Case Closed?: Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science - Softcover

Hughes, Susan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1554533635 ISBN 13: 9781554533633

Publisher: Kids Can Press, 2013

Synopsis

Egypt's first female pharaoh disappears around 1457 BCE --- was she murdered? Find out how DNA closes the case. The ancient Arabian Peninsula city of Ubar vanishes, seemingly without trace. Find out how old maps and modern space shuttles help solve the mystery. Sir John Franklin's 1845 expedition to find the Northwest Passage is never heard from again. Find out how spectroscopy points to some probable explanations.

Case Closed? examines these and six other mysteries from ancient and modern times. Accompanied by photos, maps, diagrams and illustrations, this book reveals how modern science sheds new light on people, vessels and entire civilizations throughout history that simply vanished. In some cases, the mystery has been solved. In other cases, readers can examine the latest evidence and decide for themselves.

About this title

About the Author

Susan Hughes an award-winning author, whose books for children include Case Closed?, No Girls Allowed, Earth to Audrey and Virginia. She has loved horses since she was a child and has long dreamed of setting a story on Sable Island. Susan lives in Toronto, Ontario.

Michael Wandelmaier is an illustrator and graphic designer who uses both traditional and digital media in his work. He is the illustrator of Case Closed? Michael lives in Toronto, Ontario.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6–9—Similar to PBS's History Detectives, this book explains how historians have collaborated with experts in various fields (medicine, space, archaeology, meteorology, etc.) to resolve disappearances that have long puzzled them. Each chapter discusses one mystery, beginning with historical background. The modern scientific processes used to help solve it are then discussed, followed by the often-fascinating conclusion that was drawn. Famous bodies (Anastasia Romanov and George Mallory) have been identified, a lost city (Ubar) has been found, and mysterious journeys (Hsu Fu's, the Star Dust, and the INS Dakar) have been mapped. Several of the subjects (Hatshepsut, the Anasazi, John Franklin, and George Mallory) are covered in multiple books for this age range, but others are not as easily found. The writing is clear and engaging. The full-color illustrations are a mix of photographs, maps, and flat, animation-style art. Each chapter ends with a conclusion, but also poses a question that still remains to be solved. The book contains a glossary and an extensive index, but no notes or other bibliographic information. Students doing reports or historically minded browsers are the audience for this book. It's not an essential purchase, but it is an interesting one.—Lisa Crandall, formerly at Capital Area District Library, Holt, MI
(c) Copyright 2011.  Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Kids Can Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 1554533635
• ISBN 13: 9781554533633
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 88
• Illustrator: Wandelmaier Michael