Bound To Stay Bound

View MARC Record
 Mary Anning's curiosity
 Author: Kulling, Monica

 Publisher:  Groundwood Books/House of Anansi Press (2017)

 Dewey: 560
 Classification: Biography
 Physical Description: 115 p.,  20 cm

 BTSB No: 534233 ISBN: 9781554988983
 Ages: 7-12 Grades: 2-7

 Subjects:
 Anning, Mary, -- 1799-1847
 Fossils -- Collectors and collecting

Price: $20.46

Summary:
The amazing story of how the world's greatest fossilist made her first huge discovery at the age of twelve.

 Illustrator: Castrillon, Melissa
Accelerated Reader Information:
   Interest Level: MG
   Reading Level: 5.20
   Points: 2.0   Quiz: 189074
Reading Counts Information:
   Interest Level: 3-5
   Reading Level: 5.50
   Points: 5.0   Quiz: 70948

Reviews:
   Kirkus Reviews (02/15/17)
   School Library Journal (05/01/17)
   Booklist (03/15/17)

Full Text Reviews:

Booklist - 03/15/2017 Mary Anning is still a bit of an unsung hero of early paleontology, and this slim, fictionalized account of her childhood adds to the growing number of children’s books about the nineteenth-century fossil hunter. Kulling focuses primarily on Anning’s childhood and the story of one of her early finds, later identified as an ichthyosaur. Young Mary loves to traipse about the beach hunting for “curiosities,” or fossils, that her family sells to tourists. Money is tight, though, and when her father dies and leaves them in debt, Mary and her brother look even harder for the “great crocodile” rumored to be buried in the shale cliffs. Though a major conflict—a competition with another fossil hunter—is wrapped up a bit too quickly, Mary’s insatiable drive to find fossils and fascination about what the petrified remains reveal about the past should make this popular with middle-graders who love dinosaurs. An author’s note offers helpful context, both about Mary Anning’s life and paleontology. A stirring story made more inspirational by the reality of its protagonist. - Copyright 2017 Booklist.

School Library Journal - 05/01/2017 Gr 4–7—Mary Anning (1799–1847) has been described as the "greatest fossilist the world ever knew." In actuality, there is very little definitively known about Anning's childhood and later life. What cannot be disputed is her contribution to our modern understanding of prehistoric creatures and paleontology. In order to address this lack of personal history, Kulling has created a fictionalized account of Anning's childhood, specifically focusing on the scientist's first major fossil discovery at age 12, when she found an ichthyosaurus in the cliffs near her home in Lyme Regis, on the Southern coast of Great Britain. Kulling's depiction of the family's poverty and grief over many lost children is powerful, but these details never overshadow Mary's development. Mary is drawn to the cliffs and the prospect of finding the "Giant Croc" bones of legend. Her brother Joe secures an apprenticeship elsewhere in town, leaving Mary with a brief description of the location of a piece of fossil he had discovered about a year earlier in the rock face. Armed with this knowledge and working carefully to avoid detection by the village con man, Captain Curry, Mary sets about seeking the location of the strange piece. With this fictionalized look at Anning's childhood, Kulling provides context for readers and offers a fascinating glimpse at how those who came before us have shaped our comprehension of the world. VERDICT A strong additional purchase for large collections and where fictionalized biographies are appreciated.—Colleen S. Banick, Westport Public Schools, CT - Copyright 2017 Publishers Weekly, Library Journal and/or School Library Journal used with permission.

View MARC Record
Loading...