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Dino Riders #5

How to Track a Pterodactyl

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Welcome to The Lost Plains! A wild west frontier where dinosaurs never went extinct. Josh Sanders wants to be the next great dinosaur cowboy! Ropin' raptors and ridin' bucking brontosauruses just like his hero Terrordactyl Bill. Too bad he's stuck working on his family's Iguanodon ranch, riding his ancient dino, Plodder. The closest Josh has ever been to a T-Rex is reading about them in his Dino Cowboy Handbook. To prove he has what it takes, Josh is determined to win the annual Settlement Race. But he's gonna need one fast dino to stand a chance. With the help of his friends Sam and Abi, Josh will need to tame a wild Triceratops! This wildly entertaining new chapter book series for ages 7 and up features exciting illustrations and real dino facts! A great way to get kids reading. And don't miss the next book in the How to Rope a Giganotosaurus.

128 pages, Paperback

Published September 4, 2018

21 people want to read

About the author

Will Dare

13 books8 followers

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5 stars
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12 (48%)
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2 (8%)
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
Profile Image for Schizanthus Nerd.
1,317 reviews302 followers
August 26, 2018
It’s the wild west with dinosaurs! What’s not to love?!

I enjoyed reading this book so much that I’ve just finished it for the second time. With adventure, action, humour, potential danger, friends and foes, and a childhood hero in the mix, this was always going to be a fun read. Once you add the dinosaurs and cowboys you’ve got yourself a book that I imagine would pique the interest of even the most reluctant of readers.

Summer is almost over and Josh is meeting his friends Sam and Abi at the annual Trihorn County Funfair for some fun before they go camping. The trio are watching when a group of pterodactyls arrive and carry Josh’s hero and “the fastest, meanest, and bravest dino rider the Lost Plains had ever seen”, Terrordactyl Bill, away. It’s up to Josh, Sam and Abi to save T-Bill! They’re joined by Josh’s nemesis, Amos, and Amos’ sidekick, Arthur. I loved that everyone, even the kids, ride on the backs of dinosaurs and especially liked Josh’s triceratops, Charge.

The accompanying illustrations by Mariano Epelbaum are a mix of greyscale images in the same style as the front cover image, which are amazing, and diagrams on ruled paper that are intended to look as though a kid has drawn them, complete with short descriptions and arrows pointing out the important bits. I really enjoyed the main illustrations although found that the details didn’t always match the details of the story.

As soon as I discovered this book I knew I had to read it. Marketed as a new chapter book series I assumed it was the first in the series and didn’t bother to check prior to beginning to read. I’ve since learned it’s the fifth book in the series and the sixth is scheduled to be released before the end of the year. While I had no trouble following along without having already read the earlier books I loved this one so much that I now want to read the entire series.

New Favourite Phrase: “Holy dino dung!”

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Sourcebooks Jabberwocky for the opportunity to read this book.
Profile Image for Carla.
7,522 reviews176 followers
July 4, 2018
I really enjoy this series of children's books. The stories take place in a wild west setting, but with dinosaurs. Who wouldn't enjoy that. This is the 4th book in the series.

Trihorn Settlement is having a fair when the pterodactyls attack. When they fly off with Josh's hero, Terrodactyl Bill (T-Bill) he and his friends set off to save him. Can they make it up the mountain? Will T-Bill be okay? Will they get attacked again? Read to find the answers to these questions and more.

This is a great book for anyone who loves dinosaurs. It is an early chapter book that late primary, early junior students would be able to read with help or independently. The illustrations are wonderful and add to the story. A great addition to school, classroom and family libraries. Definitely a winner with dinosaur lovers. The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book via Netgalley.
6,968 reviews83 followers
June 8, 2018
A good children book with a good adventure and some humor has well. Nothing extraordinary but a simplicity that does it!
Profile Image for Becky B.
9,238 reviews180 followers
May 23, 2020
Josh is super excited to meet his hero T-Bill at the fun fair in town, but an attacking flock of pterodactyls break up the fun fair and snatch up T-Bill. Josh and his friends decide to mount a rescue for the hero.

I liked that Amos and Arthur were more pleasant than usual in this one. Of course, they had some ulterior motives, but they proved they can be more team players under the proper motivation. The mountain woman they meet on their way to rescue T-Bill is a hoot. I hope she returns in the future. A fun little adventure in a Wild West reimagined with dinos.

Notes on content: A few perilous situations faced, but no one is seriously hurt.
Profile Image for Jodie.
2,262 reviews
August 23, 2018
I really like this series. My nephew loves cowboys and dinosaurs, so this is the absolute perfect chapter book series for him. When I get him the new one and we sit there and read through it together, he gets so excited. Love these books.
Profile Image for The Endless Unread.
3,419 reviews63 followers
June 5, 2018
A great little children's book with such creative imagination. I adored the storyline and I loved the little illustrations.
Profile Image for Emily.
2,271 reviews
June 21, 2018
It’s a good book for kids beginning to read chapter books as it will keep kids interested. I think it will work well for our read aloud program at the library!
Profile Image for Jonesy.Reads.
589 reviews18 followers
August 28, 2018
Will Dare's "How to Track a Pterodactyl" is an excellent story for any young child with an interest in dinosaurs. A great introduction to chapter books for early readers, with just enough illustrations to hold their attention. A tale full of action and adventure with some laugh out loud funny parts thrown in for giggles. As soon as my son and I finished reading this together he asked if we could please read all the others in the series. Highly recommended! 9 year old approved!
Profile Image for Naomi Downing.
Author 2 books15 followers
July 9, 2018
This is a really good book for young children, I read a little to my son each night for his bedtime story and he absolutely loved it.
Profile Image for Missy Block.
144 reviews6 followers
August 8, 2018
Written in the spirit of the Wild West, this book is sure to capture the imagination of any child. Everything from a bully at the county fair, to riding Dino’s, to a swarm of pterodactyls. The illustrations are amazing and on point with the storyline. This book could be read out loud to a slower paced reader, or even read by an older child to a younger just starting.
1,920 reviews6 followers
August 31, 2018
A big thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC. I am voluntarily reviewing this book. This is a children's adventure story. My only problem with the book is that there is no explanation why they are dinosaurs everywhere. Other than that, it is a fun adventure. There are twists and it is fast paced. This graphics are a little juvenile but the story was interesting. I rate this a 3.5. I think most 3-5 graders would enjoy.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews

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