Julian Michael Carver's latest installation of The Backpack Dinosaur series, Will You Be My Raptor? is another suspenseful, adorable adventure with our favorite pet raptor Tennyson.
Blurb:
"With Valentine's Day just around the corner, Anna encourages Andy to write his class crush a romantic note. During class one day, Andy finally agrees and begins penning a Valentine letter.
When Mason Mitchell sees the note and almost reads it aloud in front of the class, a daring rescue mission involving Andy, Anna, and everyone's favorite velociraptor
begins to recapture the note before the class bully does.
Now it's a race against time as the Valentine's Day party rapidly approaches!"
What I love about each of these books is that despite being adventure books with a hint of mystery, Carver weaves in other sub-genres. This time, it was my favorite: romance. Not typical for a children’s book but Valentine’s Day bring out crushes and adorable middle schoolers fumbling over “love” in that awkward stage at the beginning of growing up. We still have the adventure and comedy, and the page-turning intensity to find out what happens next.
My son--who still demands pictures for his desperation to see what all the characters look like--loved the book. As a child who has a hard time understanding social cues, it opened up a healthy conversation about crushes. It also opened his mind to possibilities and showcased bully behavior, instantly putting him on Tennyson, Anna, and Andy's side. I mean, he’d always choose the dinosaur, but it’s useful for kids to see the bully outmaneuvered.
In all, Will You Be My Raptor? is not one to miss. if you have a child who loves dinosaurs and always wished he could have one as a pet—who wouldn’t?—this is the series for them. Life lessons, mystery, adventure, and a dinosaur! I don't know what kid would want more.