Bone Detective

The book follows the life of Diane France through her life from childhood to adulthood. During her childhood, she hypothesizes and predicts as well as evaluate the conditions of the bones. Other phases of the processes are mentioned.

Author: Lorraine Jean Hopping
Year Published: 2005
ISBN: 0531167763

Summary

Diane France loves bones. Why? Because they talk to her. Every skeleton she meets whispers secrets about the life and death of its owner. Diane France can hear those secrets because she's a forensic anthropologist, a bone detective. She has the science skills and know-how to examine bones for clues to a mystery: Who was this person and how did he or she die? Bones tell Diane about the life and times of famous people in history, from a Russian royal family to American outlaws and war heroes. They speak to her about murders, mass disasters, and fatal accidents. One day she's collecting skeletal evidence at a crime scene. A phone call later she's jetting to the site of a plane crash or other unexpected tragedy to identify victims.

Evaluation

Appropriateness: High
Authority: Low
Accuracy: High
Liteary Artistry: Medium
Appearance: Medium

Questions

Does the book foster development of processes?

Does the book provide an opportunity for children to ask and answer their own questions?

Not directly. A student with for lack of better words "higher-level thinking" might ask themselves questions but there are no big pauses for such effect to take place.

Does the book encourage children to think for themselves?

Yes. It allows them to come to the conclusions of how women are treated in science. The students travel with the author through the life of Diane France.

Is the science topic addressed in ways that are appropriate to the lesson?

The science topic isn't really what I would teach for lessons in my class. I would rather have this book with it's others in the series available to my students to read. Each one in the series empower women in STEM.

Is the content based on sound scientific principles? Is it accurate?

Yes. This book is an accurate portrayal of Diane France's life.

Does the book distinguish between fact and fiction?

This is a clear non-fiction book and goes through the detailed scientific adventures of Diane France. It allows students to ask themselves "why" when Diane gets a hunch.

Are the illustrations clear and accurate?

There may be some photographs of bones correctly identified by Diane France herself. If not, there are no other illustrations.

Is the book written at the level of your students?

Yes, sixth graders will be able to read this book, at least for guided reading. It's a nonfiction chapter book that goes into detail of the adventures of Diane France.

Is there a multicultural component? Is it free from stereotyping?

There might not be a multicultural component. It is free from stereotyping though. It's a book about the adventures of women in science.

Is the book free from gender bias?

This book clearly promotes the female's role in STEM. I would say it's not biased because it's not hindering the female gender, but it's not hindering the male gender either.

Does the book show the close association between science and other disciplines?

There are a lot of literacy techniques in this book that progress the suspense and keep the story captivating. Literature lessons can be derived from this book.

Does the book present a positive attitude toward science and technology?

Yes, it's about a girl who was obsessed with wanting to know more about bones. She became an important and famous bone detective when she got older. This book can inspire students to stick with science for life.

Science Topics

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Maximum Suggested Grade Level