A Dinosaur Named Ruth: How Ruth Mason Discovered Fossils in Her Own Backyard - Hardcover

Lyon, Julia

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1534474641 ISBN 13: 9781534474642

Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books, 2021

Synopsis

For fans of Shark Lady and from the New York Times bestselling illustrator of Dr. Fauci comes the incredible true story of a girl who discovered dinosaur bones in her own backyard and, after years of persistence, helped uncover one of the most exciting paleontological discoveries of our time.

**A Bank Street College of Education's Best Children's Book of 2021**
**A Mighty Girl Book of the Year of 2021** 

Featured at the National Book Festival in 2022!
Named to the Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List for 2023!

There's an extraordinary secret hidden just beneath Ruth Mason's feet. The year is 1905, and Ruth is a prairie girl living in South Dakota. She has no way of knowing that millions of years ago, her family farm was once home to scores of dinosaurs. Until one day, when Ruth starts finding clues to the past: strange rocks and rubble scattered all across her land. They're dinosaur fossils—but she doesn't know that yet, either. It will take many years of collecting these clues, and many, many questions, but Ruth's curiosity will one day help uncover thousands of fossils all across her land.

New York Times bestselling illustrator Alexandra Bye's vibrant illustrations bring to life this inspiring and exciting debut picture book from award-winning journalist Julia Lyon.

About this title

About the Author

Julia Lyon is a graduate of the Columbia University School of Journalism and spent more than ten years working in daily newspapers in Oregon and Utah before becoming a freelance writer in 2013. She has won a United Nations Correspondents Association gold medal after visiting refugee camps in Thailand and has won many other journalism awards and distinctions for her reporting. A Dinosaur Named Ruth is her debut picture book.

Alexandra Bye is a freelance illustrator specializing in fun, colorful illustrations for a variety of media such as editorial and children’s publications. Her work is constantly inspired by her flourishing New England community and reflects the energy and dynamic personality of hometown pride. In her free time, she enjoys mountain biking, Nordic ski racing, Jiu Jitsu, studying nutritional therapy, and hiking in the White Mountains with her dog, Oliver.

Reviews

Gr 2-4-In this charming picture book biography, readers learn about Ruth Mason, a little-known contributor to the world of dinosaurs. Mason grew up in South Dakota in the early 1900s. She would often find bones in her backyard and started to collect them. After years of collecting and writing to experts, Mason was visited by a fossil hunter who confirmed that her treasures were indeed fossils that were millions of years old. Students will be able to identify with Mason's curiosity and wonder. The digital illustrations enhance the text with their soft colors and whimsical sensibility. Further reading suggestions are provided. This would be a great choice for reading aloud during fossil or dinosaur units. VERDICT A strong selection for picture biography collections, especially where there are gaps on the women in STEM shelves.-V. Lynn Christiansen, Wiley International Studies Magnet Elem. Sch., Raleigh, NCα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

Edition details

• Publisher: Margaret K. McElderry Books
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1534474641
• ISBN 13: 9781534474642
• Binding: Hardcover
• Illustrator: Bye Alexandra
• Number of pages: 40