Bones in the Badlands

Time Spies #2

by Candice Ransom, Greg Call (Illustrator)

When Alex, Mattie, and Sophie touch the spyglass, they find themselves hurtled back to 1898, where real-life dinosaur cowboy Walter Granger has a job for them. Granger has discovered a secret cache of dinosaur skeletons. But someone�s trying to steal the bones for himself. Can the Time Spies catch the thief before the spyglass sends them home?

�Candice Ransom�s spare writing style should make history accessible to reluctant readers.�

�Vivian Vande Velde, author of A Hidden Magic

Genres: Historical Fiction, Mystery

128 pages, Paperback

First published October 10, 2006

Reviews

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

First sentence: Mattie peered into the dining room.

Premise/plot: In the first book in the series, Secret in the Tower, readers meet three siblings who time travel: Alex, Mattie, and Sophie. (Sophie the youngest always, always, always brings her elephant, Ellsworth, along). The first adventure has the three going to 1781 in Virginia to witness Revolutionary War heroes in action. The second adventure has the three going to the Badlands in 1898 to meet up with archaeologists hunting dinosaur bones. It is a risky life! For there's quite a competition going on between paleontologists! The children will have to use their spying skills for sure!

My thoughts: I definitely enjoyed this one. I stand by what I said in my review of the first book. I think I would have definitely loved the series as a kid. This one should prove appealing to anyone interested in time travel, adventure, spying, or dinosaurs!

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Simple but exciting time travel stories for those just entering the "chapter book" world of reading. Definitely hand these to those who are devouring Magic Tree House stories.

[Alysha DeShaé · Rating 4 out of 5]

What better than dinosaur bones and archaeological digs to entertain a child while also teaching them a little bit (a very little bit) about history. Most of what is "learned" in this book is only in the very back in a somewhat boring letter from their Travel Guide. This book has less history in the "meat" of the book than it's predecessor, but I would say it's still worth a read and children will still enjoy it.

[Poonguzhali · Rating 5 out of 5]

they touched their spy glasses and found out that they were back in the past where dinosours lived.they searched for bones while someone was trying the bones they found

[May]

8/17/10