Bone Beds of the Badlands

The Dylan Maples Adventures #3

by Shane Peacock

The scariest Dylan Maples adventure yet, in which Dylan, his buddies and a new character named Dorothy Osborne fear that the bizarre, seven-foot, escaped killer “The Reptile” is on their trail while they search for dinosaur fossils in the eerie badlands of Alberta.

Genres: Mystery

Paperback

First published August 17, 2001

About the author

Shane Peacock was born in 1957 in Thunder Bay, Ontario, one of four brothers. He attended school in the northern town of Kapuskasing, Ontario, before attending university, where he studied History and English literature. A biographer, journalist, and screenwriter, he is also the author of eighteen novels, a picture book and three plays, and has been won and/or been nominated for numerous awards including two Arthur Ellis Awards for crime fiction, the Geoffrey Bilson Award for historical fiction, the Violet Downey Award, the Libris Award, seven times honored with Junior Library Guild of America selections, and has been on three shortlists for the Canadian Children's Literature Award, and one for the Governor-General's Award. His books have been published in 20 languages in 18 countries. He and his wife, journalist Sophie Kneisel live in Cobourg, Ontario and have two daughters and a son.

Series:
* The Dylan Maples Adventures
* The Boy Sherlock Holmes
The Dark Missions of Edgar Brim
The Seven Series

Awards:
Arthur Ellis Award
◊ Best Juvenile (2008): Eye of the Crow
The Arthur Ellis (2013)
The Violet Downey Award
The Libris Award
The Geoffrey Bilson Award
The Ruth & Sylvia Schwartz Award
Anne Izard Storyteller Choice Award
Junior Library Guild of America Selection (7 times)
Governor-General's Award (shortlist)
TD Canadian Children's Literature Award (shortlist)

Reviews

[Merrilyn Tucker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in the Dylan Maples Adventures series is definitely scary and kept me on the edge of my seat! Dylan and his best buds win a big science competition and earn a trip to the badlands of southern Alberta, home of millions of dinosaur fossils. They are beyond excited even though they have to travel with their nerdy science teacher and his wife as chaperones. At the same time as they embark on their trip, a seven-foot-tall murderer named Reptile escapes from his captors at the Calgary courthouse. The Reptile heads to southern Alberta's badlands because of its incredible hiding places in the canyons and caves. Once the word is out that the Reptile and the field trip are in the same area, Mr. Norris the science teacher decides it's time to call off the trip and head home. They are on one last adventure when the kids fall through a collapse in a hillside and can't find their way out. Only the Reptile knows where they are and he goes after them. This mystery is at times frightening and funny and is filled with gorgeous scene descriptions. It made me want to see this part of Canada, without the Reptile present, of course.

[Digitally Lit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ariela- Bone Beds of the Badlands is the 3rd book in the Dylan Maples Adventure Series. I’m really just bingeing this series. It’s really good. As you probably know. So with this book I really enjoyed the fast pacing that came with it. It was a good buildup to the action, and it all starts when Dylan and his besties win a science fair with this mechanical life size T-Rex thing they “built”. (It was actually their dads who built it for them, but you don’t need to know that 😉). So Dylan wins, obviously because how can you NOT win after submitting a real life T-Rex to a science fair, and they get to go on a science trip to Alberta. Specifically to the town of Drumheller, where there is a dangerous killer on the loose who is wanted all over Canada. So everyone is freaking out and stuff because like “it’s not safe there’s a murderer on there loose” and this guy is called “The Reptile” and he’s like 7th tall and wears really big shoes. I think this was a really nice book, it had me anticipating what was going to come next, and it was very fast paced. I just kinda wish that it was a little bit longer, because it was really short. All of these novels are bite sized. But I enjoyed this mini adventure and can’t wait for another one.
_____
Savannah:
What a great book this was! I dived into the third book in the Dylan Maple adventure series and it did not disappoint. I have been having so much fun with this series and they have been such quick fast paced reads.

These books are so fun and filled with details it’s hard not to enjoy them. The mysteries are very unpredictable and a great way to immerse yourself in reading. Each book Dylan gets introduced to new friends who accompany him throughout his little journeys which I think is so fun and refreshing to always have new faces. I loved the whole Reptile plot and how he was described and I also enjoyed all the sensory details in this book.

This book was my least favourite in the series but I still enjoyed it very much. I recommend these books to anyone looking for a quick fun read they know they’ll enjoy!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Nikki in Niagara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reason for Reading: next in the series

I have thoroughly enjoyed the first two books in this series and book three brings forth the best of the series by far. Peacock has written a true thriller that will keep kids on the edge of their seats. Certainly much more scarier than the previous two and as a reader I can see a bit of the author's talent for the gripping "Boy Sherlock Holmes" series starting to shine through in this book. Once again Peacock totally changes the scenery and cast of characters to bring a fresh new story for Dylan making sure this series never suffers from "series sameness". Dylan and three friends (all on the same hockey team) have won a trip to Drumheller, Alberta due to winning a science fair. Accompanied by their science teacher and his wife, upon their arrival news reaches them that one of Canada's most dangerous criminals has just escaped from an Alberta prison and is probably heading the same way they are going. Now Peacock never used the words "serial killer" to describe this killer but it is implied through the various words and phrases used to describe the escapee and his crimes.

Of course, it is predictable that the kids will get separated from the adults, meet up with said criminal, have there lives threatened and have a slight hand in apprehending the man who looks as scary as he sounds. But it is a riveting ride through unique territory as the group explore the badlands of Alberta. Once they arrive at the Royal Tyrell Museum they are met up with another group of same-aged local students and a girl, Dorothy, is added to their group as the voice of local guide. Of course, Dylan, though never having romances, seems to be a girl-magnet and the two become close friends and they become the main characters, together propelling the plot along. A great story any mystery loving juvenile or pre-teen is going to love!

I'm highly recommending this series especially for its geographic introduction to different areas of Canada. This time though, I was particularly biased, as I lived in Calgary at the time the book was written and had been to Drumheller and visited all the sites mentioned. Peacock did a fabulous job of describing the ever changing land of Alberta and the strange world of the Hoodoos. When one rounds the curve on the highway and is suddenly faced with Horseshoe Canyon, Peacock's use of the word of feeling like one has arrived on "Mars" is brilliant!

[Mills College Library]

Fiction P356b 2018