Trending: How and Why Stuff Gets Popular

Gr 3-7–This engaging resource provides an overview of how fads are created and describes historic and contemporary popular trends. From hula-hoops and Crocs to swallowing goldfish, this book is sure to capture readers’ attention and help students understand fads, popularity, and trends including malicious propaganda. Each fad is presented on a double-page spread with two main sections (“Here’s the Story” and “What Does It All Mean?”) that provide a look at how the fad became popular and then showcase what we can learn from its rise. Important information is peppered with humor. The 48-page book opens with a table of contents and a double-page introduction. The content is arranged in four chapters (“What Makes a Fad?,” “Spread the Word,” “Made, Not Born,” and “Bad Fads”). A double-page spread highlights conclusions, and one page features an index and a list of selected sources. In each chapter, the engaging cartoon illustrations use yellow as the consistent color paired with one additional color of green, purple, blue, or red.