The 50 State Fossils: A Guidebook for Aspiring Paleontologists

by Yinan Wang, Jane Levy (Illustrator)

Overview

An engaging and award-winning kids' guide to the official US state fossils.

Winner of the Silver Medal in the Juvenile–Young Adult Nonfiction category from the Independent Publisher Book Awards

Did you know that Illinois's state fossil is the weird-looking Tully Monster, which had eyes on a pair of stalks and an elephant-like trunk that ended in a toothed claw? Or that Idaho's state fossil is the stocky Hagerman horse, named for the town where its bones were found? Fossils can be found in every state, and this engaging guidebook brings these ancient organisms to life.

• Each state entry contains details about the state fossil; an illustration of what the vertebrate, invertebrate, or plant looked like; a photograph or drawing of the fossil; and a state map showing where it can be found.
• Potential fossil candidates are proposed for states that do not yet have official state fossils, along with instructions on how to get state fossils designated.
• An appendix lists museums and parks where these fossils can be studied first-hand.

This book is a fun resource for fossil enthusiasts and future paleontologists of all ages.

Check out all the books in the 50 States Geoscience for Kids Series:
The 50 State Fossils: A Guidebook for Aspiring Paleontologists (9780764355578)
The 50 State Gems and Minerals: A Guidebook for Aspiring Geologists (9780764359958)
The 50 State Unofficial Meteorites: A Guidebook for Aspiring Meteoriticists (9780764365089)

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780764355578
Publisher:	Schiffer Publishing, Ltd.
Publication date:	10/28/2018
Series:	50 States Geoscience for Kids Series , #1
Pages:	72
Product dimensions:	10.00(w) x 7.00(h) x 0.60(d)
Lexile:	1170L (what's this?)
Age Range:	7 - 10 Years

About the Author

Yinan Wang started collecting minerals and fossils as a kid, and he still does. His love of rocks brought him to Princeton University, where he graduated with a degree in geosciences. He later became interested in meteorites and now keeps an eye out for them everywhere he goes.
He is a coauthor of numerous paleontological research papers and is the author of The 50 State Gems and Minerals, The 50 State Unofficial Meteorites, and The 50 State Fossils,
which received the IPPY Award 2019 Silver Medal in the Juvenile–Young
Adult Nonfiction category from the Independent Publisher Book Awards.
Yinan lives in Arlington, Virginia.


Jane Levy has a passion for art and education and an MFA from the Ohio State University.

Editorial Reviews

What youngster hasn’t dreamed about finding interesting old fossils in the big dig he or she is making in the back yard? This fun non-fiction book will inspire youngsters to learn about the different states and the fossils that have been declared to represent each state. Not every state has one — three states have state dinosaurs and one has a state stone but no fossil and six have nothing, but the book includes recommendations for those states. A good introduction explains what fossils are and how they formed, excellent information about fossil hunting, and more. Then there are pages for each state that include a map of the state, a drawing of the animal or plant from which the fossil comes, well-written and well-researched information about the plant or animal, and a good photograph of the fossil. While many states have chosen dinosaurs, there are many other animals and some plants chosen — fish, sea creatures, trees, and other plants, even a special kind of wood. The variety is amazing and fun to read about. Budding paleontologists will love this book, as will kids interested in animals and fossils, which is just about every kid out there.

Rosi Hollinbeck

An impressively informative guidebook brings these ancient organisms to life. Each state entry contains details about the state fossil; an illustration of what the vertebrate, invertebrate, or plant looked like; a photograph or drawing of the fossil; and a state map showing where it can be found. Potential fossil candidates are proposed for states that do not yet have official state fossils, along with instructions on how to get state fossils designated. Of special note is the inclusion of an appendix that lists museums and parks where these fossils can be studied first-hand, making "The 50 State Fossils" a fun resource and inspiration for fossil enthusiasts and future paleontologists of all ages that is unreservedly recommended for family, school, and community library collections.

Midwest Book Review

50 State Fossils is one of those books a kid will carry to the museum to refer to while wandering through exhibits (I know I used to) and makes for a great book to give dino fans. It’s a nice add to nonfiction collections and a good gift idea.

Rosemary Kiladitis

Young fossil hunters and geographical trivia fanciers will find Yinan Wang's The 50 State Fossils: A Guidebook for Aspiring Paleontologists full of fascinating fossils. But this lively illustrated handbook is more than a gee-whiz look at geographical lore for the fifty states. Scientist Wang explains what fossils are and the different processes (premineralization, mineral replacement, carbonization and original remains preserved in tar or amber) by which they are formed and also offers a run-through of the terminology of time (eons, eras, and epochs) and taxonomy (kingdom, phylum, class, order, family, genus, species) as background information for middle readers in understanding the paleontology of the United States.. There is a useful appendix—Glossary, Places to See Fossils, bibliography (Further Reading), and Index, including states and scientific terms. With color photographs and illustrative drawings by Jane Levy, this one is great for student doing science and geography research projects and browsers as well, and belongs in libraries serving elementary and middle school students.

BooksForKidsBlog

This dense, state-by-state guidebook would make an excellent gift for a school-aged child consumed with a serious dinosaur obsession. Who wouldn’t want to know exactly what kind of infamous dinosaur or prehistoric animal lived in their own backyard? (6 Non-Fiction Books for Dinosaur Obsessed Kids)

The Children’s Book Review

This dense, state-by-state guidebook would make an excellent gift for a school-aged child consumed with a serious dinosaur obsession. Who wouldn’t want to know exactly what kind of infamous dinosaur or prehistoric animal lived in their own backyard? (6 Non-Fiction Books for Dinosaur Obsessed Kids)

The Children’s Book Review

I recommend The 50 State Fossils to fossil lovers of any age looking for an introduction to the discoveries that lie waiting in their own backyard. Whether you’re interested in fossils or Americana, this book is for you!

Dino Dad Reviews