From Pie Town to Yum Yum: Weird and Wacky Place Names Across the United States

Ever heard of Witch Island, Maine, or Hot Coffee, Miss.? Readers are introduced to these surprising locations and many more in a quirky but educational guide. With a light touch and plenty of puns, Herman moves alphabetically through the states, exploring the origin of one town in each, while providing intriguing snippets of U.S. history. Though the explanations are often more pedestrian than the names—Disco, Ill., derives from the “discus-shaped valley” in which the town resides, and Home, Kans., was named after the post office—trivia hunters ought to enjoy the book’s irreverent spirit, echoed by Goldman’s energetic pen-and-ink cartoons. Ages 8–12. (Sept.)