Eric Mark Braun

This narrative story is a really fun and engaging way to introduce the scientific method to kids and then practice using it. You can also talk about how you can use it in everyday life just like Margaret does. Using the information in the book you could make an anchor chart with each step (the steps are listed in the top right as the reader learns them) and then practice applying by getting given a mystery to solve by the teacher, kind of like Margaret does in the book. The book also uses the vocabulary word: hypothesis which would be a great thing to discuss and you could create sentence frames to use the vocabulary word in discussion when they practice applying the scientific method. Also, there is a glossary at the back of the book which is a text feature that would be beneficial to discuss and other words and phrases used throughout the text that you can define with the students.… (más)

I originally had a bunch of the "You Choose" books from Capstone in nonfiction, but earlier this year I moved most of them over to fiction under the call number "YOU" and ordered more. One of the sets I ordered was a selection of prehistoric times and I showed this one to my staff, whose answer was "no." Happily, the kids are a bit more optimistic!

Capstone's You Choose use the familiar choose your own adventure style, with the added bonus of nonfiction elements. Depending on which series you select, you can try to survive in a hostile wilderness adventure, during dangerous historical time periods, or in some very creepy haunted places! This series drops the reader back through time in different prehistoric periods, specifically the Cretaceous Period. That means... dinosaurs!

The framing story is that you are sitting in class, a little bored, and your teacher leaves the room. You go to look at the odd mist rising from a prehistoric terrarium... and you find yourself trapped in the Cretaceous Period! You have 33 choices - choose wisely, or you might die from an infection, get eaten by a dinosaur, or come to many other nasty ends. If you, and any friends trapped with you, make the right choices, you might survive and settle down in this strange old world, or you might make it back to your classroom. But be careful! Danger lurks everywhere...

The last chapter explains the Cretaceous Period, shows a timeline, give some discussion questions, an includes links and books for further reading, a brief glossary, bibliography, and index.

Verdict: Of course most of the stories end in death, but it's not graphically described. Despite the cover, there's little gore and the black and white sketches that accompany the story aren't scary. This joins a series that's perfect for I Survived and Choose Your Own Adventure fans, especially those who like nonfiction. They are available in paperback as well as library binding.

ISBN: 9781543574012; Published 2020 by Capstone; Review copy provided by publisher; Donated to the library; Paperback edition purchased for the library… (más)