Peter Lawson, the paleontologist who found and dug up Sue, the biggest Tyrannosaurus rex ever, reveals his down-in-the-dirt trade secrets about finding, excavating, preparing, and studying dinosaur fossils. For dinomaniacs, this is a gorgeously laid out hands-on manual, packed with color photos of bones and kids working with them in the field, diagrams drawings, sidebars, and personal accounts from the author, who calls himself Paleo Pete. He analyzes fossil theories, solves mysteries, and includes scads of meaty insider tips. Kids who are serious about dinosaurs will revel in Lawson's funny, folksy writing style that is dead serious in assuming readers crave real info. Kids will snap this up. A teacher's guide at the back is filled with questions and projects that will give teachers new ideas for their science units, too.
Themes: BONES. DINOSAURS. PALEONTOLOGY. SCIENCE.
- There's fascinating information here, and Larson's enthusiasm and sound advice give plenty of encouragement to young scientists.
- Steven Engelfried, School Library Journal