Johnson, Rebecca L. Battle of the Dinosaur Bones.

Johnson, Rebecca L.  Battle of the Dinosaur Bones.  Twenty First Century see Millbrook                   64p         $33.27  978-0-7613-5488-8            2013    ms/hs     VG-BN  series: Scientific Rivalries and Scandals                     Nonfiction

This entertaining and informative book discusses the lives and findings of paleontologists Othniel Charles Marsh and Edward Drinker Cope. The manner in which the story of their lives and discoveries is written draws the reader into the fierce competition between the two scientists.  Both men wanted fame for their discoveries and strived to find the largest fossils and perform the best related research.  They combed each other’s conclusions for errors to discount the other’s findings in an attempt to be the best.  The debate eventually dissolved after their cooperation regarding the Morrison formation, but their notorious Bone Wars led to an impressive legacy for both men.

In addition to the informative, entertaining and crisp text, the book has an interesting visual appeal.  Different color fonts denotes points of interest and brief additional information.  Each chapter intersperses black-and-white photographs and illustrations that enhance the text as well as the visual sense of the era.

This short book will delight young readers that are interested in the work of these two great scientists and their discoveries of dinosaur bones and other fossils.  The book concludes with a timeline that helps the reader place events coherently and succinctly.  The book also includes a table of contents, a glossary, source notes, a selected bibliography, a list of resources for further reading, and an index, making this a great resource tool.
Paleontologists                                                                                                                                     --Virginia McGarvey