The Skull in the Rock

I found this one to be a little textbookish. I try to read it to my younger son and he quickly lost attention. Definitely for an older child, 3rd/4th grade or older. I like the photography and find the story compelling. A scientist used Google Earth (something within all of our reach, kids could appreciate that) to discover no sites to look for fossils. HIs 9 year old son did just that while out exploring the the areas with his father, and it ended up being a very important archeological find. This book would be useful for a science class and also to inspire kids to use what they have and know that they are just as capable of making amazing discoveries as anyone else, with a little work.

Imagine being a nine-year-old who gets to hunt for fossils in Africa. Most kids would think that would be the coolest thing on the planet. Matthew Berger is the lucky kid who gets to hang out with his dad and scientist Professor Lee Berger. Matthew and his dad were in Johannesburg, South Africa. The area they look for fossils is known as the Cradle of Humankind because important fossils have been found in the past in this area. Matthew discovered a clavicle, a bone that is part of the shoulder. Colorful real life photos demonstrate how small this bone can be and how keen Matthew's eye for finding fossils must be.

Young readers can learn how to look for and detect fossils. The history of Professor Lee's fossil finds along with photographs show more on site will engage students and teachers. Famous fossils such as the Taung Child, a new genus and species named by Lee, are among the pages with images. Lee uses Google Earth to get a closer look and detects areas of potential observation he may have missed. Young readers will travel along with Professor Lee as he explores and explains all the interesting facts, places and fossils he discovers. Important finds that change the history and what we may think about in terms of evolution are on these pages with proof and stunning photography.

This book is a must have for any home or classroom. If you have trouble getting your boys to read this is a great start and will more than likely peek their curiosity. The back of the book has a plethora of resources to get little fossil hunters wanting to learn more. show less

Summary: Definitely targeted to an older reading audience than I anticipated, this is a book about a dad who uses Google Earth to find a fossil sites to dig around in with his son and his little boy helps his discover lots of important skeletons and fossils. I liked the father son bonding aspect!

Personal commentary / reflection: Although it has an engaging and cool cover that will appeal to young kids, this is best left to upper grade school level readers I would bet. I loved the illustrations, great and cool pictures and it is from the National Geographic series so it has cool fun facts sprinkled throughout!!

The Skull in the Rock is very deserving of winning the the AAAS Prize for Excellence in Science Books in their middle ages category. Although the age range is 10 and up I think this book is very interesting and would appeal to people younger if paired with an adult to read. It's filled with great photos and historical context. One aspect I especially liked was its extensive glossary at the end of the book. With this book children are given the opportunity to learn new information through pictures and text.

Lee at a young age was always interested in the outdoors and preserving life of different species. In 1991 he first found some fragments which anded him a grant but the money ran out and the area he searched was dry. He went through some career changes but was ultimately drawn to searching in South Africa for fossils of our ancestors. He discovered that the images of google earth helped him discover over 130 caves and 20 different fossil sites. During an explore trip in Malapa, his son found a fossil that turned out to be the start of a finding of five different skeletons that linked the primate group to our current form of species. The author ends with him talking about him personally meeting Lee and that he observed that Lee is a risk show more taker with a big spirit and shares his findings with everyone. The summary is convincing because it’s really a personal story of Lee’s life and the accomplishments he’s made. show less

This nonfiction book captures the discovery of a 9 year old boy. Through the use of Google Earth Professor Lee Berger discovers some new caves and places to look for fossils. On an exploration of these sites in South Africa, Matthew Berger uncovers a fossil that leads to further findings and discoveries.

Great book for the child interested in Paleontology, fossils, bones, digging and adventure. Lots of wonderful full color pictures as well as black and white photos and drawing. This would be an excellent book to explore different areas of science with children.

My kids enjoyed this book about modern archaeology with using Google Earth. How fascinating! We would read one chapter every night and let our mind wander about what we could find when going rock hunting. Great book for third grade and above with plenty of opportunities for individual and group research. What can modern technology help us with learning about our past? How fun.