The Monster's Bones (Young Readers Edition): The Discovery of T. Rex and How It Shook Our World

by David K. Randall

The thrilling tale of America’s early paleontologists and the discovery of the first T. Rex fossil, now adapted for young readers. From the dust of the Gilded Age Bone Wars, two vastly different men emerge to fill the empty halls of New York’s struggling American Museum of Natural socialite Henry Fairfield Osborn and intrepid fossil hunter Barnum Brown. When Brown unearths the first Tyrannosaurus Rex fossils, Osborn sees a path to save his museum from irrelevancy. As the public turns out in droves to cower before this bone-chilling giant of the past and wonder at the mysteries of its disappearance, Brown and Osborn turn dinosaurs into a beloved part of culture. In this vivid and engaging young readers adaptation, New York Times best-selling author David K. Randall journeys from prehistory to present day, from remote Patagonia to the unforgiving Badlands of the American West to the penthouses of Manhattan. The Monster’s Bones reveals how a monster of a bygone era ignited a new understanding of our planet and our place within it. 20 black-and-white photographs

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published August 15, 2023

About the author

David K. Randall is a senior reporter at Reuters and has also written for Forbes, the New York Times, and New York magazine. He is an adjunct professor of journalism at New York University and lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The Monster’s Bones: The Discovery of T-Rex and How it Shook Our World” is David K. Randolph’s brilliantly told story of the golden age in American archeology that led to discovery in Hell Creek, Montana of the fossilized Tyrannosaurus Rex that astonished the world.

It’s a perfect story for young and adult readers as the author tells interesting tales of archeologists vying with each other to make the most astounding discoveries, but the main protagonist is Barnum “Dr. Bones” Brown, a paleontologist sponsored by the American Museum of Natural History who led an expedition in 1902 to Hell Creek where he unearthed T-Rex.

The book includes black-and-white photos of T-Rex and Triceratops skeletons on display, but as it’s intended for young readers, some illustrations imagining T-Rex and Triceratops duking it out in a primordial swamp millions of years ago would have been nice.

I highly recommend at 5 out of 5 stars!

[LPMS Library · Rating 4 out of 5]

A comprehensive overview of the quest to uncover dinosaur fossils in the late 1800s and early 1900s.

While several parts of the text were highly intresting and fascinating to learn about, younger readers may be confused by the jumbled narrative. While Barnum Brown is the main historical figure tracked throughout this book, his life story and timeline are interrupted at several points with detailed historical backgrounds and the thoughts/ actions of other people influential in the pursuit of collecting dinosaurs.

Readers just reading for information about the discovery of the T. Rex might want to consider just skipping to the end, since there's a few decades worth of history covered before the tyrant lizard king makes its debut.

A solid next read for the middle or high school student passionate about the history of bone-collecting in your life.

[Jennifer Sullivan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an abridged version, adapted for younger readers, and is a great read for anyone with a serious interest in dinosaurs and the history of fossil-hunting and one of its leaders, Barnum Brown. It briefly covers the "Bone Wars" and the fierce competition among fossil hunters, collectors, and museums.

[Ms. Yingling · Rating 3 out of 5]

E ARC provided by Edelweiss

This is a deep dive into the life of scientists who worked to uncover dinosaur artifacts and would be great for readers who want a LOT Of details.

[Melody · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story.

[B · Rating 3 out of 5]

There's quite a bit of really interesting and educational information in The Monster's Bones. I found it kind of neat, but my kids? Not so much.