Fossils for Kids: A Junior Scientist's Guide to Dinosaur Bones, Ancient Animals, and Prehistoric Life on Earth

There's a little boy somewhere inside me who wishes he'd had this book way back when he first got interested in dinosaurs and fossils; so many questions I had growing up (that my parents and teachers couldn't answer back then) are dealt with clearly and cleanly here. There is so much good information here - what fossils are, the *many* ways that fossils can form, how to collect fossils and what tools a junior scientist might need for the job - that goes beyond just another dinosaur book. I've known *adults* who would learn a lot from this book. Honestly, the discussion of all the ways that life can fossilize alone is worth the price of the book (teachers take note!). This is not to say that the fossils and extinct organisms are ignored - they most certainly aren't. And while dinosaurs grab their accustomed limelight, other fossils that so often receive short shrift are not ignored here. Even invertebrate and plant fossils - less flashy than dinosaurs, but so very informative and important in paleontology - enjoy their time in the spotlight here. The author reaches for, and achieves, a very nice balance. All in all, a very worthwhile investment for anyone with a budding paleontologist in their family or their classroom. Well worth buying.

There's a lot to like and not much to quibble about in Ashley Hall's excellent book for grade-school palentologists. The dinosaurs get center stage at first, but Hall spends nearly as much time on other vertebrates, invertebrates, and plants. (Having worked at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, Hall of course includes its most famous fossil, the armoed fish Dunkleosteus: she mentions the nickname "the Cleveland Cleaver," which is one I hadn't heard before.) She intersperses all this with good explanations of things like how fossils form and how they are dated, adding in mentions of famous paleontologists and some student acitivites. The writing is clear, the illustrations are excellent, and the science is up-to-the-minute, which is REALLY hard to do in 21st century paleontology. I've been reading about dinosaurs for fifty years, and I still learned some things. Some nitpicks: The first page mentions Miocene fossils, but the Miocene is never defined. A few pages devoted to individual species (e.g.,the the shark Cretalamna) show partial fossils and could use an image of what the whole animal looked like. These are minor things, though, in a first-rate book that fills a gap for the future scientist. (I wish I'd had something like this so many years back!) It doesn't hurt that Hall herself is an example reminding kids that women belong in this field, too. Every school library in America needs a few copies of this book.

My first grader wants to be a paleontologist and she uses this book when she performs “dinosaur experiments.” It’s a great buy. She loves it.

Great book and so informative.

What child DOESN'T get excited about dinosaurs and prehistoric life? None that I've ever met (regardless of gender, by the way). I reviewed this book, thanks to a pre-publication copy provided by the publisher, with my great nieces and great nephew in mind. I know they're going to love it when I send it to them! The book is the perfect guide - with a parent or older sibling or any adult as a partner paleontologist - for sleuthing out and understanding an learning about life on this planet before man. The book is laid out in a very user-friendly, clear format, allowing for quick access to the information on the animal or fossil you're looking for. The index at the back is much appreciated - I love a good index. Parents and kids will appreciate all the tables and sidebars with further information plus the writing, which is clear and understandable, but which doesn't "talk down" to kids. All in all, a really fun and useful addition to any family's library!

If this was around when I was younger I would have been carrying it around with me everywhere. This book covers the age of the earth, fossilization, invertebrates, plants, and of course dinosaurs. The information is presented in a straightforward, easy to understand way that goes a bit above the basic information you would find in most other kids books. Perfect for whetting that appetite for science!

Grandson likes it!

Harder to read than I thought it would be but my 8 year old 3rd graders love this book. My 1st grader has read a quite a bit as well and they’ve all enjoyed it! My 8 year old twins don’t really care for reading. So I’ve been on the hunt for some fun books. This has peaked their interest in reading AND in science! So I definitely recommend! ❤️

This is more of a reference-book style than a narrative overview, as each page has one type of fossil or dinosaur / extinct creature. Interesting for a child who already has some general dinosaur/fossil knowledge. Great value - definitely recommend.

This is a great book for kids interested in fossils and dinosaurs.

Great book for all ages!

Packed with info and with beautiful pictures. Think it's good for everyone, not just kids. Then if you want to go any further you can buy a book that is more detailed, but this one gives lots of basic information that will help you understand and appreciate the world we live in

This is really interesting and informative book for children to learn about fossils. Its well written with lots of good illustrations. My Granddaughter loved it.