Dinosaur Hunter (I Can Read Book 4 Series)

by Elaine Marie Alphin, Don Bolognese (Illustrator)

Overview

Fossil collectors!

In 1880s Wyoming, Ned Chapman dreams of finding a dinosaur skeleton. When he discovers some old bones on his father's ranch, Ned is thrust into the world of bone hunters — men so competitive that they will do anything to bring back the best fossils!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780064442565
Publisher:	HarperCollins
Publication date:	10/05/2004
Series:	I Can Read Level 4
Edition description:	Bridge to Chapter Books
Pages:	48
Sales rank:	321,712
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.50(h) x 0.19(d)
Lexile:	650L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 11 Years

About the Author

Elaine Marie Alphin is the author of the I Can Read Book a bear for miguel, illustrated by Joan Sandin, as well as several young adult novels, including Counterfeit Son, which won the Edgar Allan Poe Award for Best Young Adult Mystery. Ms. Alphin lives in Madison, Indiana.

Don Bolognese is the illustrator of many popular books of historical fiction, including the I Can Read Books Buffalo Bill and the Pony Express by Eleanor Coerr and Wagon Wheels by Barbara Brenner. He lives in New York City and Vermont.

Editorial Reviews

The clearly written story, historical context, western ranch setting, and, of course, the dinosaur connection contribute to the book’s appeal.” — ALA Booklist

“A fast-paced, fascinating slice of American history.” — Dallas Morning News

From the Publisher

The clearly written story, historical context, western ranch setting, and, of course, the dinosaur connection contribute to the book’s appeal.

ALA Booklist

A fast-paced, fascinating slice of American history.

Dallas Morning News

Gr 2-3-When Ned finds dinosaur bones on his father's Wyoming ranch in the 1880s, a fossil hunter tries to trick him into giving them up. However, the astute boy is able to outwit the swindler and eventually sells his treasure to a collector who promises to put the bones in a museum for all to enjoy. An author's note at the end tells of two paleontologists of the period. Illustrations in dull browns and blues are lightened by the red of Ned's shirt. Plenty of white space and the division of the story into six short chapters increase the book's accessibility, but the less than compelling plot makes it merely an adequate selection for transitional readers.-Anne Knickerbocker, formerly at Cedar Brook Elementary School, Houston, TX Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

School Library Journal

Wyoming in the 1880s is the setting for this transitional early chapter book, based partially on historic characters who searched the West for dinosaur fossils. The main characters are Ned, who works on his father’s ranch and dreams of finding real dinosaur bones, and George, the son of a fossil hunter who works for a paleontologist. Ned succeeds in finding a triceratops skeleton, and he keeps his cool when an unscrupulous rival fossil hunter tries to swindle him out of his fossils for a single silver dollar. The plotline is simple, and the story is heavy on dialogue, but the combination of dinosaur fossils, horseback riding, and ranch life is unusual and will interest boys especially. Bolognese adds to the effort with attractive watercolors with heavy ink outlines. He handles both the horses and people with flair, especially in illustrations of the two boys with their respective fathers, skillfully showing the family resemblance. (author’s note) (Easy reader. 6-8)

Kirkus Reviews