The book
An Underground Education was written by Richard Zacks about all the fun parts of history that get left out of your average history book. From discussions about the really bizarre bits of
American history to a discussion of how grim
fairy tales once were, the book is a hoot.
The best part is the comprehensive bibliography, which, if you're a liberal arts major pursuing a graduate degree and want your thesis to be interesting rather than boring, will provide you with plenty of starting points.
Since some stores need this to let you order the thing: ISBN 0-385-47994-8.