Children's ✦ Penny’s Take
Hideous History
Sandra Lawrence · 2016
62/100
👎 Skip It
Kids who love dark historical trivia will genuinely enjoy this — the range is wide, the tone is entertainingly grim, and it has been known to turn reluctant readers into history curious ones. But it is organized poorly, not rigorous enough to count as educational reference, and the macabre content (serial killers, mass executions) warrants parental preview. A fine gateway book if the child is the right fit, but not a broadly recommendable pick.
✦ Penny’s Take — this is The Review Group’s own editorial assessment. Penny’s analytical review line researched this book from real sources and scored it across the lenses shown below. It’s an honest first-party read — not a page-by-page personal one. The gold ✓ Penny Tested mark is reserved for books Penny reads cover to cover herself.
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Show the math
Verdict receipt0–100
safety62
substance55
craft60
originality65
accuracy58
hype65
age-fit68
human-eye62
Penny’s verdict62
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