Thunder Run

Dactyl Hill Squad #3

by Daniel José Older

Magdalys' connection with the dinosaurs has led the US Army to some important victories, but the Civil War's not over yet and the squad finds itself fighting deep in the Louisiana bayou. Then General Ulysses S. Grant himself entrusts Magdalys with a top secret mission -- one that the very success of the Union depends on. Because as the friends will soon find out, the United States has more than one enemy.
Imperial troops are gathering along the Mexican border, forming an alliance with the Confederates in pursuit of spreading slavery, and suddenly the Union is facing battles on two fronts. But they are barely holding their own against one army. How can they possibly defeat two?
As New Orleans is surrounded, and desperate battle plans laid, Magdalys and her friends set off to disrupt a scheme that would destroy everything she cares about. But to do it, she'll have to push her dino wrangling skills further than she's ever been able to before. Can Magdalys defeat the fiercest rival she's ever faced and save the fractured nation?

Genres: Middle Grade, Historical Fiction, Fantasy, Dinosaurs, Fiction, Childrens, Science Fiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published June 2, 2020

About the author

Daniel José Older is the New York Times bestselling author of the Young Adult series the Shadowshaper Cypher (Scholastic), the Bone Street Rumba urban fantasy series (Penguin), and the upcoming Middle Grade sci-fi adventure Flood City (Scholastic). He won the International Latino Book Award and has been nominated for the Kirkus Prize, the Mythopoeic Award, the Locus Award, the Andre Norton Award, and yes, the World Fantasy Award. Shadowshaper was named one of Esquire’s 80 Books Every Person Should Read. You can find his thoughts on writing, read dispatches from his decade-long career as an NYC paramedic and hear his music at http://danieljoseolder.net/, on youtube and @djolder on twitter.

Reviews

[Karin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Someday the world will recognize how epically awesome this series in and I'll be able to say "I KNOW RIGHT?!?" but until then I'll keep talking it up and handing it out and describing how amazing it is to combine civil war history with modern lens of social justice and fantastical elements in the form of TELEPATHIC CONNECTIONS TO DINOSAURS. OK, I'll stop. But srsly. I love this series.

[Llyr Heller-Humphreys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent series

[Becky B · Rating 4 out of 5]

Magdalys has finally found her brother, but her job is far from done. The Confederates are moving in on New Orleans and someone has to warn the Union troops there. Drek is also still on the loose and obviously involved in a huge operation even further south. But just what are he and his cohorts planning, and how Magdalys and her special unit can stop him is a very big question.

Aww, I'm sad to see this series come to an end. I loved the way Older used dinos to teach kids about real historical figures and battles and human rights issues in a way that is exciting and keeps the pages flying. This one teaches about the battle for New Orleans and speeds up history a little (thanks to dino travel speed) to have Napoleon's plot involving Mexico mixed in too (even though it really didn't happen until the Spanish American War a little later). There's a splendid section in the back of the book explaining who and what is historical in this book and what the author made up. Magdalys is a plucky character to follow around, but she's doubting her own skills and gets connected to an older dino wrangler in New Orleans who has some great wisdom to pass on but some things Magdalys has to learn the hard way (especially the most important lesson at all, and it is an important one for all of us, even those without dinos to wrangle). The narrator for the audio book did an amazing job with all the voices and even did sound effects for the different dinos! It was impressive and though I'm often hesitant to listen to audio books featuring characters I've already imagined for myself in my head for fear they won't match up, this was splendid. If you are looking for a series that will get kids thinking about racial inequality in American in the past (and present) as well as teach them a thing or two about US Civil War history, and let them have fun with dinos, I can't recommend this enough.

Notes on content: No language issues that I remember. No sexual content. There is a war going on and deaths and injuries of humans and dinos are mentioned (no gory details).

[Janell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish books like this had been around when I was a tween! The main character is a young woman of color who has the ability to ... telepathically communicate with dinosaurs. Which is handy, because the Civil War is going on and the Union needs all of the help it can get. Sometimes, the Union leaders even realize that. Other times, not so much. This book takes place in and around New Orleans, and then in Mexico, near the American border. This is a series that deals with prejudice, coming-of-age, the origins of jazz, the importance of friendship, and much, much more, in a series where each book provides some closure but is still part of a larger arc. And all of that is presented in a way that (at least to my eyes) would be very enjoyable to young readers. So go find the first book in the series, Dactyl Hill Squad, and get reading! Or give the series to some kid as a present. Spread the word. :)

[Carolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had to read this quick before I put it in my classroom library. SO GOOD. Such a satisfying third book although I could not say that it ends with a real “this series is over” bang. I love how this author tells a fascinating story, has so many fun fantasy details to keep the reader involved and at the same time so easy and succinctly depicts historical racism. This is how you teach kids how what racism looks like, feels like, what it does to a community, country, etc. This just proves how easy it is to be honest and thoughtful while still being interesting and fun and engaging. These are the books we need.

[Sara · Rating 3 out of 5]

One certainly hopes a fourth installment will be announced as major plot threads are left incomplete at the end of this volume. Aside from Magdalys and Mapper, the orphans comprising the Dactyl Hill Squad are absent in this volume, though other characters give brief updates about their whereabouts. Readers are also introduced to new characters only to be pulled in yet another direction.

Older does an admirable job of introducing complex historical topics to young readers, but this is overshadowed by the weird pacing and dangling threads.

3/5

[Kristin Jaques · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 / 5

[Celeste · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one of the best series I have ever read.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

*4.5