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Kate Larkin, the Bone Expert
by Lindsey Tate, illustrations by Diane Palmisciano
Review by Alice Herold, Big A little a
Kate Larkin, the Bone Expert is just the type of book I love because even though it is written for children ages five through nine,
I learned something new. The lump I have where I broke my elbow is normal! It is called a callus and refers to the bump that forms when two ends of a broken
bone join and mend.
Kate just turned eight and was playing with her sister Eliza when she slipped and crashed into the top of her arm. She broke her humerus, the big
bone between her elbow and her shoulder. The author explains the process of seeing the pediatric orthopedist and even explains X-rays were discovered
more than 100 years ago by a German scientist named Wilhelm Roentgen. The remainder of the story covers how Kate deals with the six-week healing process.
I loved the four experiments included in the back of the book, especially the classic chicken bone in vinegar—an experiment I've done many
times with my elementary students. A glossary of terms follows. Don't you wish you knew what osteoblast and osteoclast mean?
Kate Larkin, the Bone Expert is lovingly illustrated by Diane Palmisciano who drew the pictures for a favorite book of mine, Dollhouse
Magic.
Jee's Bones
by W. Dave Free
by Melissa Fox, Book Nut
This book is a dinosaur-lover's dream. What budding paleontologist wouldn't love the chance to actually see a dinosaur, let alone have it for a pet. That's
the chance that Jeremy—Jee—gets when he discovers dinosaur bones on the property of his family's Utah ranch. In the process of getting the bones
out, he pours water on them from a nearby spring, and the next morning the bones are missing, and in its place, a real live ornithomimus, whom Jeremy names
Fuji, because the dinosaur loves apples. Everything seems to be going okay, except for little odd things that begin to happen—like his sister playing
a piece she was working on perfectly, or Jeremy memorizing a license plate without even knowing he'd looked at it—and then, a stranger appears,
demanding to look at their property. When rejected, he kidnaps the family, and it's up to Jeremy—with the help of his pet dinosaur—to rescue them.
It's a great premise for a book, one that will entertain both those who are familiar with dinosaurs, and those who aren't. There's adventure,
mystery, intrigue, and a great rescue...a little something for everyone. Jeremy's a likable character, and while he's probably a bit too resourceful for
his age, it works well with the urban (well, desert) fantasy that Free has spun. And, for those who can't get enough of Jeremy and his dinosaur, there's a
sequel in the works. Read the first two chapters online here.
Books Reviewed:
Kate Larkin, the Bone Expert, by Lindsey Tate, illustrations by Diane Palmisciano. Henry Holt & Co, 2008. ISBN: 0-8050-7901-7.
Jee's Bones, by W. Dave Free. Leatherwood Press, 2008.
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