I received a copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review. Thank you NetGalley!


The book was great! Informative, but still fun and attention-keeping
This book was fantastic. Seriously.
My kids and I loved it.

I'd definitely purchase a copy and check out other books by the author.

Plenty of facts here about these creatures, how little they've changed since their origins in the fossil record, what they are teaching us about the animal world, and the things that threaten them now. It's thorough, informative, and well designed. Variations in page structure keep the eye moving.

This is a very clearly written discussion or “living fossils,” or organisms that closely resemble their long-extinct ancestors. The photographs are fascinating and provide a close look at animals such as the horseshoe crab, the lungfish, and the chambered nautilus. The author presents a lot of background information about natural selection and mass extinction that helps the reader understand the text. She also highlights the role of speculation in scientific thinking, telling readers that sometimes scientists don’t know exactly what happened in the past, but they can have ideas about how it might have happened. This is a very interesting and informative book for young readers.

"Living Fossils" by Rebecca E. Hirsh is a perfect addition to every classroom and home of little scientists. If you are always on the search for interesting non-fiction, this is the book for you. Filled with rare interesting details on horseshow crabs use against harmful bacteria, the evolvement of intelligence, animal classification., etc. Fascinating!

Living Fossils: Survivors from Earth's Distant Past by Rebecca E. Hirsch is a children's nonfiction book currently scheduled for release on October 6 2020. In the history of life on this planet, 99.9 percent of all species have gone extinct. But a few have survived almost unchanged. This book introduces readers to six living fossils, including the chambered nautilus, the horseshoe crab with its sticky blue blood, and venomous platypuses that sting, as well as a comprehensive explanation of evolution and extinction for readers who may not be familiar with the terms yet. Readers will also discover a a spectacular timeline of the history of animal life on Earth.

Living Fossils is a well organized and clearly written book that uses a blend of accessible text, interesting facts, and intriguing images to capture and keep the attention of readers. I also liked the use of timelines to illustrate the history and evolution of life, and the fact boxes to break up the pages. The information was very interesting, and while I have done some reading on horseshoe crabs and platupi, some of the animals included I was fairly ignorant about, like the solenodon. The amount of information included in this book is impressive, especially since it was so readable and accessible to young readers and adults alike. I was intrigued and plan on following up on the resources suggested in the endpages to learn more.

This is a really cool book and we have enjoyed using this as part of our science time in homeschool!

This is an interesting book. It is aimed at 8-14 year old children and I would say that it appropriate for that age. It has great photographs of the animals that are the subjects of the chapters. I would have liked a few more photographs or examples in each category. I could see this book being successful for those who use it as a research book. I liked that it was broken up into chapters based on animal features.

I received an electronic ARC from Lerner Publishing Group through NetGalley.
Hirsch introduces readers to several species who have survived since before the mass extinctions in earth's past. She shares information on each species that middle grade readers will understand. The graphs and photos further explains why these species are important to study and to protect. A glossary and references for future research are included at the end.

I'll freely admit that any non-fiction book dealing with animals is going to have to be REALLY BAD before I give it a poor review, but Rebecca Hirsch's Living Fossils isn't just "not bad" - it taught me things I (a 30-year-old children's librarian obsessed with animals) have literally never heard before. While some of the introductory information, about evolution and mass extinction, might be a bit of a slog for kids, anyone who's fascinated by evolution and animals will find a lot to love here.

Give this title to kids who enjoyed books like What Makes a Monster, Lesser-Spotted Animals, and Two Truths and a Lie: It's Alive!