Finchosaurus

by Gail Donovan

FINCHOSAURUS follows the adventures of Atticus Finch Martin, otherwise known as Finch. Finch’s dream is to uncover a dinosaur fossil and name a new species after himself—until he digs up a note in the fifth-grade class garden with the word HELP on it. He is determined to come to the aid of the mystery note-writer. But when the quest turns out to be harder than expected, Finch risks losing two things that he really wants—his best friend Noah, and a field trip to Dinosaur State Park.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fiction, Realistic Fiction, Chapter Books, Childrens

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2018

About the author

Gail Donovan was fired from her first job in an ice cream shop for making the sundaes too big. She now works in a library and writes middle grade novels, including IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG, named to the New York Public Library’s 100 Titles for Reading and Sharing list; FINCHOSAURUS, winner of the Moonbeam Children’s Book Award; as well as the trilogy SPARROW BEING SPARROW (Publishers Weekly, starred review), SPARROW SPREADS HER WINGS (Maine Literary Award winner for Young People's Literature), and SPARROW, ALWAYS. She has also written for the Rainbow Fish & Friends picture book series based on the bestselling work of Marcus Pfister. Donovan lives on the coast of Maine, where she jumps in the ocean all year round.

Reviews

[Jasmine from How Useful It Is · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started reading Finchosaurus on 12/1/2018 and finished it on 12/4/2018. This book is an excellent read! I like reading about Finch and following his adventures. He can’t sit still and the school accommodates him by letting him sit on a bouncing ball. Finch often daydreams so readers can totally relate to that. Another great thing about this book is the dinosaur references! When someone is mad, she looks like a Tyrannosaurus mad. I love his private investigation that turns into teamwork and finally becomes a secret mission to help those in need.

This book is told in the third person point of view following Atticus Finch Martin, 10 who goes by his middle name and loves to dig for fossils. Finch has an older brother named Sam who is 13. Finch is thinking that when he finds an undiscovered dinosaur, he will name it after himself, Finchosaurus. At school, the new assignment is Digging Deep. He thinks it deals with digging the ground so he brings a worm to class after his dig in the backyard but the teacher told him that it’s to do with poetry and he should leave his worm outside. When outside, Finch digs a new hole for the worm but before he puts the worm into the hole, he notices a note with the word “Help” on it. Finch then begins to investigate who had put that note into the ground and who really need help but afraid to ask.

Finchosaurus is very well written and a page turner. I love Finch’s family trip to Maine to visit his grandparents. I love that humor on keeping track of your height when you’re young versus old. A lot of occurrences packed up in this book. I like the comparison between where pets go when they are old versus grandparents. I love the ending when everyone turns around and help Finch. That got my eyes wet. The mystery solved and I couldn’t guess it either. This book is a fantastasaurus read and I highly recommend everyone to read this book!

Pro: fast paced, page turner, humor, friendship, family, teamwork, siblings, dinosaurs,

Con: none

I rate it 5 stars!

***Disclaimer: Many thanks to Islandport Press for the opportunity to read and review. Please be assured that my opinions are honest.

xoxo,
Jasmine at www.howusefulitis.wordpress.com for more details

[Lynn Plourde · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars for me. A boy, who's hyperactive and gets distracted, is obsessed with dinosaurs. He tries to solve the mystery of a "Help" note found in the school's sandbox and along the way he learns more people than he ever realized need help in his classroom. A good message of getting along and getting to know others before judging them. A bit slow at times, but the humor in the book is a nice plus.

[Tressa (Wishful Endings) · Rating 4 out of 5]

FINCHOSAURUS is a fun, heartfelt chapter book. Boys will especially find Finch a fun character, but there is also plenty for girls to love, and of course fans of dinosaurs will fall in love with this character and his story. A delightful, inspiring read!

This was a really cute read. Finch was a fun character, full of energy and a love of dinosaurs. I enjoyed seeing how a slip of paper could change his focus and how it turned into what it did. The ending was especially sweet. I did feel Finch wasn't as old as his character is supposed to be. He felt more third or fourth grade level (I have a fifth grader now who also is full of energy and struggles to focus, so I could relate). Otherwise, this was a fun book to read.

In the end, was it what I wished for? A story that is perfect for dinosaur lovers. Finch is a likable character with a quest that easily inspires. Recommended for second through fifth graders.

Content: Clean
Source: I received a complimentary copy through Jean BookNerd Tours, which did not require a positive review nor affect it in any way.

