"With issues like bullying, not fitting in, and heroism...it's Wonder with dinosaurs and is sure to touch your heart."
-- P. J. Hoover, author of Tut: The Story of My Immortal Life
“A wild and wacky adventure...with enough twists and turns to rival a roller coaster, Dinosaur Boy is sure to appeal to wonderfully weird kids of every shape and size.”
-- Kelly Milner Halls, award-winning author of In Search of Sasquatch and Dinosaur Mummies
"A delightfully zany and terrifically fun story."
--Greg Leitich Smith, award-winning author of CHRONAL ENGINE and LITTLE GREEN MEN AT THE MERCURY INN
Funny, fast-paced, and filled with surprising twists…a charming story that will have boys and girls roaring for more...and possibly wishing for their very own dinosaur genes!”
--Nikki Loftin, author of The Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy and Nightingale’s Nest
A hilarious adventure and as sharp as a stegosaurus's tail, with twists and turns on every page...fantastic.”
--Nathan Bransford, author of Jacob Wonderbar and the Cosmic Space Kapow
An entertaining barrel ride past sheaves of middle-grade themes from bullying to racial identity.
-Kirkus
“Credible characters and real-life issues like bullying, appreciating differences, and being true to oneself keep Oakes’s (The Veil) series kickoff grounded...Oakes draws on everything from the dubiousness of zero-tolerance bullying policies (especially when they’re being used to ship students to Jupiter) to the importance of tolerance and the injustice of discrimination to create a story with unexpected depth”
– Publishers Weekly
Oakes emphasizes the effects of bullying and peer pressure. There are also plenty of fun science and sci-fi ideas woven throughout. The trim size and plot-driven pacing make this an ideal recommendation for reluctant readers...A fun and funny read with layers of deeper issues”
By Cory Putman Oakes
Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
February 3, 2015
Book Info:
Everyone knows the dinosaur gene skips a generation. So it isn’t a complete surprise when Sawyer sprouts spikes and tails before the start of the fifth grade. After all, his grandfather was part stegosaurus.
Despite the Principal’s zero tolerance policy, Sawyer becomes a bully magnet, befriended only by Elliot a.ka. “Gigantor,” and the weird new girl.
When the bullies start disappearing, Sawyer is relieved -until he discovers a secret about the principal that’s more shocking than Dino DNA. The bullies are in for a galactically horrible fate…and it’s up to Sawyer and his friends to rescue them.
Cory Putman Oakes lives in Austin, Texas with her husband, kids, and pets. She knew nothing about dinosaurs before she started writing this book, but now she can tell a sauropod from a theropod. She also makes a mean mole sauce. You can connect with Cory on Twitter and Facebook, and you can learn more about her (and her books) on her website www.corypoakes.com
Excerpt from Dinosaur Boy- “That Stupid T-Rex from Jersey”
“I just want you to know that I know. I know you’re eating them.”
“That’s crazy,” I told him. “You’re crazy. Why would I eat anybody?”
“Because you’re a monster,” Allan told me. “Just like that kid in Jersey. I knew from the very beginning that it was only a matter of time before you went all dinosaur--psycho on us.”
“Shut up,” I muttered. I was so angry my hands were shaking, but I hid them under the table so Allan wouldn’t see.
“Make me,” Allan suggested.
My hands started to shake harder. It wasn’t because I was nervous. It was because I was angry.
“Get out of here, Allan,” Elliot whispered loudly. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Allan didn’t look at him. His squinty eyes, buried beneath his eyebrows, were focused squarely on me.
“Sawyer knows what I’m talking about. He’s a monster. He doesn’t belong in a school. I’m going to prove it, and when I do, they’ll put him somewhere safe. Like in a zoo. Or some lab. Just as soon as they recognize him for the freak he is.”
My hands were now shaking so hard that they were vibrating the table. I couldn’t control myself anymore. I shot to my feet and screamed right in his face:
“Shut up, Allan! You don’t know what you’re talking about!”
At least, that’s what it sounded like in my head.
Out loud, it sounded like:
ROOOOOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRR!
It was the loudest sound I had ever heard in my life. And I couldn’t just hear it. I could feel it. It shook the entire cafeteria. The tables rattled uncontrollably, and people grabbed for their lunches while also trying to cover their ears. It was kind of like we were all standing really close to a bass speaker, only about a hundred times louder.
I shut my mouth. The sound stopped.
There were about two seconds of silence. Absolute, perfect silence, as all three--hundred--something people in the cafeteria stared at me without moving a muscle.
Then the screaming started.
Every kid in the cafeteria jumped to his or her feet, knocked over their chair, and scrambled for the exit doors. Only Sylvie and Elliot stayed in their seats. Allan, who had been knocked on his butt by my roar, made two failed attempts to get to his feet before he finally crawled away as fast as he could. He was soon lost in the crowd that was fighting to fit through the double doors that led to the quad.
In less time than I would have thought possible, Sylvie, Elliot, and I were alone in the cafeteria.
I collapsed into my chair before my knees could give way. Across the table, Elliot looked sheet--white and shaken.
Only Sylvie looked unaffected. She passed us each a Pixy Stix, and sat back in her chair with a contented smile on her face.
“Finally, some peace and quiet around here!”
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This copy of book may have been distributed for review; this in no way affects my opinions or reviews.
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My son is a dinosaur fanatic so I'd love to win this for him! He loves them all :) T-Rex or Spinosaurus are always a favorite! Thanks!