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Creepy and True #3
Bones Unearthed!
Discover all the mysteries, facts, and discoveries about skeletons that are creepy—and true.
Have you ever wondered what lies beneath our feet? Bones have a story to tell—and not always a happy one.
Bones Unearthed!, book 3 of the Creepy and True series, investigates remarkable discoveries of skeletal remains and what they reveal about human civilization. Combining history with science, author Kerrie Logan Hollihan unearths the truth about famous bones by exploring forensic evidence, archaeology, anthropology, medicine, and folklore. Meticulously researched and respectful, yet light and humorous in tone, these cryptic tales of murder and mayhem span across cultures and millennia, covering everything from Aztec skull racks, the cannibals of Jamestown, and Benjamin Franklin’s basement boneyard, to frozen sailors in the Arctic and the centuries-long search for the body of King Richard III. From cemeteries to laboratories to excavation sites around the world, Bones Unearthed! digs deep into the graves of the dearly departed.
Have you ever wondered what lies beneath our feet? Bones have a story to tell—and not always a happy one.
Bones Unearthed!, book 3 of the Creepy and True series, investigates remarkable discoveries of skeletal remains and what they reveal about human civilization. Combining history with science, author Kerrie Logan Hollihan unearths the truth about famous bones by exploring forensic evidence, archaeology, anthropology, medicine, and folklore. Meticulously researched and respectful, yet light and humorous in tone, these cryptic tales of murder and mayhem span across cultures and millennia, covering everything from Aztec skull racks, the cannibals of Jamestown, and Benjamin Franklin’s basement boneyard, to frozen sailors in the Arctic and the centuries-long search for the body of King Richard III. From cemeteries to laboratories to excavation sites around the world, Bones Unearthed! digs deep into the graves of the dearly departed.
208 pages, Hardcover
Published November 23, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 12, 2021
This is the third book in the Creepy and True series. Book #2 was Ghosts Unveiled and Book #1 was Mummies Exposed. In this book we learn about ancient bones and what we’ve learned about what happened to those people since then. In many cases with new and improved CSI techniques we can find out more than what we new before.
Learn about the bones of a king, deicing the Franklin Expedition, The Calamity of Jane, Benajmin Franklin’s basement boneyard and more. The book is full colour with glossy pages. The book is full of photos and illustrations.
Just like book #2 it is heavy on the history. So if you like history and bones this is your ideal book. This is children’s nonfiction and designed for ages 10+ but adults can enjoy it too. Aspiring anthropologists will find this book interesting.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
Learn about the bones of a king, deicing the Franklin Expedition, The Calamity of Jane, Benajmin Franklin’s basement boneyard and more. The book is full colour with glossy pages. The book is full of photos and illustrations.
Just like book #2 it is heavy on the history. So if you like history and bones this is your ideal book. This is children’s nonfiction and designed for ages 10+ but adults can enjoy it too. Aspiring anthropologists will find this book interesting.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
April 29, 2022
The other night I totally impressed my husband with the answer to a Jeopardy question. I knew it from reading BONES UNEARTHED! by Kerrie Logan Hollihan. Two of the contestants were visibly bewildered by the final jeopardy clue from Ken Jennings. “DNA from two living descendants of Anne of York was used to identify the remains of this man.” My husband is a Jeopardy fan. I’m not, but I had plopped on the couch and for the final minutes of an episode.
It’s King Richard III, I said with aplomb. After a centuries-long search for the king’s body—who died in 1485 in the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses—his bones were recently dug up from beneath a parking lot in Leicester. His name cemented $34,000 in winnings for the contestant who knew the answer.
The discovery of King Richard III bones was one of my favorite stories in the book! Young readers will probably be more fascinated by the sections on grave robbers and cannibals (Jamestown settlers). Adults will be moved by the particulars of the ongoing effort to piece together and identify the jumbled skeletons of hundreds of US Navy seamen who died below decks of the USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Kerrie Logan Hollihan’s skillful writing makes this book an exceptional combination of history, science, and well-told story. What could be dry facts are conveyed in a light, humorous tone, while remaining respectful to the human beings whose bones are examined.
In each chapter covering a different study of bones, the author provides context, background and theories using primary source quotes and explanations of terms and locations. The scientific method is weaved throughout the book as readers are shown how theories are based on evidence, and that as new evidence is discovered, theories often change creating new science.
A friend took one look at this book and declared she had to get it for her students. She’s a middle school reading specialist. She said given how much her students like books on “gross” science a lot of them will want to try this one, especially her reluctant readers. “It will satisfy middle schooler’s fascination with true stories and the macabre and spooky,” she told me.
