Tag Archives: Fossils

Elem./MG – Ancient Marine Life (Series NF)

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Moening, Kate. Ancient Marine Life. Bellwether Media. 2023-2024. $19.95 each or $199.50 for set of 10. Grades 3-7.

2023

Archelon. 979-8-886-87168-5.
Ichthyosaurs. 979-8-886-87169-2.
Megalodon. 979-8-886-87170-8.
Mosasaurs. 979-8-886-87171-5.
Plesiosaurs. 979-8-886-87172-2.
Sea Scorpions. 979-8-886-87173-9.

2024

Basilosaurus. 979-8-886-87840-0.
Dunkleosteus. 979-8-886-87841-7.
Livyatan. 979-8-886-87842-4.
Orthocones. 979-8-886-87843-1.

Discover extinct animal life with the series Ancient Marine Life! Take a deep dive into the past with this series. The reviewer read the title Megalodon. Megalodon – the massive ancient shark, so massive it is the largest to ever live! Read about its body parts, life, and extinction. Discover this predator’s prey and environment and where it lived with this easy-to-read text for reluctant readers.

THOUGHTS: This series, while containing some difficult words, is a great resource for reluctant readers. Small groups of text, detailed and colorful pictures, maps, and other resources are available for young readers in this series.

565-567.9 Fossils & Historic Life 

YA – The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World

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Randall, David K. The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World. Norton Young Readers, 2023. 978-1-324-06453-4. 192 p. $19.95. Grades 7-12.

This captivating read reveals the birth of American paleontology, the dogged determination behind the discovery of the first T. Rex fossil, and the making of a modern American museum. The title is a bit misleading; while T. Rex is included in all its glory, the real focus here is on the young scientist, enthusiast, and adventurer Barnum Brown.  How did a young man born & raised on a Kansas farm and coal mine become an unstoppable world explorer? How did a centuries old fossil, admittedly large, come to capture the imagination of Americans and revolutionize history, science, literature, film and more? Randall succeeds in providing a detailed account of Brown’s life and his surprising skill at locating dinosaur bones. When in 1902 he dug up the first Tyrannosaurus Rex, the world noticed. Put on display in the struggling American Museum of Natural History, led by the wealthy Henry Fairfield Osborn, the colossal one-of-a-kind fossil ignited the public and ushered in support for the fledgling field of paleontology, and a race for who would find the next fossil as well. Brown never stopped and became the undisputed expert on dinosaur fossils. His energy seeps through every page of this book.

THOUGHTS: This young readers’ edition of Randall’s The Monster’s Bones (2022) will draw in readers interested in dinosaurs, American history, and excellent narrative nonfiction. This is a must-purchase for all middle and high school collections.

973 American History

Elem. – Dinosaur Graveyards (Series NF)

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Hansen, Grace. Dinosaur Graveyards. Abdo, 2022. $22.95 ea. $137.70 set of 6. 24 p. Grades PreK-2. 

Dinosaur Graveyards in Africa. 978-1-0982-0944-5.
Dinosaur Graveyards in Asia. 978-1-0982-0945-2.
Dinosaur Graveyards in Australia. 978-1-0982-0946-9.
Dinosaur Graveyards in Europe. 978-1-0982-0947-6.
Dinosaur Graveyards in North America. 978-1-0982-0948-3.
Dinosaur Graveyards in South America. 978-1-0982-0949-0.

Readers will travel around the world to different contents to explore dinosaur fossils in the new series Dinosaur Graveyards. Each volume explores a different continent. This reviewer had the opportunity to read Dinosaur Graveyards in Africa. The volume opened with a general overview of the concept of dinosaurs and fossils. Each two page spread then profiled a dinosaur group, identified where on the continent their fossils can be found, and gave some basic facts about the dinosaur. The information is accompanied by a digital rendering of the dinosaur, a map identifying where the dinosaur lived, and a photo showing part of the dinosaur fossil or in some cases, a photo of the complete dinosaur skeleton. Back matter includes a table identifying major dinosaur groups and a glossary.

THOUGHTS: Looking to expand your elementary dinosaur collection? Then you might want to consider adding this set to your shelves. The titles are sure to engage dinosaur (or fossil) fans who will enjoy checking out the oversize photos, close up pictures of selected fossils, and reading the dino facts. The online supplemental materials could be incorporated into classroom lessons or for additional research.

567 Fossils          Elizabeth Henry, Lampeter-Strasburg SD

Elem. – The Fossil Whisperer

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Becker, Helaine, and Sandra Dumais. The Fossil Whisperer. Kids Can Press, 2022. 978-1-525-30418-7. Unpaged. $18.99. Grades K-3.

The Fossil Whisperer introduces the reader to Wendy Sloboda, a fossil hunter who unearthed a new species of dinosaur, which was named after her! The book follows Wendy from her early childhood of loving to find new things, into adulthood when she discovered a new species of dinosaur. The end of the book has a short biography on Wendy, as well as more information on how to become a fossil hunter. There is also a timeline of Wendy’s dinosaur discoveries, along with information about the area where Wendy is from (Southern Alberta) and includes more information about the Wendiceratops (The dinosaur that Wendy discovered). A glossary is found at the back of the book as well as a list of books if the reader wants to learn more.

THOUGHTS: This is a great introduction to Wendy Sloboda, especially if the reader loves learning about dinosaurs. Overall a great book for any elementary collection.

Picture Book          Mary McEndree, Lehigh Valley Regional Charter Academy

MG -Rhinos in Nebraska

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Stevents, Alison Pearce. Rhinos in Nebraska: The Amazing Discovery of the Ashfall Fossil Beds. Godwin Books, 2021. 978-1-250-26657-6. 135 p. $19.99 Grades 4-7.

The wildlife living in the heart of the North American continent looked very different 12 million years ago! Large herds of rhinos and three-toed horses roamed the plains, and a variety of other predators, birds, and lizards made up just part of the diverse ecosystem. Then, the lives of those creatures were destroyed by a supervolcano eruption that sent clouds of deadly ash as far east as the Atlantic Ocean. Many animals, including large herds of ancient rhinos, died from breathing the ash and were buried in the Ashfall Fossil Beds of Nebraska. In 1953, scientists discovered hundreds of fossils in those ashbeds and began the decades-long process of discovering, studying, and preserving the rhino fossils, as well as fossils of many other plants and animals preserved in the ash. Since then, these ashfall beds have been used as a way to piece together a picture of prehistoric life during that time and gain a greater understanding of life on earth today.

THOUGHTS: This book would be a wonderful read for students interested in paleontology, dinosaurs, and the scientific process of discovery. It provides a fascinating timeline for the development of a discovery that eventually became a National Natural Landmark and State Park. It would be a great curriculum tie-in for classes studying volcanic eruptions and pyrotechnic effects on an ecosystem, and also for students studying fossils and paleontology. The black and white illustrations are sometimes difficult to interpret, but the captions, text, and back matter all provide good support for readers.

560.9782 Paleontology          Erin Faulkner, Cumberland Valley SD