Yikes! That's Gross!

by LuAnn Schindler

I'm always on the outlook for inspiration. Today, I'm subbing for a junior high English instructor at an area school. I've subbed for her several times, and I always peruse her bookshelves. She has four bookshelves filled with YA novels. Checking out the titles gives me a glimpse at what's hot amongst YA readers. It's important, especially since I'm working on a YA project.

But finding YA trends isn't what's gross. While perusing her shelf, I came across a book titled "Oh Yikes! History's Grossest, Wackiest Moments" by Joy Masoff. Inside these pages, there are snippets of odd, gross, wacky moments throughout time. Did you know that bullets can pass through a suit of armor? Were you aware that forks were called split spins during the early 1800s? How many calendars are in use in the world today? I had time to peruse the book, and I made a list of notes for articles. I even discovered that the author has a book titled "Oh, Yuck!" that has interesting science tidbits.

What a unique source! You never know where you'll find inspiration for articles or a storyline.