butter someone up." Whether readers are eager to learn about other cultures (including the phonetic pronunciation of each phrase in its original language) or to take a closer look at phrases they may have always taken for granted, there's plenty of food for thought here. Welcoming illustrations add to the fun.

(Copyright 2021 by The Horn Book, Incorporated, Boston. All rights reserved.)