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this is a promotional giveaway and I am so glad that I did. This is a delightful and insightful story of Atticus Finch Martin, AKA Finch, who dreams of discovering a new dinosaur species. Finch, a fifth-grader, who has trouble paying attention and sitting still, discovers a mysterious note during one of his dinosaur digs and he decides to investigate. The solving of the mystery takes many twists and turns throughout making this a very engaging read. Finch is a very special character and I hope you get the chance to meet him.

[Casia Pickering · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to first begin with the usual. I received a copy to review for this blog tour by the publisher via Jean Book Nerd Tours. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. I was not compensated for this review.

Finchosaurus is a cute book about a fifth-grade boy who just might be ADHD and has a serious case of dino love. Atticus Finch Martin, named after some book character (a personal favorite book of mine, to be honest)his librarian mom loves, is obsessed with dinosaurs. He's so obsessed that he may be known as the kid who digs a lot and isn't always focused enough for anything other than paleontology. When he finds a note, he puts his science-loving mind to work and begins a crusade to help the mystery note writer.

This book actually resonated with me. Though I never had to deal with focus issues in an ADHD sense, as a child I was enthralled with mystery (still am) and being stuck in the workings of my own mind (still am again). I understood Finch's need to help and solve something, his need to be recognized outside of just the kid who can't focus, and being a person with a passion that possibly took over every day (for me it is writing and it still does).

So, for my inner child, I could relate to the protagonist. I also learned something while reading this book. I saw how the parents struggled and how Finch struggled. How both parties just wanted some understanding, but got into a mess of miscommunication. As a mother to a child with ADHD, this book gave me a small glimpse of what it might be like for Bug. Reading this book reminded me that I need to be patient and maybe look at the world through Bug's eyes. That maybe there really is something on the other side.

I should note that the terms ADHD or ADD aren't present in the book. Finch's fidgety ways and how he interacts isn't diagnosed and nor is it a big deal in the book. This isn't about a boy struggling to focus. This is a boy utilizing his gifts into doing something amazing for others while still being himself. I don't know if Finch is a child with ADHD, but he acts similar to Bug and because of that, I assume he is. That said, this book doesn't label the children, but instead gives an open view on how the children interact in the world.

My Bug is of the age that he knows he is just a bit more than his desk neighbor. I don't want him feeling that he is a burden or unable to do the right thing because he has ADHD. I want him to be like Finch, a child with personal struggles but still true to himself and wanting to be more than what everyone sees him as. For that, Finch is a great role model for all children and I can't wait to give Bug a chance at reading Finchosaurus.

Final Rating: 4/5

[Gail Gauthier · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Finchosaurus by Gail Donovan is what's known as a quiet book, in this case, a quiet book about a very realistic child in a realistic child situation. Finch is obsessed with dinosaurs. His knowledge of those creatures defines him. He develops a new obsession when he discovers a tiny note in his fifth-grade classroom's garden.

"Help," it says.

Finch sets to work to find out who wrote it. Who needs help, and how can Finch help him or her? This is his goal, and he takes steps to reach it. He tries to keep what he's doing to himself so that no one can take this new project from him, but slowly more and more people find out and become drawn into his plan. I must say, I didn't see the ending of this carefully plotted mini-mystery coming. But it definitely works."

This excerpt is from Original Content.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received my copy of Finchosaurus from the publisher on Edelweiss+.

Finch, an overactive child who's very into dinosaurs, finds a note in the ground while digging for fossils. He enlists the help of his friends and classmates to discern the author of the note. It's is an endearing story about friendship and helping others.

I also posted this to my blog.

[Cynthia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed Finchosaurus! It was touching and funny and sweet and a mystery that I never would’ve guessed the ending to myself! Way to go, Gail Donovan! Write on!

[Illey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow start, but terrific ending!

[Hope Irvin Marston · Rating 3 out of 5]

An easy-read fun book for middle grade science buffs.

Hope Irvin Marston, author of RISING FROM THE RUBBLE: THE RESTORATION OF BOLDT CASTLE

[Kester Nucum · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I received a free electronic copy of this book from the publisher for review consideration. This will not affect my review in any way.

I love Middle Grade novels, and Finchosaurus was a very cute novel about a boy wanting to help others in his class. Unfortunately, it didn't really connect with me very emotionally nor did it grab my attention and imagination that much. I'm sure many young children will love this book, but it wasn't for me. It wasn't really what I had expected, which may have affected my reading experience. (I was really looking forward to a lot dinosaur stuff but there wasn't that much in this book.)