Horrible Science facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Horrible Science

Front cover of Measly Medicine
Author	Nick Arnold; Phil Gates
Illustrator	Tony De Saulles
Cover artist	De Saulles
Country	United Kingdom
Subject	Science
Genre	Children's literature; science writing
Publisher	Scholastic
Publication date	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. 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 ).

Approach

Nick Arnold explained his approach towards writing the series in an interview with The Birmingham Post: "My approach to a subject is to vastly over-research it. I have become quite good at science by writing these books so have got quite a lot of knowledge already but then I really like finding out more information. If I over-research then I don’t just have all the facts I need, I have a lot more – and that means I can really choose what I want to include. The thing about a Horrible Science book is that actually it is all about imagination. The more you know the more you want to know and the more you want to develop that."

Book categories

Original books

These are the original books in the core series:

• Angry Animals (2005) (Animal attacks)
• Blood, Bones and Body Bits (1996) (Human body)
• Body Owner's Handbook (2002) (Human body)
• Bulging Brains (1999) (Brain)
• Chemical Chaos (1997) (Chemicals and Alchemy)
• Deadly Diseases (2000) (Diseases)
• Disgusting Digestion (1998) (Digestion)
• Evil Inventions (2007) (Inventions)
• Evolve or Die (1999) (Evolution)
• Fatal Forces (1997) (Forces and motion)
• The Fearsome Fight for Flight (2004) (The History of Flight)
• Frightening Light (1999) (Light)
• House of Horrors (2012)
• How to Draw Horrible Science (2011)
• Killer Energy (2001) (Energy and thermodynamics)
• Measly Medicine (2006) (Medicine)
• Microscopic Monsters (2001) (The very small - Bacteria, germs and viruses)
• Nasty Nature (1997) (The animal kingdom depicted in nature and those who study it)
• Painful Poison (2004) (Poison)
• Shocking Electricity (2000) (Electricity, both artificial and in nature)
• Sick! From Measly Medicine to Savage Surgery (2009)
• Sounds Dreadful (1998) (Sound)
• Space, Stars and Slimy Aliens (2003) (Space)
• The Terrible Truth about Time (2002) (Time)
• Ugly Bugs (1996) (Insects and invertebrates)
• Vicious Veg (1998) (Plants)
• Wasted World (2009) (Global Warming)
• The Horrible Science of YOU (2009) (Human Body)

Omnibus editions and boxed sets

There are several "Two in One" editions:

• Ugly Bugs and Nasty Nature
• Blood, Bones and Body Bits and Chemical Chaos
• Frightening Light and Sounds Dreadful
• Bulging Brains and Disgusting Digestion
• Microscopic Monsters and Deadly Diseases
• Killer Energy and Shocking Electricity
• Fatal Forces and The Fight for Flight

There have also been Three in One editions such as Ugly Bugs, Nasty Nature and Vicious Veg, a set of 10 books (Vicious Veg, Space, Stars, and Slimy Aliens, Ugly Bugs, Bulging Brains, Deadly Diseases, Chemical Chaos, Disgusting Digestion, Blood, Bones, and Body Bits, Nasty Nature, and Evil Inventions), and a set of 20 titled Bulging Box of Books.

Activity books

Shuffle puzzle books

• Angry Animals Shuffle Puzzle Book (2008)
• The Blood, Bones and Body Bits Shuffle Puzzle Book

Jigsaw books

• Dangerous Dinosaurs Jigsaw Book (2006) (Dinosaurs)
• The Seriously Squishy Jigsaw Book
• Ugly Bugs Jigsaw Book (2008)

Sticker-activity books

• Disgusting Digestion Sticker-Activity Book
• Ugly Bugs Sticker-Activity Book

Others

• The Seriously Squishy Quiz Book Pack
• The Awfully Big Quiz Book

It may be noted that the Sticker-Activity books have been renamed, along with their new design, by dropping the "Sticker" aspect and leaving "Activity".

Annuals

• Annual 2008
• Annual 2009
• Annual 2010
• Annual 2011
• Annual 2012
• Annual 2013
• Annual 2014
• Annual 2015
• Annual 2016

Specials

There are a few books in the Horrible Science series that have a special sign on the front cover that indicate their inclusion in the Special sub-series of Horrible Science. They are:

• Explosive Experiments (2001) (Science Experiments)
• Suffering Scientists (2000)(Scientist)

Handbooks

Following suit with the other main Horrible series', Horrible Science has recently introduced a new range of books, known as Handbooks.

• Beastly Body Experiments
• Bulging Brain Experiment
• Freaky Food Experiments
• Famously Foul Experiments
• Sharks

Teachers resources

The Horrible Science Teachers Resources subseries is, as described by Nick Arnold: "a whole series of books full of expert tips and photocopiable resources designed for pupils aged 7–11". They are intended for use by teachers in classrooms [1].

