Bones in the Badlands

by Candice Ransom

Book Overview

Alex, Mattie, and Sophie visit the past again, this time traveling to 1898, where they help paleontologist Walter Granger to protect his fossil find This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 078694028X
• ISBN13: 9780786940288
• Release Date: October 2006
• Publisher: Mirrorstone
• Length: 111 Pages
• Weight: 0.20 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 5.2" x 7.7"
• Age Range: 7 to 10 years
• Grade Range: Grades 2 to 5

Customer Reviews

time spies

My students love these stories as it travels back in time. I love the stories as it has sparked an interest in history. Some of my students have gone on to read other historical stories.

An easy way to make history appealing to readers

Mattie, Alex, and Sophie - along with a stuffed elephant named Ellsworth - are itching with anticipation of their next adventure. Since returning from their first trip to the year 1781, the three siblings have had nothing to do but nose into the business of the various travelers who have stayed at their new home, which doubles as a country bed-and-breakfast known as the Gray Horse Inn, and, basically, be bored. Even their father can't cheer them up with trips to local museums, because anyplace that doesn't allow you to touch the merchandise - even if said merchandise is actually antiques - is mind-numbingly dull. All the trio truly want is for another Travel Guide to arrive at the Gray Horse Inn, and give them the clues to their next adventure. Luckily, they don't have to wait much longer. A woman by the name of Ms. Van Hoven arrives one night, fitting the description of a Travel Guide. Ms. Van Hoven is a scientist, a paleontologist, to be exact, and spends her days digging up and investigating bones, and other fossils that appear over the years. Mattie, Alex, and Sophie just know that a new adventure is mere moments away, and before they can finish breakfast, they've grabbed ahold of the antique brass spyglass in the secret tower room, and been yanked out of present day America, and thrown into Wyoming, in the year 1898, where Walter Granger, a true dinosaur cowboy, quickly enlists their help in discovering more dinosaur skeletons. Walter is convinced that the children are orphans who lost their way, and makes a pact with them to keep them by his side, until the end of the week, when they'll be picked up by the orphanage. Mattie, Alex, and Sophie know that they probably won't be around that long, but agree to Walter's terms, and begin helping him in his work. Between the scorching heat, unappetizing meals of beans and sheep stew, and many hours of work, the trio find themselves worked to the bone. But when they learn that someone is trying to steal the bones that Walter has discovered, they realize exactly what their mission on this particular trip is: to catch the crook red-handed and protect Walter's findings. But with only a few days to uncover the truth, the Time Spies begin to contemplate whether they'll be able to solve the mystery before the spyglass sends them back home; or if Walter's discoveries will be lost forever. In the same fashion of Mary Pope Osborne's MAGIC TREEHOUSE series, Candice Ransom provides slightly older readers with a chance to easily make the transition from an early readers collection to that of a middle readers series. Her characters span an age group of five to nine, making them appealing to middle-aged readers, as well as their younger siblings. BONES IN THE BADLANDS features an appealing setting, mixing the history of dinosaurs along with the work of paleontologists and archaeologists, in an attempt to provide historical detail, as well as information on different careers that may spark an interest in readers.