The Fossil Whisperer: How Wendy Sloboda Discovered a Dinosaur

by Helaine Becker (Author) Sandra Dumais (Illustrator)

Reading Level: 2nd − 3rd Grade

A captivating look at the life of a modern-day fossil hunter who makes the find of a lifetime told by award-winning author Helaine Becker.

Wendy has an eye for the unusual and is skilled at finding things that others don't see. While on a school field trip at age 12, she spots one of those unusual things poking out of the ground, and it turns out to be a piece of fossilized coral that's 100 million years old. Wendy's thrilled! And soon, she gets hooked on finding fossils. When she grows up, Wendy turns her passion into her career and becomes a preeminent fossil hunter, known as the "fossil whisperer" around the world. But it's on a dig close to home where Wendy makes her most important discovery: Wendiceratops!

Bestselling author Helaine Becker brings to fascinating life the remarkable true story of Wendy Sloboda and her discovery of Wendiceratops, a dinosaur species that proved to be a missing link in the story of horned dinosaurs' evolution. Becker's narrative is full of energy, allowing Wendy's intelligence, independence and unconventional spirit to shine through.

Sandra Dumais's illustrations keep the visual appeal high, cleverly presenting the modern-day story with loads of details while giving readers a feel for the past when dinosaurs roamed the land, including two intriguing gatefolds that reveal further secrets. This readable biography of a unique female role model in the male-dominated field of paleontology has strong STEM connections in life science and paleontology and applications in Earth history. It includes a biographical note, more information about Wendiceratops and fossil hunting, a timeline, a glossary and further reading.

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Hardcover
$18.99

Kirkus

An entertaining account of a remarkable fossil hunter and an educational journey into the world of dinosaur fossils.

Review quotes

A vivid biographical depiction of history, math, science, and the importance of women in STEM.—Kirkus Reviews (Praise for Emmy Noether)
Helaine Becker
Helaine Becker is the acclaimed author of many books for young readers, including An Equal Shot and Counting on Katherine, both illustrated by Dow Phumiruk. Counting on Katherine won a Bank Street College Cook Prize for nonfiction, as well as many other honors. Helaine lives in Toronto, Canada. She invites you to visit her website, helainebecker.com.

Aura Lewis is an author-illustrator and designer with an MFA from the School of Visual Arts in New York City. She is the creator of Spectacular Sisters, Gloria's Voice, and The Illustrated Feminist. She invites you to see more of her work at auralewis.com, or on Twitter and Instagram: @auralewis.
Classification
Non-fiction
ISBN-13
9781525304187
Lexile Measure
790
Guided Reading Level
-
Publisher
Kids Can Press
Publication date
June 20, 2022
Series
-
BISAC categories
JNF037050 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Science & Nature | Fossils
JNF007120 - Juvenile Nonfiction | Biography & Autobiography | Women
Library of Congress categories
-

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