Genre: Fiction/Fantasy
Reading Level/Interest Level: 5.4 / Grades 3-6
Awards: None
Similar Titles: The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynne Reid Banks, Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
After
inspection and research, and events, which seem to take forever, unfold, Nate
finds he has inadvertently hatched a modern day triceratops, whom he names
Uncle Beasley. With every intent of raising Uncle Beasley himself, Nate soon
finds that his house and the small town of Freedom simply isn’t big enough for
the two of them. With the help of Dr.
Hans Ziemer, Nate sets out to Washington D.C. to find Uncle Beasley a permanent
home and safety from those who would destroy him. In the process, there are
troubles and adventure abound, but also a heartwarming story about perseverance
and friendship, despite the odds and the
importance of sincerity and speaking from the passion of your heart.
This
is a great novel for those advanced readers who love dinosaurs but find the
standard fare either too easy or too straight forward. Dinosaur themed fiction
for tween readers is few and far between but Butterworth’s novel has stood the
test of time and now, generations. I would recommend reading this story aloud with younger children and/or
making sure that the reader has a longer attention span and is used to chapter
books with few pictures. While my six year old enjoyed the story, it was
difficult to keep her engaged initially while the suspense was building in the
story, if for no other reason than she had no pictures to keep her attention while
the plot was unfolding. I believe, however, that this would be a solid independent read for 10 and up.
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