Read by: Kevin M. Connolly
Language: English
Length: 13 minutes
Publisher: Mims House
Release date: 2021-08-04
A Junior Library Guild Selection
Do you believe everything you read in the newspaper?
Early in August 1937, a news flash came: A sea monster had been spotted lurking off the shore of Nantucket Island. Historically, the Massachusetts island had served as port for whaling ships. Eyewitnesses swore this wasn’t a whale, but some new, fearsome creature. As eyewitness account piled up, newspaper stories of the sea monster spread quickly. Across the nation, people shivered in fear.
Then, footprints were found on a Nantucket beach. Photographs were sent to prominent biologists for their opinion. Discussion swirled about raising a hunting party.
On August 18, news spread across the island: the sea monster had been captured. Islanders ran to the beach and couldn’t believe their eyes.
This nonfiction book is a perfect tool to discuss non-political fake news stories.
Quotes from Thomas Jefferson make it clear that fake news has always been one of the costs of a free press. A timeline lists actual events in the order they occurred. A vocabulary list defines relevant words.