Books like Fossil Frenzy

I’m fascinated by all historical backgrounds and am particularly interested when the narrative is a powerful time-slip story inspired by the author's family. It is set in Budapest during the Holocaust. 

I found the descriptions of the time especially interesting in relation to what the people endured, particularly the children. There was much I didn’t know about Budapest in 1944. This one kept me both informed and turning the pages.

I love history and found this to be an engrossing, historically based time-slip novel. 

From reading this, I learned about the politician, social reformer, and feminist Edith Cowan. The author has woven a cast of supporting characters to add to the story’s depth. 

I particularly love the inclusion of the time-travelling bed, which holds its own secrets. It’s an interesting twist on the usual time-travel methods, and instrumental to the historical fiction story's timeline. 

This is an epic adventure of boldness and bravery, and I loved the character of Nerra, who is thrust into an important role, where she finds a new maturity.

I have long been interested in First Nations folklore, and this one kept me reading. The relationship between the girl and her great-grandmother is endearing to me as one who was largely raised by my maternal grandmother.

Nerra is a wonderful protagonist who learns to be brave and resilient along the way, as she tackles the serious task of saving the keepers of the rainbow, finding a new maturity along the way. 

This is an engrossing time-slip story with a difference. 

Involving two countries, two different timelines, four very different lives, and the English royal family in the Second World War, I was taken by the way the narrative interchanges seamlessly between the 1941 and 2022 time periods to create an action-filled MG story. 

The completely different character arcs of two boys who form a strong bond, taking two others along with them, are compelling. I also love the way the historical information side is well researched, providing knowledge I didn’t previously have. 

The Australian Outback is a must for anyone who wants to see this country in all its diversity. Far from being just desert, the Outback is varied and fascinating. While this book only covers Queensland, it is a rich introduction to what the Outback offers. Photojournalist Danielle Lancaster knows it well, and the large-format images bring the scenery, wildlife, history, and towns of Queensland’s Outback to life. Whether you are interested in National Parks, dinosaur fossils, desert dunes, stunning gorges, or history, there’s plenty of interest here. As well as an introduction to places you may want to see, it’s also a beautiful souvenir.

What I love about this book is the pattern of step-by-step questions posed to the young reader about what kind of dinosaur they would be if certain bones were added or lost to their skeletons, followed by a surprising answer. Not only does this book explore some of the most popular land-walking dinosaurs, it also extends to the first reptiles that flew (Pterosaurs) and others that swam in the seas. My favorite part of this book is that it brings readers to recognize that modern-day avian dinosaurs are still among us—in birds! Along with an ultimate invitation to step into the best place for observing and learning more about them, which is outdoors.

This book is an ode to the Natural History Museum’s extensive collection.

The book includes poems of all kinds, focusing on everything from earth systems to planetary science to the age of the dinosaurs. I loved reading so broadly across topics and appreciating a range of unique poetic styles.

For me, reading this book really was like wandering through the museum halls and searching for hidden treasures.

So often we find popular level dinosaur books with the most ridiculous and inaccurate illustrations. Usually, the fault lies with the middle-man – the children’s writer or the artist. In this book, we have an instance that is, luckily, becoming more common – the academic who has the skills to communicate directly with the general audience. Dr. Witton has the experience of studying fossil animals (pterosaurs are his specialty) and in his book demonstrates how the various aspects of his work command an accurate approach to his artwork (he is a superb artist). Any speculation in his book is based on his sound observations – who would have guessed that the keratinous covering of the horns of Triceratops continued to grow throughout life and so the horny sheaths would have produced weird curly structures like those of elderly sheep?

The lyrical and kid-friendly text in this book seamlessly blends information about the natural world in how it looked millions of years ago to a young girl’s journey in deciphering clues about prehistoric life that she found in her own backyard. By showing how Ruth Mason stuck to her desire for unravelling the mystery of the fossilized bones found on her ranch—even though she wasn’t a trained scientist—is a perfect launching pad to instill confidence in kids about their own observational abilities for things that interest them. Another book about perseverance and holding fast to one’s beliefs, A Dinosaur Named Ruth is a winner! 

How can kids not walk away inspired to dig into their own interests after reading this book, especially if they feel like their dreams are out of reach or that they lack the skills to attain them? I love this book for the true life story it shares about a kid who grew up exploring the world around him, while paying attention to the details in a way that led to fascinating dinosaur fossil discoveries—discoveries that started small—with fossilized shells. Jack Horner found passion in hands-on science and persevered, despite dealing with the hardship of severe dyslexia. He also was helpful to me as I wrote my own book and was part of the inspiration behind it. It’s awesome to see such a great book about him.