Growing Reader

Tween

12 Impressive Dinosaur and Fossil Books for Budding Paleontologists

by Melissa Taylor

Photo credit: Mieke Dalle, Photographer's Choice Collection/Getty Images

What are the best children’s book choices for dinosaur- and fossil-enthusiasts? Look no further: these incredible nonfiction books give kids the most up-to-date information about dinosaur and fossils, sparking curiosity, answering questions, and providing in-depth knowledge for growing minds. Before you know it, your kids will become dinosaur experts!

Boy, Were We Wrong About Dinosaurs!

by Kathleen V. Kudlinski, illustrated by S.D. Schindler

Also available from:

Can you imagine what people first thought when finding gigantic dinosaur bones? This fascinating book shares the many misconceptions, including the existence of dragons and which bones belonged to what creature. Read how scientists throughout history continually used new discoveries to revise and improve their conclusions.

Also available from:

Dinosaur Days

by Joyce Milton, illustrated by Franco Tempestra

Also available from:

Simple text with clear information builds knowledge in newly independent readers about dinosaurs and highlights familiar species as well as lesser-known ones.

Also available from:

What Was the Age of the Dinosaurs?

by Megan Stine, illustrated by Gregory Copeland

Also available from:

In the Mesozoic era 250 million years ago, the earth’s plants and animals looked very different. From the emergence of dinosaurs to their extinction as well as the bones left behind, this informative beginning chapter book gives readers a solid understanding of prehistoric times and how scientists use fossils to learn more.

Also available from:

National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Dinosaurs

by Catherine D. Hughes, illustrated by Franco Tempestra

Also available from:

Readable text with stunning illustrations of more than fifty small, big, giant, and gigantic dinosaurs make this colorful and informative book appealing to children of all ages, particularly growing readers.

Also available from:

The Big Book of Dinosaurs

by DK

Also available from:

Photographs and photorealistic illustrations accompany easy-to-read facts about fossils and dinosaurs, ranging from the biggest meat-eaters to the smallest babies. The eye-catching rectangular layout, labeled illustrations, and clear information make this a great pick for dinosaur enthusiasts.

Also available from:

National Geographic Kids Ultimate Dinopedia, Second Edition

by Don Lessem, illustrated by Franco Tempesta

Also available from:

This updated edition shows children 600 dinosaurs in full-color, sensational illustrations. For each profiled creature, readers will find related information, specific pronunciation, and more at-a-glance facts. The back contains an extensive dinosaur dictionary with names, meanings, geological age, location, fossils, and group.

Also available from:

You Can Be a Paleontologist!

by Scott D. Sampson

Also available from:

Renowned paleontologist Dr. Scott Sampson, the host of “Dinosaur Train” on PBS Kids, shares answers to commonly asked questions, starting with what exactly paleontology is. Clear information, appealing factual inserts, photographs, and diagrams explain how paleontologists find, store, and study dinosaur bones, then use their data to draw conclusions.

Also available from:

DK Eyewitness Books: Fossil

by DK

Also available from:

Don’t miss DK’s updated reference guide on everything fossil-related. Kids love the annotated photography and visual appeal of this densely packed guidebook illuminating fossils, the history of paleontology, the animals most often fossilized, how to identify fossils, and more.

Also available from:

Dinosaur!

by DK and Smithsonian

Also available from:

Timelines, diagrams, factual illustrations, and compelling writing transport readers back to prehistoric times when enormous dinosaurs and other creatures walked the earth. This jampacked tome contains an impressive amount of accessible information.

Also available from:

Sticker Encyclopedia Dinosaurs

by DK

Also available from:

Not only is this a fact-filled book about everything in the age of dinosaurs, but it’s interactive, too! While reading, kids use the hundreds of stickers to fill in missing illustrations and create their own prehistoric scenes.

Also available from:

Magic Tree House Fact Tracker: Dinosaurs

by Mary Pope Osborne and Will Osborne, illustrated by Sal Murdocca

Also available from:

With this nonfiction, illustrated companion book to the Magic Tree House #1: Dinosaurs Before Dark, readers who finished the first Jack and Annie story will learn even more about the world of dinosaurs as well as fossils, extinction, and paleontologists.

Also available from:

Eyewitness Explorer: Rock and Fossil Hunter

by Ben Morgan and Douglas Palmer

Also available from:

Kids will discover how to spot fossils, make their own fossils, and more in this comprehensive rocks and fossils guidebook, which includes over thirty hands-on activities to help young readers apply what they’ve learned.

Also available from: