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The Bone Wars
A major children's novel set in the Black Hills.
In the mid-1870s, young teenage scout Thad Longsworth, blood brother to the Sioux visionary Black Elk, finds his destiny linked with that of three rival teams of paleontologists searching for dinosaur bones, as the Great Plains Native Americans prepare to go to war against the US government.
In the mid-1870s, young teenage scout Thad Longsworth, blood brother to the Sioux visionary Black Elk, finds his destiny linked with that of three rival teams of paleontologists searching for dinosaur bones, as the Great Plains Native Americans prepare to go to war against the US government.
384 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1988
72 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Lasky
266 books2,278 followersKathryn Lasky, also known as Kathryn Lasky Knight and E. L. Swann, is an award-winning American author of over one hundred books for children and adults. Best known for the Guardians of Ga’Hoole series, her work has been translated into 19 languages and includes historical fiction, fantasy, and nonfiction.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
August 22, 2020
This book reminds me a lot of my favorite reads from childhood- a lot of vibes from My Side of the Mountain and anything by Scott O’Dell.
I enjoyed most of it EXCEPT that Prologue. It’s definitely NOT middle grade, more adult.
It’s my second book about the Bone Wars read this week and what a tumultuous period of time in American History- quite the adventure story. Kathryn Lasky does an excellent job transporting me there with her historical fiction narrative.
I enjoyed most of it EXCEPT that Prologue. It’s definitely NOT middle grade, more adult.
It’s my second book about the Bone Wars read this week and what a tumultuous period of time in American History- quite the adventure story. Kathryn Lasky does an excellent job transporting me there with her historical fiction narrative.
May 8, 2021
Awful- finally bailed on the book on page 152. The prologue made it too harsh for kids under ~14, because of the violent rape and murder of his mother, but then the book meandered and never really got interesting. Add to that its political messaging and there was no reason to continue. I like historical novels but this one goes no where.
I buy my books used- feel guilty returning it to the thrift store.
I buy my books used- feel guilty returning it to the thrift store.
July 17, 2014
I had been looking for this book for several months, if not longer. I could only remember a few details about it and thus, couldn't find it. Then I did!
Interesting story about the start of paleontology in the US and the difference between academia and public. Set during Custer's Last Stand and other important Native American history, an interesting read.
Interesting story about the start of paleontology in the US and the difference between academia and public. Set during Custer's Last Stand and other important Native American history, an interesting read.
March 12, 2012
Read this book as a child. I loved it, but then I was in my Dino stage back then.
January 14, 2024
I got this free from a bookshop I used to volunteer at. It seemed like it might be pretty good. I finally picked it up and it’s to THAT prologue. The hero is under the bed and smells a ‘low rank smell’ and feels shaking under the bed where his mom stashed him. She has male visitors come and usually has him go into the closet but sometimes under the bed where she kept a blanket for him. But not when one certain man came because he was ‘real rough.’ What in the…
He hears pounding and a grunt and sees his mom’s hand with bloody nails hang over the bed and sees scratch marks on the man’s back. He wakes up to hear neighbors saying his mom is dead and to close her eyes and put her tongue back in. This is not remotely fit for a kid’s book. How was this approved?? I’m an adult and Idw read this!
He stopped talking for two years. And the man taking care of him ends up dying too. This is so depressing.
Julian was more interesting, a fresh break being in his POV but I didn’t care for his part much either. Just not interested.
What a shame because it’s about the Sioux fighting with the government over the Black Hills, their sacred land. How interesting! And paleontologists—bone hunters—fighting over fossils.
On one hand an orphan American, on the other a rich aristocrat’s son. Thad sounds interesting being an expert tracker and hunter. They look for fossils in the Black Hills under the protection of General George Custer. He is friends with the Lakota Sioux too. What promise. So much potential.
I had made up my mind to DNF here but I thought this book could be good, I was interested in the paleontology so I didn’t want to give up. Turns out I could have…
I pushed through this entire book the next day. I started skimming from where I left off, stopping at any dialogue that looked interesting and then read straight through the rest of the book.
I like the mention of Sitting Bull in the black hills, and Crazy Horse. Even mentioning them would scare white people. NA’s call the Black Hulls Paha Sapa.
Crazy Horse’s signature was a red lightning bolt.
Mr. Stevens was a cool character. I liked him, even though he was a gambler, but him gambling for the ship was fun.
I liked the mention of real characters, the native Americans, and others and how some events really did happen in here.
There were some more inappropriate parts that were not child-friendly. A mention of a prostitute giving this man’s money back because he was so green and to try another time. Not sure exactly what was going on with Julian’s dad and his sidekick that whipped Julian, but it seemed to be hinting at something…
This is way too thick for the content. It’s all over the place, one minute fossil hunting, the next with the Indians. It didn’t know what it wanted to be and to me, those two plots didn’t go together. It was kind of jarring. I think it would have been more successful if it had just been about paleontology.
I was really pushing to finish and it just kept dragging on. If you cut out the unnecessary parts this book would be much shorter. I didn’t understand if they end up such good friends why it took them so long to meet in the book. I got the two teams mixed up and thought Thad was on Julian’s dad’s team and would meet Julian soon but it was their rival’s team! Lots of names to keep up with.
