Horrible Science
Front cover of Measly Medicine
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| Author | Nick Arnold; Phil Gates |
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| Illustrator | Tony De Saulles |
| Cover artist | De Saulles |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Subject | Science |
| Genre | Children's literature; science writing |
| Publisher | Scholastic |
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Publication date
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1996–present |
Horrible Science is a similar series of books to Horrible Histories, written by Nick Arnold (with the exception of Evolve or Die, which is written by Phil Gates), illustrated by Tony de Saulles and published in the UK and India by Scholastic. They are designed to get children interested in science by concentrating on the trivial, unusual, gory, or unpleasant. Amazon.com reviews of books in the series sometimes attribute their children's interested in science to the series. The books are in circulation in 24 countries, and over 4 million books have been sold in the UK alone.
Nick Arnold released a paper entitled "Teaching Science the Horrible Way", in which he demonstrates the reasons why the Horrible Science series has a positive contribution to learning. According to Arnold, Horrible Science books are based on everyday topics and key areas of the curriculum. The range of approaches used in Horrible Science books are intended to emphasise the drama and excitement and wonder of science. Science words and concepts are introduced gradually often using humour or fact files. Although mathematics is not needed at the level of science covered in the books, some activities require calculators. The books contain experiments under the heading Dare you discover… The experiments do not require expensive or elaborate equipment. Several of the books end with thoughts on how science will shape our future. On his website, Nick Arnold also has downloadable experiments for teachers to use in the classroom as an aid to his books (e.g. the Horrible Hydrogen experiment at ).
Before writing the series, Nick Arnold was at the University of North London working on an educational project. He explained to The Birmingham Post: "It was actually a lucky break or a well-placed letter – whichever you want to believe - Because I wrote this really cheeky letter to the publishers Scholastic saying that if they were looking for someone to write a horrible science book I was the one. And would you believe they actually let me write a science book and put lots of horrible bits in it – and then it was hugely successful”.
During the mid-2010s, Horrible Science decided to have a book makeover, altering the covers of some of their old books, and all of the new books being published to have a new, more colorful background and updated information.
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Wikipedia