The Last Synapsid

by Timothy Mason and Timothy Mason

Book Overview

Faith, Colorado, doesn't get many visitors. But this spring, a mysterious creature is lurking on the mountain. Fiercer than a mountain lion, it's been hunting pets and horses, and leaving their... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 044042268X
• ISBN13: 9780440422686
• Release Date: February 2011
• Publisher: Yearling Books
• Length: 311 Pages
• Weight: 0.45 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.8" x 5.1" x 7.6"
• Age Range: 8 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 3 to 7

Customer Reviews

A great adventure story full of real science and danger!

The characters in this book are incredible. The kids and the people in the little town are so perfectly imagined -- it's like the author transports you, which is kind of ironic since the whole thing is about time travel. The main creature characters of Sid and the Gorgon are much more than good versus bad. Their relationship and what they need from Rob and Phoebe is just complex enough to spark a rich discussion about human interactions. Parents will appreciate the intelligence of the adults in this world even as the author remains true to the viewpoints of his main characters. And any child who is interested in dinosaurs will be thrilled to find a whole new world that pre-dates them -- the Permian era. I highly recommend this book as a fun, and in the end, moving adventure story about teamwork and learning to deal with the unexpected, and sometimes scary challenges life presents. A great read.

An Incredibly Enjoyable Read -- For Both Kids and Parents

Timothy Mason really knows how to spin an engaging yarn with humor, lots of heart and any number of surprising turns... Although the book is listed as reading for the under 12 crowd (and delighted my nine-year old nephew), I was incredibly pleased to find it a true page-turner -- even for someone several multiples of age older. :)

This Book Grabs You from the Start and Moves you Deeply by the End

Contrary to popular opinion, many middle-schoolers are wonderfully literate. If your children, grandchildren, nieces or nephews are among these bright ones, give them "The Last Synapsid." Thanks to our most distant ancestor, a lovable mammalian creature called a synapsid by scientists, and Sid by main characters Rob and Phoebe, they'll travel on a warp-speed, life-and-death adventure between the present age and the Permian era, 250 million years before the dinosaurs. Along the way, they'll hear Shakespeare quoted, learn of the formation and reformation of mountains and oceans and continents, witness an enchanting Gathering of the Animals, and discover how the human race is saved from extinction.

Top read on many levels

An exciting adventure story of young people in a small mountain town with a mining history. The interplay of the kids with each other, mothers, school AND our Permian era ancestors is so believable that aspects such as time travel seem quite natural. Well researched, accurate information about prehistoric eras and critters and subtle observations of good and evil are painlessly absorbed while enjoying the fun and suspense of a good mystery. Though main characters are ages 12 and 13, this story has appeal to all ages in the same sense as "Tom Sawyer" or "Huckleberry Finn".

I'm a kid again.

I just finished Timothy Mason's wonderful first novel. I felt like a kid, falling in love with science fiction and fantasy all over again. I will add this book to my list of favorites for reading aloud to my nephews and nieces. I hope this isn't the last adventure for Rob, Phoebe, and Sid.