Ruth Kirk (1925–2018)

I had not realized until reading this book how notable the Ozette diggings were in archaeological circles. This is a nice, moderate length book on the unearthing of prehistoric Makah houses in an old village at Ozette. An excellent book for lay archaeologists. I now plan to visit the museum in Neah Bay where the artifacts are displayed.

This is a history book on Mt. Rainier Park, but it does have spectacular scenic pictures mixed in with the history text and historical pictures. The back cover is a nice painting. History is detailed so the book provides a good reference to add to your hiking, scenic, and natural history literature on this park.

This is on a topic I'm very interested in, but the approach was often not interesting at all, especially considering it was supposed to be written for children. There is too much time spent on when and where the professor is teaching/working rather than on the archaeological dig itself. When the story finally focuses on the dig and its finds, it is fine. 2.5 stars.

Concentrating on the history of Death Valley, and the immutable bits that make the valley such a wondrous area to visit, its remarkably up to date in spite of the fact that the National Monument grew by nearly 50% and became a National Park in 1994. So from this base, you have a solid grounding to help you explore the additions.