Pub date - August, 2009US president skinny-dips in the Potomac - every day!
America's real headless horseman
Oops - Student cuts down world's oldest tree
Mosquito bite secures statehood for Florida
US presidents killed by their own physicians
What a quirky and awesome book. This is one of those books you gift to people for birthdays or holidays and it'll be a sure bet that they'll like it, the stories are that entertaining.
They're edited in AP format so as to mimic a newspaper article, as if blood-letting is breaking news! The stories are short, sweet and to the point and you're sure to rocket right through this book with certain tales that just won't leave your head.
One of them for me is how the Democratic party got the mule/donkey as a mascot. And it has nothing to do with it being a "working" animal! Another one that made me laugh out loud was a Vermont story and Ethan Allen visiting some post-Revolutionary war British friends who had hung a picture of George Washington in the bathroom, presumably as an insult to him. Allen then retorted, "It is most appropriately hung. There is nothing that will make an Englishman shit so quick as the sight of General Washington." That's freakin' hilarious!
I can't help but wonder how deep Hafnor had to dig to find some of these stories. This is an excellent bit of eccentric history-telling, right here and it's told in short bursts and accompanied by wonderful illustrations from Dale Crawford. I mean, how often does anyone over the age of six get to guiltlessly enjoy books with pictures in it?
If you want to know something quirky about your state, or any state, definitely pick up this book. You know, I didn't know Connecticut, my home state and current residence, was home to the real first president of the Unites States! How awesome is that! And while Sleepy Hollow, New York might have the famous headless horseman, Texas has a true version. Dun dun dun!
Definitely an awesome read!
Contest Time!
You want a copy? You got it. I'll make it simple this time. Just post a comment with your email address to win an ARC of this awesome book. I only have one for grabs so you all are going to have to fight for it!
Open to US residents only and the contest will end on July 28th.
UPDATE!
John Hafnor was awesome enough to offer up another book for my contest so now there'll be two winners! Yay!
Open to US residents only and the contest will end on July 28th.
17 comments:
I would love to win a copy!
--Bianca at infinitemusic19 at gmail dot com
I want to read this one soo bad. It sounds like a ton of fun.
-Lauren
lauren51990 AT aol DOT com
I have a new giveaway on my blog if you want to enter something!!
I would love to read this. :)
misusedinnocence@aol.com
I would love to read this, sounds like fun.
barbrafl737 (at) yahoo (dot) com
I love this kind of weird stuff. I hope I can win it because I'm already thinking of ways to use it in my creative writing class. Sounds great!
shkruger@hotmail.com
Definitely opening to a different type of book, thanks for making the giveaway simple, lol.
lilibethramos@live.com
sounds interesting! count me in!
throuthehaze at gmail dot com
this looks very interesting!!
Sounds like a fun read! tWarner419@aol.com
Sounds great please count me in.
jessica(at)fan(dot)com
Ohh, I want to know about my state! Count me in!
bacarleton(at)gmail(dot)com
ninjafanpire@hotmail.com
please enter me (:
mjgonza1995@hotmail.com
i want to enter please!!!
speckldharted22 at aim dot com
irma_nomani@yahoo.com
Enter me please!
paradoxrevealed (at) aim (dot) com
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