Weird America

Every day is a holiday if someone wants it to be. No, really. America's calendar is always adding new holidays, and some of them are truly odd. People from all over the world have moved to America, bringing unique traditions with them along the way. Other traditions are just silly and fun, such as September 19th's "Talk Like a Pirate Day." With its high-interest subject matter and amazing photographs, this book will show readers the many holidays they've been missing, and maybe some they'd rather not celebrate at all.

America can be a weird place, but thankfully much of that weirdness is long in the past. From failed assassinations to the long stretch of time a town in New Jersey thought tomatoes were deadly poison, readers will love taking a trip through some of America's strangest stories of yore. Full-color photographs paired with vivid historical retellings bring these stories to life for modern readers eager to relive some of the past's funniest and oddest tales.

From sea to shining sea, America loves to eat. This book takes readers on a journey through America's sometimes-wacky digestive system via its weirdest diners, restaurants, and kitchens. Readers will love diving in to the culinary interests of America's people, from strange meats like squirrel and possum to wild fruit and vegetable mixes like Jell-O salad. High-interest subject matter and amazingly odd photographs give readers a look at all the weird things people deep-fry at county fairs and the crazy concoctions different parts of the nation call "home cooking."

Museums are fun places to learn about things from the past. History museums and art museums are familiar, but what about something a bit weirder? Who would visit a museum all about death? Or what about the food Spam? Readers take a walk on the weird side of displays and dioramas full of wacky things like failed consumer products, creepy old pharmacies, and more in this wild book sure to bring everyone from reluctant readers to avid museum-goers-to the edge of their seats.

Architecture is a very special kind of art, and sometimes it veers into the oddest places of our imaginations. Buildings both inspired by the past and looking ahead to the future are common sights, but America is full of goofy buildings in weird places, from a building shaped like a picnic basket in Ohio to man-made dinosaurs standing guard in California. This book takes an exciting look at some of the strangest places in the United States with colorful photographs and engaging stories about the how and why of these oftentimes massive construction projects.

Fads come and go, but they're almost always weird. From troll dolls to pet rocks and even goldfish swallowing, there are plenty of weird fads hidden in American history. Full-color photographs introduce readers to one of America's earliest fads-drawing panoramas of towns-as well as some of the weirder phenomena like flagpole sitting or dance contests. With full-color photographs highlighting these odd toys, games, and hobbies, readers learn some of the reasons behind these trends in American history.

America isn't old when compared to other countries, but it has its fair share of odd myths and legends. From the myths of Pecos Bill to the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, our history has quirks and stories spanning all 50 states in the union. Readers explore the dark depths of storytelling in this exciting book filled with high-interest tales of American legends. Full-color photographs and freaky graphics help tell the tales that terrified-or just plain weirded out-American children for generations in certain cities or states.

Some of the weirdest occupations on the planet can be found right in our backyards. For every golf course near our homes, for example, there might be someone diving in its ponds searching for golf balls. Some people even collect snake venom or teach dogs how to surf! Curious readers get to explore the many odd jobs that dot the American landscape through colorful photographs and graphics that highlight some of the strangest things people do for a living.

Crime and punishment can be a complicated subject, but sometimes it gets downright strange. Robberies gone wrong and attempts to cash billion-dollar checks are just some of the wacky crimes covered in this book. With colorful photographs and graphics bring these crimes to life, readers learn that criminals often have strange motivations for the odd things they do. Some even commit crimes you might never think would be punishable by law-like laughing too loud-or crimes from history that rarely happen today like train robbing.