• Electricity
• The Human Body
• Forces
• Animals
• Sound
• Light
• Minibeasts
• Plants
• Micro-organisms
• Earth and Beyond

Others

These are the books that do not fit into the other categories. They are:

• The Awfully Big Quiz Book (2000) (Science)
• The Horrible Science of Everything (2005) (Science)
• Really Rotten Experiments (2003) (Science Experiments)
• The Seriously Squishy Science Book (2007 World Book Day Special)
• Smelly Science (Science)
• The Stunning Science of Everything (2005)
• How to Draw Horrible Science (2011)

Magazines

The front cover of the issue Super Sleuth

There is also a magazine collection to this series, which is collectively known as the Horrible Science Collection. This series was originally planned to encompass 60 issues, but due to their popularity, another 20 were added to the series. The titles are as follows:

1. Beastly Body Bits - (Human Body)
2. Chemical Chaos - (Chemicals)
3. The Smashing Solar System - (Solar System)
4. Disgusting Digestion - (Digestive System)
5. Shocking Electricity - (Electricity)
6. Hidden Horrors In The Home - (Bacteria and Germs)
7. Bulging Brains - (Brains)
8. Savage Spiders & Slippery Slimeballs - (Spiders and Slugs)
9. Rotten Reactions - (Chemical Reactions)
10. Beastly Bloody Body Bits - (Human Body)
11. Awful Earth - (Earth)
12. Mad as Matter - (Matter)
13. Painful Poisons - (Poisons)
14. Bones 'n' Groans - (Bones)
15. Insect Invaders - (Insects)
16. Super Sleuth - (Spies Codes)
17. Nasty Nature - (Nature)
18. Fearsome Fuels - (Fossil Fuels)
19. Deadly Diseases - (Diseases)
20. Gruesome Gravity - (Gravity)
21. Mean Machines - (Machines)
22. Universe & Worse.... - (The Universe)
23. Vicious Veg - (Plants)
24. Body Owner's Manual - (Body Parts)
25. Lethal Lightning - (Lightning)
26. Mean Mammals - (Mammals)
27. Mighty Magnetism - (Magnetism)
28. Awesome Ants & Sleazy Bees - (Ants and Bees)
29. Fatal Forces - (Forces)
30. Crazy Cures & Revolting Remedies - (Cures)
31. Barmy Birds - (Birds)
32. Blast Off! - (Spacecraft)
33. Evil Evolution - (Evolution)
34. Horrible Heat - (Heat)
35. Freaky Fish - (Fish)
36. Startling Senses - (The 5 Senses: Sight, Smell, Taste, Touch and Hearing)
37. Sounds Dreadful - (Sound)
38. Sinister Swamps - Swamps)
39. Ghastly Genes - (Genes)
40. Microscopic Monsters - (Microorganisms)
41. Growing Up Grossly - (Growth)
42. Foul Frogs & Slimy Toads - (Frogs and Toads)
43. Terrible Time - (Time)
44. Frightening Light - (Light)
45. Dangerous Dinosaurs - (Dinosaurs)
46. More Painful Poisons - (Poisons)
47. Fearsome Flight - (Flight)
48. Foul Food - (Food)
49. Staying Alive - (Survival)
50. Fearsome Flying Machines - (Flying Machines)
51. Revolting Reptiles - (Reptiles)
52. Dead Freezing - (Cold)
53. Noisy Nature - (The animal kingdom)
54. Mad Medicine - (Medicine)
55. Foul Fungi - (Fungi)
56. More Dangerous Dinosaurs - (Dinosaurs)
57. Blinding Light - (Light)
58. Gruesome Germs - (Germs)
59. Slimy Sea Monsters - (Sea creatures)
60. It's About Time - (Time)
61. Perilous Planes - (Planes)
62. Big And Bad Beasts - (Dangerous Animals)
63. Shady Spies - (Spies)
64. Musical Mayhem - (Sounds and Music)
65. Prehistoric Pests - (Prehistoric Life)
66. Baffling Brainboxes - (Human Brain)
67. Mind Boggling Materials - (Matter)
68. Pesky Plants - (Plants)
69. Wicked Weather - (Weather)
70. Underwater Uglies - (Aquatic animals)
71. Mean Body Machine - (The Human body)
72. Rowdy Robots - (Robots)
73. Gruesome Guzzling - (Eating and Digestion)
74. Nuclear Nasties - (Nuclear power)
75. Mind Magic - (Science of magic)
76. Hairy Humans - (Evolution of humans)
77. Freaky Future - (Futurology)
78. Horrid Healthcare - (Health and Medicine)
79. Awful Inventions - (Inventions, Technology)
80. How to be a Suffering Scientist - (Scientists)

There have also been three 'special' magazines in the series. They are:

S1. DIY Shocking Science- (Experiments)

S2. Spooky Science- (Hallowe'en and Monsters)

S3. Alien Science- (Aliens)

Flip charts

On 3 March 2008, several online flip charts (aka Activlessons) were released by Promethean Planet [2][3]. As the site explains, "these ready-made interactive whiteboard resources have instant child-appeal, making the teaching of the QCA Science units fun and effective". The titles included are:

• Animals and their Habitats
• The Human Body and Keeping Healthy
• Minibeasts
• Sounds
• Plants

TV series

In May 2015, British television network CITV announced that filming had begun on a new ten-part TV series of Horrible Science. The series is produced by Toff Media, a company owned and founded by comedians Ben Miller and Alexander Armstrong, and co-owned by Hat Trick Productions.

The series stars Ben Miller, stand-up comedian Chris Martin, Tom Bell, Jason Forbes, Letty Butler, Susie Wokoma and Eleanor Lawrence. There will also be some guest appearances by other actors.

The series focuses on a science show and its crew that consist of the show's host Mark (Martin), a talking brain Professor McTaggart (Miller) (who hosts the segment called The Brain Dump), robot Bob (Bell), microscopic Professor Small (Lawrence) and her crew of scientists and the show's producer Lucy (Butler). Armstrong provides the voice of the unseen announcer Tannoy who tells the crew how long until the show starts. Each episode also features a famous scientist being interviewed by either Mark or McTaggart. In a similar vein to the TV adaptation of Horrible Histories, each episode also concludes with a song that serves as a parody of another popular song.

Episodes

Series 1

Series 1 began on 13 September 2015.