The Giant and How He Humbugged America

By Jim Murphy

Two-time Newbery Honor Book author has written an amazing account of one of America's most famous hoaxes

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 their own idea of his true origin: Is he an ancient member of the local Onandaga Indian 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 ripple effect that a single corrupt mastermind can produce when given a stage.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0439691842
• ISBN13: 9780439691840
• Release Date: October 2012
• Publisher: Scholastic Press
• Length: 112 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 8.2" x 10.1"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7