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MY BOOK

Hear me talk about the story behind the story on The Primary Source Podcast.
What inspired my book? Read The Backstory Blog.
How did I research it? Read Josette Abruzzini’s blog.
How much do I love Alexandra Bye’s amazing illustrations? So much! Read Deborah Kalb’s blog.

A Dinosaur Named Ruth

Chosen for the 2023 Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List.
Featured at the South Dakota Festival of Books in 2022 and 2023.
Featured at the 2022 National Book Festival in Washington, D.C.
Shortlisted for the Reading the West Award in 2022.
Named one of Bank Street College of Education’s Best Children’s Books of 2021.
A Mighty Girl 2021 Book of the Year.
Are you a teacher? Click here to download my free teacher’s guide! It’s packed with discussion questions, activities and writing prompts. And it’s Common Core and Next Generation State Science Standards-aligned!
Published by Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster, A Dinosaur Named Ruth is based on the true story of Ruth Mason, a pioneer girl in South Dakota who found dinosaur bones in her own backyard. She spent almost her entire life trying to figure out what they were until she finally got her amazing answer.

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Reviews

"In this sweet, satisfying story, the vivid digital illustrations glow with warmth, conjuring the vast Badlands alongside the coziness of Mason’s rural life. ... An appealing ode to perseverance, the pleasure in sharing passions, and the thrill of discovery."

— BOOKLIST
"...an inspiring tale of resilience and dedication, a paean to the art of performing a task for its own sake, and a most interesting addition to the world of dinosaur hunting."

— KIRKUS
"This would be a great choice for reading aloud during fossil or dinosaur units. A strong selection for picture biography collections, especially where there are gaps on the women in STEM shelves."

— SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL
One of A Mighty Girl's Best Books of 2021

—amightygirl.com

A Peek Inside the Book

There’s an extraordinary secret hidden just beneath Ruth Mason’s feet. The year is 1905, and Ruth is a prairie girl living in South Dakota. She has no way of knowing that millions of years ago, her family ranch was once home to scores of dinosaurs. Until one day, when Ruth starts finding clues to the past: strange rocks and rubble scattered all across her land. They’re dinosaur fossils—but she doesn’t know that yet, either. It will take many years of collecting these clues, and many, many questions, but Ruth’s curiosity will one day help uncover thousands of fossils all across her land.