I liked the last chapter on them when they’re old, even though that part of it was depressing I liked the humor in their letters to each other, how new archeologists wore the hats and the little shorts and they didn’t have the legs for it.
1.5 stars
He hears pounding and a grunt and sees his mom’s hand with bloody nails hang over the bed and sees scratch marks on the man’s back. He wakes up to hear neighbors saying his mom is dead and to close her eyes and put her tongue back in. This is not remotely fit for a kid’s book. How was this approved?? I’m an adult and Idw read this!
He stopped talking for two years. And the man taking care of him ends up dying too. This is so depressing.
Julian was more interesting, a fresh break being in his POV but I didn’t care for his part much either. Just not interested.
What a shame because it’s about the Sioux fighting with the government over the Black Hills, their sacred land. How interesting! And paleontologists—bone hunters—fighting over fossils.
On one hand an orphan American, on the other a rich aristocrat’s son. Thad sounds interesting being an expert tracker and hunter. They look for fossils in the Black Hills under the protection of General George Custer. He is friends with the Lakota Sioux too. What promise. So much potential.
I had made up my mind to DNF here but I thought this book could be good, I was interested in the paleontology so I didn’t want to give up. Turns out I could have…
I pushed through this entire book the next day. I started skimming from where I left off, stopping at any dialogue that looked interesting and then read straight through the rest of the book.
I like the mention of Sitting Bull in the black hills, and Crazy Horse. Even mentioning them would scare white people. NA’s call the Black Hulls Paha Sapa.
Crazy Horse’s signature was a red lightning bolt.
Mr. Stevens was a cool character. I liked him, even though he was a gambler, but him gambling for the ship was fun.
I liked the mention of real characters, the native Americans, and others and how some events really did happen in here.
There were some more inappropriate parts that were not child-friendly. A mention of a prostitute giving this man’s money back because he was so green and to try another time. Not sure exactly what was going on with Julian’s dad and his sidekick that whipped Julian, but it seemed to be hinting at something…
This is way too thick for the content. It’s all over the place, one minute fossil hunting, the next with the Indians. It didn’t know what it wanted to be and to me, those two plots didn’t go together. It was kind of jarring. I think it would have been more successful if it had just been about paleontology.
I was really pushing to finish and it just kept dragging on. If you cut out the unnecessary parts this book would be much shorter. I didn’t understand if they end up such good friends why it took them so long to meet in the book. I got the two teams mixed up and thought Thad was on Julian’s dad’s team and would meet Julian soon but it was their rival’s team! Lots of names to keep up with.
I liked the last chapter on them when they’re old, even though that part of it was depressing I liked the humor in their letters to each other, how new archeologists wore the hats and the little shorts and they didn’t have the legs for it.
1.5 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2025
This book was recommended to me by ChatGPT when I asked for a young adult fiction book about the Bone Wars. Its compentently written but I lost interest. Im not even sure why, possibly the author's research was making the book a bit stodgy.
I'd read a fair amount, but the only war that looked like it was about to start was the one with General Custer, and our two main characters had not yet met each other. It was a little hard keeping all the archeological expeditions and who was on which one straight.
Interesting period of time - I might try ChatGPT's other recommendation Dragon Teeth by Michael Crighton.
I'd read a fair amount, but the only war that looked like it was about to start was the one with General Custer, and our two main characters had not yet met each other. It was a little hard keeping all the archeological expeditions and who was on which one straight.
Interesting period of time - I might try ChatGPT's other recommendation Dragon Teeth by Michael Crighton.
April 9, 2020
This book was also quite bad, but it -was- the fun kind of bad.
February 4, 2022
Had this book since middle school and I finally finished it. It’s been in my possession for close to 20 years now and it’s finally over. It was….ok.
April 3, 2016
(3.5) There were serious pacing and plot issues with this (WHY the start? It didn't really seem to add to the story development, and just limits the age audience) and I felt like great chunks could have been cut without sacrificing anything important - the net effect is that it feels like a book that couldn't make up its mind about its core story (paleontology wars? Native American woes? how to survive in the West?) but it was engaging and the actual bone wars bits made me possibly more interested in dinosaurs than I've ever been (not saying much, I missed the dinosaur fascination gene & got the fairytale one instead). Plus it has a shoutout to the Crystal Palace dinosars which are apparently amusing misguided, although the best the Victorians could do at the time. I've not been, I didn't realise they existed when I lived there, but it's on my tourist list for next time.
February 21, 2010
Another YA by this author...brings back memories of my intense childhood interest in paleontology.
Overall, a disappointment. There were way too many characters. I found the Thaddeus character the more interesting perspective. The Julian perspective seemed to get in the way.
However, a good education on how the "science" of paleontology was done in the early days.
Overall, a disappointment. There were way too many characters. I found the Thaddeus character the more interesting perspective. The Julian perspective seemed to get in the way.
However, a good education on how the "science" of paleontology was done in the early days.
April 13, 2011
Hmmm...glad she went on to write the Guardians of Gahoole series....not her best.
January 9, 2013
Wild West setting, featuring a budding paleontologist in a very new field.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews