Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally M, Walker

Walker, Sally M. Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland. New York: Carolrhoda Books, 2009. 144 pages. $22.95 ISBN 9780822571353

Plot Summary: Written in Bone describes the work of archaeologists, scientists, forensic anthropologists, and archivists (among many more) as they uncover the history of the Chesapeake Bay region between Maryland and Virginia. They find many clues in to the life and death of the nations earliest European settlers, as well as the first facial reconstruction of an early "American colonist of African ancestry". The book is full of detailed information and many illustrations and photographs.

Critical Evaluation: This book is full of information but is presented in an engaging way, with lots of pictures and illustrations. The layout of the book breaks up the descriptive text with detailed pictures and up-close photos of the action. It is interestingly written, presenting the information in a way that will keep a reader reading, but also sounds authoritative.

Reader's Annotation: Fascinating look into the bones and lives of colonial Jamestown, VA and around the Chesapeake in Maryland.

Author Bio: Sally is the author of over 50 books on science topics for kids and young adults. She lives in De Kalb, Illinois but worked with archaeologists, scientists, forensic anthropologists and archivists in Jamestown, VA and around the Chesapeake in Maryland. She won the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award Medal in 2006 for Secrets of a Civil War Submarine: SOlving the Mysteries of the H.L. Hunley and was also on the ALA Notable list with Fossil Fish Found Alive.

Genre: Non-Fiction, Archaeology, History

Curriculum Ties: Great addition to archaeology discussion or East Coast/settlement history from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries.

Booktalking Ideas: Talk about the early American settlers. Discuss the fact that still not much is known for sure about how the settlers lived and died. Show some pictures of the digs featured in the book.

Reading Level/Interest Age: Ages 9 and up, Grades 4 and up

Challenges: The photos of the skeletons and graves may cause some concern.

Reason for including: Living in Maryland, I thought this book was very interesting. I am also very interested in archaeology, so history on Maryland archaeology was a plus.