Your Food is Fooling You by David Kessler

This food was grossly fascinating to me. It is considered a Young Adult adaptation of The End of Overeating. It basically reveals how food companies and restaurants design food to make it so irresistible that we cannot stop eating it. The addictive combination of sugar, salt, and fat retrain our brains so that we are driven to crave these foods, yet never feel satisfied after eating them. The most disgusting part was when the author talked about additives called “binders” that are put into processed food to make it “dissolve” in our mouths and easy to swallow. These additives make us eat more, crave more, want more, and buy more. I could not tear myself away—it was like reading a real-life horror movie. I recommend this book to readers who like informational books about nutrition, our food supply, and perhaps even conspiracy theories. I give this book 5 out of 5 stars—all food is definitely not created equal.

Raucous Royals by Carlyn Beccia

What I liked best: The author researched common rumors about several famed royals including King Henry VIII, Prince Dracula, Mary Queen of Scots, and more.

I learned the truth behind royal rumors, such as that Marie Antoinette supposedly said “Let them eat cake,” when she was told that the poor were starving. (Guess what....She did NOT actually say this).

I also learned a ton of fascinating facts about the royals and different historical time periods, such as that it became fashionable to color your teeth black (like tooth decay) because only the rich could afford the sweets that would rot teeth.

Read on to find out more! 

This could definitely be booktalked to gain interest, but students may need some background knowledge to understand it...such as roman numerals for the royals and some descriptions that correspond with the time period.

5 out of 5 stars. Very enjoyable and interesting. I sped through this one!