HOAXED!

Piltdown man, Richard Meinertzhagen the light-fingered bird collector, “Stone Age” Tasaday in the Philippines, crop circles in England, cold fusion energy and UFOs in Roswell, N.M., are the fakes and mistakes described in this lively introduction to fraud in science. The breezy text opens with a clear description of the scientific process of hypothesis, experiment, publication in professional magazines and replication of results before proceeding to the many colorful fakes exposed. The short chapters have catchy titles. Sidebars offer clues for hoax spotting, extra explanations, further examples and even instructions for making crop circles of your own. Woo’s colorful cartoons and photographs enliven each page. Once again the editors of YES Magazine (a bimonthly, Canadian-based science magazine aimed at upper-elementary and middle-school readers) have put together an enticing collection of science puzzles (Robots: From Everyday to Out of This World, 2008, etc.). Although no sources are given, the acknowledgements reveal a wide variety of informants. A short glossary and index complete the appealing package. (Nonfiction. 9-12)