Fossil Hunters

Dinosaurs are a high-interest topic, and this book will not remain on any library shelf for long. Teachers may begin by reading it aloud, but then students will want to borrow it. While at first glance this might appear to be another reading book about science, on careful examination the science blazes through and actual inquiry science is evident. My own students enjoyed it, and yours will too.

These books are simply written and have period photos, maps, and full-color reproductions. The titles range from the historical (the 19th-century “Bone Wars”) to the contemporary (the discovery of T. rex) to a bridge work (Philip Currie’s search for Barnum Brown’s “lost” Albertosaurus bone field). . . These titles are interesting introductions to the history of dinosaur hunting and the ongoing efforts of paleontologists in the field.

Dinosaurs are a high-interest topic, and this book will not remain on any library shelf for long. Teachers may begin by reading it aloud, but then students will want to borrow it. While at first glance this might appear to be another reading book about science, on careful examination the science blazes through and actual inquiry science is evident. My own students enjoyed it, and yours will too.

While most books about scientists lack any real conflict, this volume from the new Fossil Hunters series tells of the Bone Wars, a clash between two American paleontologists. In 1868 at the Haddonfield, New Jersey marl pit, Othniel Marsh and Edward Cope established a cooperative relationship, but it deteriorated rapidly. Over the next two decades, each man established dinosaur digs in Wyoming and Colorado, spied on the other’s work, and engaged in bribery, theft, and sabotage, even dynamiting fossil sites. Finally, their newspaper attacks on each other’s expertise, honor, and sanity alienated the scientific community and led to the end of the Bone Wars. Goldish writes in a clear, straightforward manner, letting the story’s inherent drama speak for itself. Fair and balanced, the account acknowledges the damage done by both men, as well as their scientific achievements. Attractive page design enhances the presentation, part of the Fossil Hunters series, which includes a paragraph or two on each page and along with a modern photo of an artifacts or an archival photo of individuals, sites, or fossils.