Dinosaur Breakout

Marie St. Onge-Davidson is president of the Essential English Centre in
Ottawa.

This sequel to Dinosaur Hideout (2003) continues the story of
12-year-old amateur paleontologist Daniel Bringham, who lives on a farm
in southwest Saskatchewan. Daniel’s fascination with dinosaurs and
fossils and his vivid imagination continue to draw him into adventurous
situations—his faithful dog, Dactyl, remaining close at his side.

In Dinosaur Breakout, Daniel’s friend Mr. Pederson, a renowned
paleontologist who lives on a neighbouring farm, finds skeletal remains
of an Edmontosaurus on his land. Pederson, Daniel’s family, and the
Lindstroms, another neighbouring family, decide to start a business
running dinosaur fossil digs for tourists. All goes well until two local
bullies, the Nelwin brothers, create problems. Daniel scuffles with the
Nelwins near his secret dinosaur hideout, hits his head on a rock, and
is transported back to the Cretaceous Era. When Daniel regains
consciousness, he goes back to work with his friends. On the eve of the
tourist dig, the Nelwins return to harass Daniel, but are transported
back in time with him. As the excitement continues, Daniel resolves some
difficult issues that, in turn, lead to a wonderful ending.

Dinosaur Breakout is well researched, and includes many details from
the Cretaceous period. Silverthorne’s style and use of language are
well developed, resulting in a smooth read. The characters are credible,
and the important relationships within the story are portrayed in ways
that young readers will understand. The last pages of the book include
an author’s note, a glossary with a pronunciation guide, and a
bibliography. Highly recommended.