Softcover

ISBN 10: 006444256X ISBN 13: 9780064442565

Publisher: HarperCollins, 2004

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!

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.

From Booklist:

Gr. 1-2. From the I Can Read series, this fictional story takes place in Wyoming in the 1880s. The morning after a storm, Ned is helping his father check the fences on their ranch when he discovers the bones of a triceratops. Outwitting a fossil hunter who tries to cheat him, Ned finds a better place to sell his find. In an appended note, Alphin gives background information about the noted fossil collectors and paleontologists of the period, who collected, prepared, and preserved the dinosaur skeletons that were coming to light in Wyoming and Montana. Bolognese contributes a series of sturdy line drawings, tinted with subtle shades of color that enhance the story rather than distracting the eyes. The clearly written story, historical context, western ranch setting, and, of course, the dinosaur connection also contribute to the book's appeal. Carolyn Phelan
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