Utterly unrefined: there's nothing more compelling than books on gunk and muck.(Nonfiction Booktalker)(Viewpoint essay)

The media has been bombarding us daily with images of gunk and muck. The adult half of me is frustrated and heartbroken over the Gulf oil spill. But my kid half is intrigued and curious. Over the years, I've learned that few subjects get kids more worked up than gross stuff.

For example, read aloud to your booktalk audience the title of Susan Albee's latest: Poop Happened! A History of the World from the Bottom Up (Walker, 2010). A1bee notes that not everyone thinks we should talk about poop-but it has always been part of our civilization. A big part. Once people started living together in cities, she explains, poop became a growing concern. Dispose of it! Hide it! Centuries …