Calvert Library's Book Bites for Kids

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

Episode Summary

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?

Episode Notes

Enjoy our presentation of Written in Bone : Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland written by Sally M. Walker and published by Carolrhoda Books. 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.

This title was the National Endowment for the Humanities Nonfiction Booklist for Young Readers Winner in 2016.

Written in Bone is recommended for ages 10 and up. Please see Amazon for more information and reviews.  http://bit.ly/WritteninBone_amazon

This title is available as an eBook on Hoopla. 

Hoopla eBook - http://bit.ly/WritteninBone_HooplaeBook

Please visit www.calvertlibrary.info for more information.

Music: Dub the Uke (excerpt) by Kara Square (c) copyright 2016. Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial (3.0) license. http://dig.ccmixter.org/files/mindmapthat/53340