Raptor [Paperback]

Paul Zindel (Author)

Book Description

Age Level: 10 and up

Out in the mountains, Zack and his friend, Uta, discover what they think is a large fossilized dinosaur egg. This could make their fortune! Zack takes it home to keep it safe. Only the egg isn't fossilized - it's hatching! And there's an angry mother dinosaur out there, who wants her baby back.

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

This latest of Zindel's (Reef of Death) thrill-a-chapter adventure stories serves up mutant dinosaurs as the monsters du jour. The story?centered around a teenage boy's hunt for a baby raptor?is densely seasoned with sequences of giant reptiles snagging and devouring their prey ("Its rancid froth and ooze reeked with the rot of death...."). The cast of stock characters includes Professor Norak, the paleontologist who discovers a dinosaur egg but drops it when he is mauled by the mother raptor; Zack, his son, who retrieves the egg and sees it hatch; Uta, Zack's Native American sidekick; and Dr. Boneid, the evil scientist who doesn't mind destroying the environment in order to capture a dinosaur and win greater fame. When the hatchling is reclaimed by its mother, Zack goes after it, on an impulsive (and ill-planned) journey into a Utah cave (the raptors' den). The caper nearly costs him his life, but some strokes of good fortune and Uta's quick thinking save him in the end. The author's new wave of fans will probably gobble up this novel almost as quickly as the raptors tear into the victims; those more appreciative of Pigman-type fare will heave another sigh of disappointment. Ages 10-14.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From School Library Journal

Grade 6 Up-A page-turner for older dinosaur lovers. While exploring a cave alone, Zack's paleontologist father is seriously wounded when he encounters a female raptor guarding her nest. After he is rescued, Zack goes to the area and finds a dinosaur egg, whereupon he is faced with circumstances that force him to make some very difficult choices. Add to this, an ego-maniacal professor, a Native-American friend and her wise grandmother, and highly descriptive prose, and the result is a teen perspective of Jurassic Park. If readers can survive the violent opening scene, they will enjoy equally descriptive encounters throughout the rest of the book. Although gory, these vivid portrayals make the narrative effective. Zindel is a master at creating and sustaining a mood and Raptor is no exception. From beginning to end, young people will be immersed in a battle between animal and man. In addition, the author adds to the plot by juxtaposing this encounter with society's fascination with sensationalism and materialistic nature. If Zack can capture a living dinosaur, his father will be a celebrity. There are several layers to this story and readers can determine for themselves how deep they will delve. The imaginative ending offers an opportunity for discussion about mutation and animal freedom.
Molly S. Kinney, Office of Public Library Services, Atlanta, GA
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 10 and up
  
• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Hyperion (August 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786812249
• ISBN-13: 978-0786812240
• Product Dimensions: 7.3 x 5.2 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (28 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #762,506 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars RAPTOR, January 17, 2003

By 

Debbi (Des Moines, IA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raptor (Paperback)

Raptor is a great book about a boy named Zack whose dad found what appears to be an actual raptor egg. On his way out of the cave he was attacked by its mother. When they found him, they thaught there had been an avalanche. His son Zack went back with his friend Uta, a native Indian, and found the egg. They took it home and that's when the trouble started, the egg hatched. 
This book is filled with nothing but action. It's a real thriller and I recommend this book to anyone who likes an action packed adventure. I just have to give Paul Zindel 5 stars and say that this is some of his best work.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Raptors Revenge, December 11, 2000

A Kid's Review

This review is from: Raptor (Paperback)

Raptor Is a story about a herd of raptors that amazingly have survived to the present. Professor Norak is a paleontologist in Flaming Gorge, Utah. He goes into an abandoned cave exploring, and comes across something that would make a man a billionaire - a living raptor! After a cave-in, Professor Norak's son, Zack, a daring and courageous teenager; and his friend Uta embark on the adventure of a lifetime. Climbing the shafts of Silver Mountain, finding whole new species of animals, and most terrifying of all, discovering a herd of living raptors!

This book is Thrilling and exciting. It is awesome because there is always something exhilarating going on. It's suspenseful you never know what's going to happen next. The book is full of action, from having a living raptor in your living room to encountering one out on the road in your jeep. When I asked my brother about the book he said "I found it cool because lots of cool and almost deadly events happened in this book." This book is kind of scary and inappropriate for little kids. But the book is great for older kids. The scary parts keep you on the edge of yours eat, and keeps the story going. There is an exception to this, my little brother. He loved it; when I asked him about the bad parts he couldn't think of any.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This book was AWESOME!, August 20, 1999

By 

elbarto [e-mail] (Cincinnati) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Raptor (Paperback)

I liked this book because it was not afraid to be gory and scary. I don't like many book, but I really liked this one. Kids who are not big readers will like Paul Zindel, my favorite author.