Fossil Fever (Road to Reading Series: Mile 4) »

Jeff’s Uncle Roy runs a museum. That means he’s always zooming off to strange places to find ruins and treasure. But Jeff has never gone along—until now. They’re headed to the Sahara desert to search for dinosaur fossils. And Jeff knows he’ll find the bones of the biggest meat-eater ever!

“The subject’s popularity, and Bogan’s colorful cartoon-style illustrations will attract beginning readers.”—Booklist

School Library Journal

Gr 2-3-Six brief chapters relate the adventures of Jeff and his uncle as they travel to the Sahara on a quest for dinosaur fossils. A long plane ride and five days of driving test Jeff's patience (and sometimes readers', as well). After the crew finally sets up camp in the town of In Gall, there is more waiting. Finally, on the 13th day, they discover an important fossil that turns out to be part of an unknown meat eater. Though the text lacks panache, it offers digestible facts and manageable vocabulary for beginning readers. At times the plot is unrealistic and contrived, but it is easy to follow. Pages from Jeff's field journal and bright cartoon drawings add to the book's appeal. An acceptable addition for libraries building their easy chapter-book collections, and for those in which budding paleontologists routinely deplete the supply of dinosaur books.-Holly T. Sneeringer, St. Mark School, Baltimore, MD Copyright 2000 Cahners Business Information.