Scandalous!

January 23, 2012
From sex scandals to the Scopes trial, the War of the Worlds broadcast to Watergate, Fryd’s trim handbook chronologically recaps 50 infamous events that have sizzled in U.S. headlines since the early 1900s. Entries include the murder of Lana Turner’s boyfriend by Turner’s daughter, Madonna’s Blond Ambition Tour versus the Catholic Church, and the O.J. Simpson trial. Fryd provides social and historical context, a list of key players, and quotations, while exploring similar scandals (a section on Leopold and Loeb features a sidebar on Bonnie and Clyde, the Menendez brothers, and the Columbine shooters) as well as their lasting impacts (for example, the controversy surrounding the 2000 Gore-Bush presidential elections “forced people to reevaluate the Electoral College”). An entertaining, insightful, and thorough guide to events that, for better or worse, have riveted the nation. Ages 14–up.

January 15, 2012
A gleefully explicit catalogue of the past century's headline-grabbing bad behavior. Aimed at readers who don't need to be told who Brangelina is but may be hazy on "twisted besties" Leopold and Loeb or even Monica Lewinsky, this edutaining survey presents a wide-angle array of murders, sexual follies, controversial trials, race violence, political corruption and general envelope-pushing from the 1906 killing of Stanford White on. Each of the chronologically arranged entries opens with a capsule "Scoop" followed by a slightly fuller account under a "What Went Down" header. Along with a small black-and-white photo and one or two sidebar quotes, the author tacks on subsequent developments, sometimes-perceptive suggestions about "Why We Still Care" and a short roster of similar incidents in recent history. Though she misspells "Symbionese" and repeatedly awards FDR only three Presidential wins, in general Fryd presents reasonably accurate summaries of events and issues while giving all sides of the more muddled conflicts at least a nod. Additional cred is provided by a teen panel of editorial advisors. Catnip for scandal junkies, with a bit of historical perspective stirred in. (index) (Nonfiction. 12-16)

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April 1, 2012

Gr 8 Up-History has never been so much fun. Filled with some of the most scandalous events of the 20th century, this book will have readers flipping the pages every which way. Each incident is covered in three to four pages with the same standard format: the title, year, "the scoop," "the players," a sidebar of quotables, the aftermath, why we still care, and similar events that tie in. Though not heavily illustrated, the layout is catchy and visually appealing. The O.J. Simpson trial, the Jonestown Massacre, and Orson Welles's "War of the Worlds" radio show that convinced everyone that aliens were invading Earth are some of the tamer incidents mentioned. The scandals are rife with sex, murder, and mayhem. Readers don't have to read this book in chronological order as each shocker can be consumed on its own.-Esther Keller, I.S. 278, Marine Park, NY

Copyright 2012 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 1, 2012
Grades 8-12 This compendium won't be a walk down memory lane for most young readersthese scandals are history, even ancient history, for them. Still, there's nothing wrong with being culturally literate. Fryd uses a snappy format to introduce 50 newsworthy (and occasionally cringe-worthy) dramas that caught the public's attention and sometimes (in the case of the shootings at Kent State, the Clinton-Lewinsky affair, and the O.J. mess) stopped the country dead in its tracks. Though some of the contents definitely fall into the realm of scandal (the Fatty Arbuckle murder, Jerry Lee Lewis marrying his teen cousin, Roman Polanski's rape conviction), others don't, even if they were huge stories (the FBI raid on Waco, the battle for Elian Gonzalez, and George W. Bush's controversial 2000 electoral victory over Al Gore). Each chapter is set up with a banner headline, then broken into categories like What Went Down and Why We Still Care. Throughout, the information is not shyly given (see Robert Mapplethorpe), and Fryd's tone can be flip. As a bonus, readers will learn the origin of phrases like Don't drink the Kool-Aid. Informative!(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2012, American Library Association.)