And yet, this book goes far beyond spooky and gross stories. Adults and perceptive young readers will be drawn in by the larger questions of what the discoveries of skeletal remains reveal about us and our civilization past and present.
One of stories tells of the search for the 1845 arctic expedition lead by John Franklin in search of the elusive Northwest Passage. He and his crew of 128 men disappeared after their ships became ice bound among the islands off the coast of Greenland. The search for the remains of these explorers and the story of what happened to them includes evidence from two types of sources: written records from colonial expeditions and oral histories of the Inuit people of the region. What understanding can we draw from the combination of this evidence?
A final stroke of good luck after reading this book? Finding two more in the series: Mummies Exposed! and Ghosts Unveiled! offering a host of science and history to staunch my curiosity for creepy and scary from history. When I finish the series, I’ll be set for a run on Jeopardy!
It’s King Richard III, I said with aplomb. After a centuries-long search for the king’s body—who died in 1485 in the last decisive battle of the Wars of the Roses—his bones were recently dug up from beneath a parking lot in Leicester. His name cemented $34,000 in winnings for the contestant who knew the answer.
The discovery of King Richard III bones was one of my favorite stories in the book! Young readers will probably be more fascinated by the sections on grave robbers and cannibals (Jamestown settlers). Adults will be moved by the particulars of the ongoing effort to piece together and identify the jumbled skeletons of hundreds of US Navy seamen who died below decks of the USS Oklahoma when the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor.
Kerrie Logan Hollihan’s skillful writing makes this book an exceptional combination of history, science, and well-told story. What could be dry facts are conveyed in a light, humorous tone, while remaining respectful to the human beings whose bones are examined.
In each chapter covering a different study of bones, the author provides context, background and theories using primary source quotes and explanations of terms and locations. The scientific method is weaved throughout the book as readers are shown how theories are based on evidence, and that as new evidence is discovered, theories often change creating new science.
A friend took one look at this book and declared she had to get it for her students. She’s a middle school reading specialist. She said given how much her students like books on “gross” science a lot of them will want to try this one, especially her reluctant readers. “It will satisfy middle schooler’s fascination with true stories and the macabre and spooky,” she told me.
And yet, this book goes far beyond spooky and gross stories. Adults and perceptive young readers will be drawn in by the larger questions of what the discoveries of skeletal remains reveal about us and our civilization past and present.
One of stories tells of the search for the 1845 arctic expedition lead by John Franklin in search of the elusive Northwest Passage. He and his crew of 128 men disappeared after their ships became ice bound among the islands off the coast of Greenland. The search for the remains of these explorers and the story of what happened to them includes evidence from two types of sources: written records from colonial expeditions and oral histories of the Inuit people of the region. What understanding can we draw from the combination of this evidence?
A final stroke of good luck after reading this book? Finding two more in the series: Mummies Exposed! and Ghosts Unveiled! offering a host of science and history to staunch my curiosity for creepy and scary from history. When I finish the series, I’ll be set for a run on Jeopardy!
November 1, 2022
There's a supply-chain disruption story for this book, which I waited nearly a year to get from my local library (which was not their fault!) but the wait was definitely worth it. Like the other two books in the series which I reviewed this time last year, this non-fiction book about…bones … is written in short chapters with lots of photos and text boxes with interesting facts to keep even the most reluctant reader glued to the page.
But let's face it. Who's not going to be glued to the page reading this?
There are nine chapters and the author starts with the finding of King Richard III's (of Shakespeare's famous play) body beneath the remains of an English church and the search for DNA from living relatives to confirm their ancestral King's identity.
She then moves on to my favorite-of-all-time volcanic eruption, Krakatoa, and how on the African coast of Tanzania / Zanzibar in 1884 people discovered pieces of human skeletons on the beaches. They were the unfortunate victims of Krakatoa's eruption 5,500 miles, an entire ocean, and 11 months earlier!
Similarly in 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and killed about 117,000 people, most of whose remains are still buried, but a few have been excavated to tell their final tales.
The author then moves on to examine my favorite fatal Arctic expedition, the Franklin Expedition, which left behind a trail of bones as the men fled the ship and struck out across the frozen tundra -- and either died or ate each other.
Cannibalism is a recurring theme, as the next chapter tackles Jamestown in 1609 and the Chilean soccer team whose plane crash landed in the Andes in 1972, although some survivors followed their strong Catholic faith and refused to partake. I can honestly say, I've taught all of these incidents to students in 7th/8th grades and they do tend to keep the kids riveted. Talk about high-interest reading.
The author then examines the highly-offensive 19th century practice of robbing graves for bodies for sale to medical schools, which had more medical students who needed to learn dissection techniques than they had a supply of donated-to-science cadavers to work on. She examines the remains found in several hallowed medical establishments, including Benjamin Franklin's basement.
