Junior Literary Guild selection
When a 10-foot tall purported “petrified man” is unearthed from a backyard in upstate New York in 1869, the discovery immediately turns into a spectacle of epic proportions. News of the giant spreads like wildfire, and well over a thousand people come to view him in the first five days alone!
Everyone has his own idea of his true origin: Is he an ancient member of the local Onondaga Native American tribe? Is he a biblical giant like Goliath? Soon the interests of world-renowned scientists and people from around the globe are piqued as arguments flare over who he is, where he came from, and if he is real–or just a hoax.
In a riveting account of how the Cardiff Giant mystery snowballed into one of America’s biggest money-making spectacles–and scams–Jim Murphy masterfully explores the power of 19th-century media and the unexpected psychological effect that a single corrupt mastermind can produce when given a stage.
Common Core Connections:
http://bookends.booklistonline.com/2012/11/26/the-giant-and-how-he-humbugged-america-by-jim-murphy/