Mom0012 Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Has anyone bought this box set for $45.00? Horrible Science 20-Book Bulging Box Set : Angry Animals, Blood, Bones and Body Bits, Bulging Brains, Chemical Chaos, Deadly Diseases, Disgusting Digestion, Evolve or Die, Fatal Forces, Fight for Flight, Frightening Light, Killer Energy, Microscopic Monsters, Nasty Nature, Painful Poison, Shocking Electricity, Sounds Dreadful, Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens, Terrible Truth About Time, Ugly Bugs, Vicious Veg My dd has been reading a bunch of the Horrible Histories for fun over the summer and I thought maybe some Horrible Science would be fun for her over the school year, but are these books appropriate for an 11 yo or would they be too easy? What about the magazines? I noticed they have a lot of magazines and, alternatively, I could pick up all the body-related ones since we are studying the human body this coming year. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
almondbutterandjelly Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 They are around a fifth grade reading level. They are really, really gruesome, though, so it would depend on how your dd handled that. My 6th grade dd is not ready. But we don't watch horror movies or anything, so our experience might be different from yours. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 Some of them aren't really gruesome - none of the physics ones (energy, light, electricity, sound) had anything especially horrible in them - weird, yes, but not even as bad as some of the things in the history ones. And even the biology ones, while filled with some gross out stuff - didn't strike me as too gruesome for most kids - though I haven't read them cover to cover. Some younger kids enjoy them - I'd say they're a 4th grade reading level more or less - but there's enough information in them that kids all the way through the end of middle school could enjoy them and get something educational out of them. Actually, even I don't know a lot of the things in them as they have a lot of offbeat and slightly obscure facts in many of them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I've been wondering if these, and the geography and math ones, are as funny as Deary's history books. Thoughts? Thanks! Nicole Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted July 27, 2012 Author Share Posted July 27, 2012 Thank you! I figured they might be gruesome, but that doesn't seem to bother her. She's read a bunch of the Horrible Histories this summer and none of it has phased her. She's really loved them, which is why I thought of adding in some of the science ones. My biggest concern was actually that the reading level would be too low and she'd fly through the box in a day or two. Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Farrar Posted July 27, 2012 Share Posted July 27, 2012 I've been wondering if these, and the geography and math ones, are as funny as Deary's history books. Thoughts? Thanks! Nicole I haven't seen the geography ones, but the math ones are sort of different. The level of them is higher than the histories, which can be appreciated by younger kids. I think a lot of the Murderous Maths books wouldn't be good until a child was at least in fourth or five grade math. The science ones are as funny and offbeat as the histories, but I think the writer is different, so the style is slightly different. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nrself Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 Thanks! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Free Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 My biggest concern was actually that the reading level would be too low and she'd fly through the box in a day or two. Lisa My 6th grader loves the Horrible History set and he keeps coming back to them again and again. There is so much information packed into these books that I think they would be very useful. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) My 6th grader loves the Horrible History set and he keeps coming back to them again and again. There is so much information packed into these books that I think they would be very useful. How about the Horrible Science, though? I have a Horrible Geography book and one Horrible Science book and those were thin books that kind of reminded me of an Usborne book or a graphic novel, so my dd went through them in a very short amount of time. The Horrible History books we have are more like chapter books. I wish there was someplace to actually see samples of the books I want to buy! She wants the Bulging Box of Horrible Science books for her birthday, but I don't want to get them if they are like the other one I have -- It's the Wild Animals one. Lisa Edited August 1, 2012 by LisaTheresa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 We have The Bulging Box. If your DD enjoyed HH, she will love the science set. They are heavily illustrated, similar to HH but with more diagrams because it is science, after all. The reading level is about the same. I would not hesitate to purchase them. These are books I will hold onto for grandkids, and that is really saying something because I am not typically a keeper of paperback books! To echo Farrar, I find them interesting enough to read myself, and I am 40. :D For the price, I think the set was a steal. I am happy to answer any particular questions you might have. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alte Veste Academy Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) How about the Horrible Science, though? I have a Horrible Geography book and one Horrible Science book and those were thin books that kind of reminded me of an Usborne book or a graphic novel, so my dd went through them in a very short amount of time. The Horrible History books we have are more like chapter books. I wish there was someplace to actually see samples of the books I want to buy! She wants the Bulging Box of Horrible Science books for her birthday, but I don't want to get them if they are like the other one I have -- It's the Wild Animals one. Lisa Is this the wild animal book you were unimpressed with? This is not the same style of book that is in the Bulging Box. The BB is really just like the HH box. Most of the books are 170ish pages, with a few 150-160ish pages and the shortest two are 140. They are exactly the same dimensions as the HH boxed books as well. ETA: LOL, I just realized and confirmed by a quick flip that the vast majority of the science books are actually longer than the HH. So no fear! You will get your money's worth with the set. Edited August 1, 2012 by Alte Veste Academy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 Is this the wild animal book you were unimpressed with? This is not the same style of book that is in the Bulging Box. The BB is really just like the HH box. Most of the books are 170ish pages, with a few 150-160ish pages and the shortest two are 140. They are exactly the same dimensions as the HH boxed books as well. ETA: LOL, I just realized and confirmed by a quick flip that the vast majority of the science books are actually longer than the HH. So no fear! You will get your money's worth with the set. Okay, yay! That is the book I have and that is what I wanted to know. My dd liked the Wild Animals book, I just felt she went through it so quickly, it wasn't really worth it. Thanks so much for helping me out! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Riverland Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 I've been wondering if these, and the geography and math ones, are as funny as Deary's history books. Thoughts? Thanks! Nicole We have Deary's Box of Horrible Histories, the Bulging Box of Horrible Science, and a box of Horrible Geography. My favorites, by far, are the books by Deary. My dd happily reads them all, but I would say she favors Deary's also. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dolphin Posted August 1, 2012 Share Posted August 1, 2012 (edited) My ds 10 really likes the horrible histories, never really got into the science or geography ones. Just something to look at, have you looked at Max Axiom? Edited August 1, 2012 by Northwest_Mama added link Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mom0012 Posted August 1, 2012 Author Share Posted August 1, 2012 We have Deary's Box of Horrible Histories, the Bulging Box of Horrible Science, and a box of Horrible Geography. My favorites, by far, are the books by Deary. My dd happily reads them all, but I would say she favors Deary's also. My ds 10 really likes the horrible histories, never really got into the science or geography ones. Just something to look at, have you looked at Max Axiom? Well, I've already put in my order for the Bulging Box of Horrible Science and I think she will like it, but I'm going to check out the Deary and the Axiom books for the future. Thanks! Lisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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