Member Reviews
In my humble opinion, there is never a right or a wrong age to introduce your child to the concept of Fake News, also known as propaganda before the terminology Fake News was coined and then re-established by Mr Trump, but I feel the earlier you teach your children to analyse, question and challenge what they are told by media, government and those with power and influence in particular as well as the wider world they inhabit, the brighter and more switched on they will become. Querying the official narratives in certain situations grounds you and always seeking the truth tethers you to the reality of life. This is a great little guide which is accessible for older children and holds many important messages and morals throughout its pages. It's a superb book that goes into great depth whilst managing to still keep everything as concise as possible and the colourful and vibrant illustrations by Christina Guitian complement and break up the narrative perfectly.
There are a plethora of chapters, 36 of them be exact, each addressing a different aspect of the possibility of falsified information being received by the general population and its effects. Besides a handy glossary of terms, recommendations for further reading and the index, are some crucial snappy chapters on: The Press, Holding to Account, Conspiracy Theories, Freedom of Speech, and Meddling & Misinformation. All in all, this is a timely and topical read that shines the spotlight on a neglected issue of real importance. The way it is written is not only to satisfy young, inquisitive minds but to be accurate, engaging and deeply fascinating too. The author has done a sterling job of providing this information in a well presented and highly readable format and I am so pleased that someone has finally written a book targeted at children about these issues. I cannot recommend this highly enough and feel it should be required reading for everyone. Absolutely worthy of the full five-star praise. Many thanks to Quarto — QED Publishing for an ARC.
A really interesting look into a subject that we consider new but as the book explains has been around forever. It was great to share this with my 13 and 10 year old children, one which believes everything he sees online, the other who suspects everything.
The format of the book held our interest well. We liked that there where lots of smaller topics under each section/heading.
The book is funny but gets the point across really well about fake news- the kids found the tone of the book spoke to them and found it a lot more easy to take in because of this.
I think this is a really important read right now, but also very fun. Definitely a must for your bookshelf or library
The format of the book is very clear, it is consistent throughout the book. There is a glossary, an index and very useful further reading. This is a subject which needs discussion with our 11 - 13 pupils and this book would be a very useful introduction to that discussion. It also compliments a webinar on the subject which I have recently watched/attended. I feel it is a book which should be purchased for every school library and promoted purposefully as well. There are a number of double page spreads which would be very useful to use as posters. The questions asked as we worked through the book will be very useful and I liked the fact that what is "Fake News" was discussed in such detail. This ability to identify what items of the news etc. are false is what is very important. It also has an influence on an individual's ability to identify and deal with personal issues which can result in bullying.