Cousin Summers

The Young Scientifics Book 1: Return to the Dinosaur Planet is a fast-paced, adventure-filled story. It is geared toward middle grade readers, but I loved it! This is the story of Peter Baker, his little sister, Pearl and their friend, Casey Tucker. Peter has grand plans to become famous by being the youngest scientist to produce his own documentary show about dinosaurs. This should be an easy task since his parents are dinosaur hunters and take the children on all their dinosaur digs. Unfortunately, things have a way of changing. Dad has taken a job at a museum and Mom is off to Africa, so there will be no dinosaur hunt this summer. To make matters worse, Peter has to watch his little sister and make sure they do a "normal" activity every day of the summer. Boring!

Peter meets Casey Tucker, the nephew of a museum employee that is visiting his aunt for the summer. They hit it off immediately. Casey has plans of his own for the summer. He is in search of scientist that went missing years ago while working on a special project and gets Casey to help him on his quest. What happens next is a most exciting adventure, but you'll have to read the book yourself to find out more.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for my son to read it. I give it 4 stars and highly recommend it for personal or family reading time. I can't wait to read the next book in the series when it comes out. I received a free copy of the book from the author and The Book Club Network, Inc. in exchange for my honest review.… (meer)

Return to the Dinosaur Planet by Cousin Summers is a darling children’s chapter book. Peter Baker and his sister, Emily Pearl have an unusual summer ahead of them. They normally go on a dinosaur dig with their parents, but this summer they are staying in Jefferson City with their father. Their mother is on a dig in Africa and their father got an offer to work at The Jefferson City Museum. Peter has to watch Emily during the day (at the museum complex) while their father is working. There are many things for them to do and get into especially with the help of Casey Tucker. Casey’s aunt works at the zoo (part of museum complex) doing primate research. Casey knows all the great places to explore. Come join Peter, Emily, and Casey on their grand adventure.

Return to the Dinosaur Planet was a cute and fun book to read. It is an easy to read book that I believe young children will enjoy (I have to admit that I liked it as well). The only thing I would be worried about is the ideas it might give the kids (things they might not have thought of on their own). I give Return to the Dinosaur Planet 5 out of 5 stars. Return to the Dinosaur Planet is the first book in The Young Scientifics series.

I received a complimentary copy of Return to the Dinosaur Planet through The Book Club Network, Inc. in exchange for an honest evaluation of the novel.… (meer)

Great adventure book for young and adult. I personally enjoyed reading the wild adventure that "Boone" and "Hudson" had while taking care of "Grampy". Loved the survival wild life training from an old survival guide book they found. It's like finding an old diary and unlocking the secrets.
Was the person that owned the guide real or legend? They end up going on an adventure of a lifetime! I mean come on, who wouldn't want to swim in a forbidden lake, go to an old abandoned mine and explore as well as an abandoned village??? Along this great journey they learned about courage, family, and brotherhood. This book had me laughing out loud in spots and tearful in others.
I recommend this book for readers ready for a fun filled adventure.
I recieved this book from The BookClub Network for an honest review.… (meer)

As a former teacher,I am always on the lookout for great books to recommend to kids. I whole-heartedly endorse Cousin Summers's first installment of the Young Scientifics, Return to Dinosaur Planet. Meant for middle schoolers, I enjoyed the book myself.

What makes this book a winner? A pet monkey named Jim Dandy, two twelve year-old boys who lead each other into trouble in the name of excitement and mystery, and a kid sister to protect. Dinosaurs, space travel and time travel. Any young person who likes adventure, has a tag-a-long sibling, or has ever dreamed of fame or fortune is sure to love this book.

"Cousin Summers" uses laugh out loud humor to lighten intense suspense the way sour cream cools a spicy taco. She employs a perfect blend of both elements, with impeccable timing. Summers quotes Albert Einstein at the beginning of each chapter with an appropriate message for that section.

A (non-Einstein) quotable? "I guess the way to overcome one fear is to set it next to something worse. It's amazing what a person can do if they really have to."

Warning:this book will leave you hanging, waiting for the next in the series. Be prepared!!

I gratefully received this book from bookfun.org in exchange for an honest review.… (meer)