Jim Murphy

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Published by: Scholastic Press
Release Date: October 1, 2012
Pages: 112
ISBN13: 978-0439691840

 
Overview

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.

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Praise and Awards

Junior Literary Guild selection

“Thoroughly engaging…. After reading this fascinating story, young people will appreciate the old expression, spawned by this very hoax, ‘There’s a sucker born every minute.'”
—Kirkus (starred)

“fun, exciting and lively”
—SLJ (starred)

“…entertaining and intriguing….provide[s] insight into both human psychology and large historical and culture changes. High-Demand Backstory: Librarians, teachers, and student researchers will be looking for this entertaining new work from the multi-award-winning Murphy.”
—Booklist (starred)

“seamlessly integrates thoughtful social history with delightful bamboozlement… The brisk chatty narrative style creates a comfort zone even for readers who don’t dabble much in nonfiction.”
—BCCB (starred)

“Murphy has a kind of gift for looking at the big picture, letting kid readers know that no event, no matter how weird, exists in a vacuum. I can only hope that history teachers teach this to their kids, and encourage them to look at our own current phenomenon, placing them in contemporary context too. The Giant may now be just another roadside attraction, but Murphy’s book is the kind of text that we can only hope will stand the test of time.”
—Elizabeth Bird, Fuse 8 Production

“Entertaining and impossible to put down, readers will be both impressed and appalled by the complex maneuvers of the hoax’s mastermind.

With many schools moving to a national core curriculum with a heavy focus on informational texts, The Giant should be on the “must buy” list of school media specialists. What better way to teach critical thinking than to pore through the anatomy of one of America’s most famous hoaxes!”
—Shelf-Employed