Two Truths and a Lie: Histories and Mysteries by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Two Truths and a Lie: Histories and Mysteries by Ammi-Joan Paquette

Crazy-but-true stories about history, geography, and human achievement make this acclaimed nonfiction series perfect for fans of curiosities and wonders. A fun way for middle graders to explore ways to separate fact from fiction. 

Did you know that a young girl once saved an entire beach community from a devastating tsunami thanks to something she learned in her fourth-grade geography lesson? Or that there is a person alive today who generates her own magnetic field? Or how about the fact that Benjamin Franklin once challenged the Royal Academy of Brussels to devise a way to make farts smell good?

Welcome to Two Truths and a Lie: Histories and Mysteries! You know the game: Every story in this book is strange and astounding, but one out of every three is an outright lie.

Can you guess which stories are the facts and which are the fakes? It's not going to be easy. Some false stories are based on truth, and some of the true stories are just plain unbelievable! Don't be fooled by the photos that accompany each story--it's going to take all your smarts and some clever research to root out the alternative facts.

From a train that transported dead people to antique photos of real fairies to a dog who was elected mayor, the stories in this book will amaze you! Just don't believe everything you read. . . .

Laurie Ann Thompson is a fan of capybaras, despises caverns, and has mixed feelings about mushy bananas. She is the coauthor of the Two Truths and a Lie series and the author of several award-winning nonfiction books, including Emmanuel's Dream, a picture book biography of Emmanuel Ofosu Yeboah, which was named an ALA Notable Book and a CCBC Pick, among other honors. She and her family live outside of Seattle, and you can find her online at www.lauriethompson.com.