REVIEW: How to Avoid Extinction by Paul Acampora

Summary


Right before the one year anniversary of his grandfather’s death, Leo’s grandmother decides she wants to go on a road trip from Pennsylvania to Utah to see a dinosaur dig site. Leo, his cousin Abbey, and Grandma Francine hit the highway.  Along the way, they see parts of the country Leo never imagined. They learn about dinosaurs. They make a new friend… and lose another. They also grow as a family.

How to Avoid Extinction by Paul Acampora

Review


This is such a great road trip book! I loved Leo, who goes from reluctant passenger to navigator and equal partner. Each character has a clear “voice” in the story. There are only a handful of key characters, so each one gets a good amount of development. While the road trip is supposed to be about dinosaurs, it’s really about so much more. Grief. Family. Secrets. Stories. This is a book that is more about the journey than it is about the destination.

Rating: ♥♥♥♥

This is the second book I have read from Paul Acampora. The other one, I Kill the Mockingbird, is one of my all-time-favorite books for middle grade readers.

I Kill the Mockingbird by Paul Acampora