Inspired by a true story! A tenacious kid digs deep and makes important discoveries 
After a heavy rain exposes a bit of something in his backyard, Caden resolves to dig the treasure up and find out exactly what it is. He tries to enlist the help of his parents and teacher, who are dismissive and disbelieving―but that doesn’t deter Caden from his goal. 
Caden’s next-door neighbor, Martha, is the only adult who encourages him to keep digging. Working together, they unearth Caden’s discovery: the giant bones of a prehistoric woolly mammoth! After comically misassembling the massive skeleton, Caden attracts everyone’s attention with his discovery―and finds another treasure in bringing his family together. 
Rich yet simple illustrations accompany this funny, kid-empowering story that celebrates scientific inquiry and discovery.\nFrom School Library Journal\nPreS-Gr 1-Caden finds something peeping out of the soil in his backyard, "long as a fence post, hard as a stone." He tries to convince both of his parents that he has uncovered a treasure, but neither believes him. With the help of his neighbor Martha and her winch-equipped truck, he unearths an entire woolly mammoth skeleton, which he and Martha reconstruct together. Clever and colorful illustrations show the mother as brown-skinned, father as white with red hair, and include funny pictoral asides, such as the dog running off with one of the bones, and a human skeleton hanging inside Caden's classroom. These add considerable charm to the story. Still, the narrative teeters between the believable and the fantastic, and never quite lands on either. While the blurb on the jacket mentions that the author was "inspired by the discovery of a mammoth skeleton on a Michigan farm," there is no author's note or back matter to explain this. Susan Lendroth's Here We Go Digging for Dinosaur Bones is a better choice for young paleontologists-to-be. VERDICT While ardent dinosaur fans might get a laugh out of this book, there are better options.-Sue Morgan, Hillsborough City School District, Hillsborough, CAα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

The Deepest Dig

Children's Books

Smith, Mark David

Animals

Owlkids

The first book in a mystery series features three sleuthing sisters One spring evening, three strange visitors arrive in the town of Covenly. Sisters Hildegurp, Yuckmina, and Glubbifer are hoping to start fresh with a new business: a pet store! Their first customer is nine-year-old Jessica Nibley, who has lost her pet goat and hopes the sisters can help track it down. But when the sisters discover a mangled note with missing pieces that suggests they aren't welcome in town, they suddenly have twomysteries to solve. Jessica and the sisters jump on a broomstick and fly off to investigate. As they collect clues and get closer to solving the cases, Covenly residents start to look beyond the sisters' unusual appearances and welcome them to the community as they are.&nbsp; The first volume in this whimsical chapter book mystery series is filled with hilarious misunderstandings, clever wordplay, and dynamic illustrations. The sleuthing sisters, who are inspired by the three witches from Macbeth (there's even a recipe for a witch's stew!), invite Covenly residents and readers to look past appearances and embrace people for who they are, weirdness and all.

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole (Weird Sisters Detective Agency, 1)

Humor

Three sleuthing sisters find unanticipated self-acceptance in book two of this hilarious mystery series It's summer, and the Weird Sisters are convinced that the residents of Covenly aren't coming to their pet emporium--and newly opened detective agency--because the sisters are too strange. So they decide to let nine-year-old Jessica Nibley teach them how to play on the swing to fit in. They soon discover the town's beloved tire swing lying on the ground with its rope severed. Who would do such a thing? And why? Jessica and the sisters are determined to solve the mystery. As they search for clues, they stumble onto a second mystery: the robin that nests at Chelsea Oh's house has gone missing. So they plan to find both the robin andthe swing vandal. The second book in this whimsical chapter book mystery series is full of clever wordplay, humorous misunderstandings, and expressive illustrations. With hints of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dreamwoven into the plot, this kid-empowering story encourages self-acceptance and open-mindedness in a playful way.

The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower (Weird Sisters Detective Agency, 2)

Rust, Kari

In seventeenth-century Rome, connections are everything. But for fifteen-year-old Beppo Ghirlandi, an indentured servant accused of murder, there is no one to turn to. The only person who will help him is the painter from across the Piazza, the madman genius known as Caravaggio—who, unfortunately, has serious troubles of his own. By helping Caravaggio flee, Beppo might just be able to stay alive.

Caravaggio: Signed in Blood

Teen & Young Adult

Historical Fiction

Tradewind Books

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Smith, Mark David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Smith, Mark David

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Smith, Mark David. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

The Deepest Dig

The Weird Sisters: A Note, a Goat, and a Casserole (Weird Sisters Detective Agency, 1)

The Weird Sisters: A Robin, a Ribbon, and a Lawn Mower (Weird Sisters Detective Agency, 2)

Caravaggio: Signed in Blood