FinchosaurusAuthor: Gail Donovan
Release Date: October 23, 2018
Publisher: Islandport Press
Ages: 6-10 years
Grades: 2-3
Description:
FINCHOSAURUS follows the adventures of Atticus Finch Martin, otherwise known as Finch. Finch’s dream is to uncover a dinosaur fossil and name a new species after himself—until he digs up a note in the fifth-grade class garden with the word HELP on it. He is determined to come to the aid of the mystery note-writer. But when the quest turns out to be harder than expected, Finch risks losing two things that he really wants—his best friend Noah, and a field trip to Dinosaur State Park.
Praise for FINCHOSAURUS:
"...If it's anything like the last (In Memory of Gorfman T. Frog), it's worth discovering." ―Elizabeth Bird, School Library Journal
"An amusing, empowering tale that should appeal especially to middle schoolers with abundant energy." ―Kirkus Reviews
Praise for Gail's Previous Middle Grade Novels:
THE WAFFLER:
“A solid middle-grade choice—no waffling necessary.” —Kirkus Reviews
“The book captures the pains and pleasures of being both a twin and a fourth-grader.” —Booklist
WHAT'S BUGGING BAILEY BLECKER?:
“Andrew Clements fans will enjoy this school story, too.” —Horn Book
“Bailey is emotionally authentic, with an individualistic voice and a strong streak of stubbornness, of which she is particularly proud.” —Publishers Weekly
“Purposeful in a lighthearted way but guaranteed to make your head—scalp and brain—itch!” —Kirkus Reviews
IN MEMORY OF GORFMAN T. FROG:
"Middle-graders will celebrate as Josh learns to use his personal “pause” button to stop talking long enough to keep out of trouble. Obvious appeal, particularly to fans of Andrew Clements’s work.” —Kirkus Reviews
You can purchase Finchosaurus at the following Retailers:
Maybe the worm was even more unhappy than he was, thought Finch the next morning.
He was just bummed because he had brought in a worm for sharing instead of a dinosaur fossil.
But the worm had gotten dug out of its home. Then, because nobody could find a see-through container with a lid, the worm had gotten put in a plastic bag of dirt. The bag was the kind with the zipper at the top, which Finch decided he’d better open, because what if the worm couldn’t breathe?
He only unzipped the bag a little.
And he was only bouncing a little on his chair (which was actually a giant bouncy ball that Mrs. Davison, the occupational therapist, gave him because he had so much trouble sitting still on a regular chair).
But somehow he bounced the worm—and all the dirt—right out of the bag!
“Mrs. Adler,” he called. “Mrs. Adler—I dropped my worm!”
Kids scrambled for a look, laughing and shouting and crowding in.
“Broccoli!” said Mrs. Adler.
Broccoli was Mrs. Adler’s special code word. It meant everybody was supposed to stop doing whatever it was they were doing. Then back off. Step away.
Kids began backing away from Finch and the worm, while Mrs. Adler padded slowly across the room, like she was a Giganotosaurus and the kids were just some Microceratops, too small to worry about.
Mrs. Adler was actually pretty tall. She wasn’t old-old, like some of the teachers, with gray hair. She was just regular grown-up old, with brown hair she wore clipped up into a messy bun.
Mrs. Adler looked down at Finch. She looked at the worm. She looked at the dirt spread all over the floor. She shook her head, as if she had known all along the bouncy
ball was a bad idea, and now she had proof. Then she told Finch that she would call the janitor to clean up the dirt, and that he should go outside and put the worm in the class garden. She asked Grammy Mary, their class volunteer, to go with him.
Five minutes later, Finch was outside. All by himself. Well, by himself, with Grammy Mary. The playground was empty because nobody was at recess. The sky was an empty, no-cloud blue.
He didn’t want to leave the worm on top of the ground, so he set down the bag and started digging. Then he saw something white in the brown dirt. What was it?
A tiny piece of paper. Not a scrap, but a big piece, folded and folded until it was as small as his thumb. Finch unfolded and unfolded, until it was flat, and he could read what was written on it. A single word.
Help.
Copyright © 2018 by Gail Donovan
Ten Ways You Get Inspired to Write
1. Think about my characters as I’m falling asleep.
2. Start writing first thing in the morning.
3. Drink copious cups of tea.
4. Make lists!
5. Read an old favorite.
6. Take a walk.
7. Meet with other writers for help and encouragement.
8. Look at my other books, wonder how I ever was able to do this? Then get back to work.
9. Think about a reader who is still waiting for the book that might help them feel truly understood, and wonder, what if my book could be that book for them? Then get back to work.
10. Make another pot of tea.
Author Links:
WEBSITE: https://gaildonovan.wordpress.com/ GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/192342.Gail_Donovan
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/gaildonovanbooks/
(10) Winners will receive a Copy of FINCHOSAURUS by Gail Donovan.
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