Dactyl Hill Squad by Daniel José Older

This book continues a trend I have noticed in Daniel José Older's books- they have some really eye catching covers.  This one in particular features several children of color on dinosaurs in a city.

We are thrown headlong into the story when we meet Margaret Rocheford (real name Magdalys Roca) as she and the fellow denizens of the Colored Orphan Asylum are being taken to a performance at the Zanzibar Savannah Theater. In this alternate reality, dinosaurs still exist and many of them are used as forms of transport and for other nefarious purposes.

When Magdalys discovers that she has a hitherto unknown power then life takes a surprising turn and she discovers things about herself and about her world that send her and her friends on a quest.

Older uses many facets of his native New York City as well as several historical events and figures to bring a real authenticity to the novel. I particularly liked how he used Caribbean Spanish words like bochinche. Further, there is an entire section in the back of the book in which he explains his thinking behind the book. I for one appreciated that.


So if you're looking for a slightly scary read for this time of year (or for any time of year for that matter) this one comes highly recommended. I can't wait to see what's next for the squad.  Some read alikes for this are Steven Brezenoff's The Case of the Missing Mom and The Great Shelby Holmes by Elizabeth Eulberg.