Near the end of the book, she lays to rest the fiction that Anastasia, the Russian Tsar's youngest daughter, could've survived the Bolshevik Revolution's massacre of the rest of her family, by confirming her remains were found and identified.
This is an excellent non-fiction read!
Mr. Bones says, "Enjoy!"
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
But let's face it. Who's not going to be glued to the page reading this?
There are nine chapters and the author starts with the finding of King Richard III's (of Shakespeare's famous play) body beneath the remains of an English church and the search for DNA from living relatives to confirm their ancestral King's identity.
She then moves on to my favorite-of-all-time volcanic eruption, Krakatoa, and how on the African coast of Tanzania / Zanzibar in 1884 people discovered pieces of human skeletons on the beaches. They were the unfortunate victims of Krakatoa's eruption 5,500 miles, an entire ocean, and 11 months earlier!
Similarly in 1815, Mount Tambora erupted and killed about 117,000 people, most of whose remains are still buried, but a few have been excavated to tell their final tales.
The author then moves on to examine my favorite fatal Arctic expedition, the Franklin Expedition, which left behind a trail of bones as the men fled the ship and struck out across the frozen tundra -- and either died or ate each other.
Cannibalism is a recurring theme, as the next chapter tackles Jamestown in 1609 and the Chilean soccer team whose plane crash landed in the Andes in 1972, although some survivors followed their strong Catholic faith and refused to partake. I can honestly say, I've taught all of these incidents to students in 7th/8th grades and they do tend to keep the kids riveted. Talk about high-interest reading.
The author then examines the highly-offensive 19th century practice of robbing graves for bodies for sale to medical schools, which had more medical students who needed to learn dissection techniques than they had a supply of donated-to-science cadavers to work on. She examines the remains found in several hallowed medical establishments, including Benjamin Franklin's basement.
Near the end of the book, she lays to rest the fiction that Anastasia, the Russian Tsar's youngest daughter, could've survived the Bolshevik Revolution's massacre of the rest of her family, by confirming her remains were found and identified.
This is an excellent non-fiction read!
Mr. Bones says, "Enjoy!"
Looking for more book suggestions for your 7th/8th grade classroom and students?
Visit my blog, The Fabric of Words, for more great middle grade book recommendations, free teaching materials and fiction writing tips: https://amb.mystrikingly.com/
February 2, 2022
92%
Even as an adult with a degree in biological anthropology, I found this book to be both fascinating and titillating!
* easy to read and not pretentious; my two favourite things! oftentimes adult non-fiction books can be dense and kind of boring, and children non-fiction books can be too basic and vague - this book hit the happy spot in between
* I particularly enjoyed that this book included the progression of research over time and included both old and new research/opinions. sometimes we forget that science is a process and much of what we are taught are theories based on a set of facts, and that those theories change as we discover new things
* the author reached out to and corresponded with a lot of the researchers, which added depth and insight into the topics discussed
* the author was very respectful of the topics, despite the title having the word "creepy" in it; it wasn't treated a joke or as something gross, but came from a place of interest and consideration
* lots of great pictures!
Even as an adult with a degree in biological anthropology, I found this book to be both fascinating and titillating!
* easy to read and not pretentious; my two favourite things! oftentimes adult non-fiction books can be dense and kind of boring, and children non-fiction books can be too basic and vague - this book hit the happy spot in between
* I particularly enjoyed that this book included the progression of research over time and included both old and new research/opinions. sometimes we forget that science is a process and much of what we are taught are theories based on a set of facts, and that those theories change as we discover new things
* the author reached out to and corresponded with a lot of the researchers, which added depth and insight into the topics discussed
* the author was very respectful of the topics, despite the title having the word "creepy" in it; it wasn't treated a joke or as something gross, but came from a place of interest and consideration
* lots of great pictures!
August 10, 2024
From mutilated bones of a King of England to a lost Inuit tribe in Alaska, this book details some extremely rare and incredible excavation projects from around the world. With pictures and large text, the book is best suited for students in elementary and early middle school. Themes in the book focus on the bones that have been unearthed over the years after careful excavation as well as the stories that the bones can tell!
June 15, 2022
I think this book is okay. This book is not as that scary as i thought. But for the most of it the book was at the right length of pages.
October 7, 2022
P.S. I would give the book a 4.5 This book was super interesting I would definitely recommend it to anyone who is not squeamish or gets scared easily.
November 4, 2024
I'm a bit of a fan of creepy stuff, so even though this is a kids' book I read it. Not as much depth as an adult book of course, but good spread of weird and creepy stuff for younger readers.
October 2, 2023
Excellent! Packed full of history in easily accessible language. Interesting facts written in a fun way for young learners.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews