Synopses & Reviews
Once, no humans lived on the continent of North America; then they began to journey, the first migrants arriving perhaps 15,000 to 20,000 years ago. and#160; When a skeleton from long-ago centuries is discovered, scientists want to study it for information about the personand#8217;s life and death, about her or his time and place in history. Sometimes artists are asked to reconstruct faces from the past using copies of their skulls. Then these nameless, unknown people can be "brought back to life"--remembered, and honored.
Now, when their skeletons are discovered, their stories can be told.
Review
"An absorbing introduction to anthropological facial reconstruction . . . Impressive and fascinating."
and#8212;Kirkus, starred review
"Deem's writing is riveting and his research deep."
and#8212;Booklist, starred review
"Clear prose, pleasing layout, and crisp photographs combined with subject matter rarely explored in history books make this book an excellent choice for most collections."
and#8212;School Library Journal, starred review
"A strong choice for independent reading, this will also be a boon to social studies and science teachers in search of classroom readalouds."
and#8212;The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books
Synopsis
Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia: a teenage boy, a ship's captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.
Synopsis
Bright white teeth. Straight leg bones. Awkwardly contorted arm bones. On a hot summer day in 2005, Dr. Douglas Owsley of the Smithsonian Institution peered into an excavated grave, carefully examining the fragile skeleton that had been buried there for four hundred years. "He was about fifteen years old when he died. And he was European," Owsley concluded. But how did he know? Just as forensic scientists use their knowledge of human remains to help solve crimes, they use similar skills to solve the mysteries of the long-ago past. Join author Sally M. Walker as she works alongside the scientists investigating colonial-era graves near Jamestown, Virginia, as well as other sites in Maryland. As you follow their investigations, she'll introduce you to what scientists believe are the lives of a teenage boy, a ship's captain, an indentured servant, a colonial official and his family, and an enslaved African girl. All are reaching beyond the grave to tell us their stories, which are written in bone.
Synopsis
When aand#160;centuries-old skeletonand#160;is unearthed,and#160;scientists rely onand#160;specialized artists to reconstruct a forgotten face of the past.
About the Author
James M. Deem is the author of numerous books for young readers, including 3 NB of Julian Drew, Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Rediscovery of the Past, and Faces From the Past. Mr. Deem lives outside of Phoenix, Arizona.