Book Review - "North Carolina Trivia," by John V. Wood

Did you know that if an unmarried couple check into a hotel and mark the “married” box on the registration form, then by the power vested by the state of North Carolina, they are officially husband and wife? And did you know that if you sing off-key for longer than 90 seconds in Nags Head, you can be fined? But, surely, you didn’t know that it is illegal, in North Carolina, to use an elephant to harvest a cotton field.

These, and many more interested tidbits, are what kept me glued to North Carolina Trivia, a book recently released by John V. Wood, a Johnston County middle school teacher.

I loved reading funny town names such as Boogertown, Half Hell and Tick Bite and to learn there are seven kinds of dolphins found off the North Carolina coast. Also, with all the talk of tea parties of late, I found it quite interesting that a native Tar Heel woman helped spark the resistance against British rule during the American Revolution with her own tea party.

North Carolina Trivia has something for everybody. Loaded with fun-to-read, informative tidbits about local fauna, history, education, sports, old laws and businesses (did you know the Pepsi-Cola Company was incorporated in North Carolina in 1902?), this book was an absolute delight to dive into.

The format is great and easy to search and read; divided in sections organized by topic, the book is written in a highly entertaining, humoristic tone which won’t fail to amuse the young and old alike. It is an informative guide for school-age children and a good tool for teachers wishing to inspire local love among their pupils.

North Carolina Trivia is definitely a book I would recommend to readers living in North Carolina, and to anyone interested in traveling or moving to our beautiful state.

http://www.johnvwood.com/index.html