"An imaginative adventure … perfect for curious kids." — Tui T. Sutherland, author of #1 New York Times best-selling series Wings of Fire
At first, twelve-year-old Dominic Bean is not happy when he and his sister are “dumped” with eccentric relatives on a New Hampshire cattle farm while their scientist parents work on a secret project in the Canadian Arctic. Coping with what he sees as parental abandonment, plus the pressure of bullies, schoolwork and wrangling Harriet (a stubborn pregnant Highlander cow with long, sharp horns) bring out the worst in Dom.
But the sleepy farm turns out to be full of surprises. A developer is trying to buy the Bean family land to build an Arctic-themed amusement park under a plastic dome. Dom’s nemesis at school, Edith, turns out to have a way with Harriet. And reading his dad’s old journal leads Dom to an ancient woolly mammoth tusk that his father once found in the farm’s bog.
Dom learns that his jam-making aunt and whiskey-distilling uncle are in fact in cahoots with his parents on a secret project in the old milking barn — a project that, if successful, will “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth and possibly help save the planet.
Key Text Features
Author’s note
biographical information
epigraph
illustrations
journal entries
map
scientific nomenclature
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
"An imaginative adventure … perfect for curious kids." — Tui T. Sutherland, author of #1 New York Times best-selling series Wings of Fire
At first, twelve-year-old Dominic Bean is not happy when he and his sister are “dumped” with eccentric relatives on a New Hampshire cattle farm while their scientist parents work on a secret project in the Canadian Arctic. Coping with what he sees as parental abandonment, plus the pressure of bullies, schoolwork and wrangling Harriet (a stubborn pregnant Highlander cow with long, sharp horns) bring out the worst in Dom.
But the sleepy farm turns out to be full of surprises. A developer is trying to buy the Bean family land to build an Arctic-themed amusement park under a plastic dome. Dom’s nemesis at school, Edith, turns out to have a way with Harriet. And reading his dad’s old journal leads Dom to an ancient woolly mammoth tusk that his father once found in the farm’s bog.
Dom learns that his jam-making aunt and whiskey-distilling uncle are in fact in cahoots with his parents on a secret project in the old milking barn — a project that, if successful, will “de-extinct” the woolly mammoth and possibly help save the planet.
Key Text Features
Author’s note
biographical information
epigraph
illustrations
journal entries
map
scientific nomenclature
Correlates to the Common Core State Standards in English Language Arts:
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3
Describe in depth a character, setting, or event in a story or drama, drawing on specific details in the text (e.g., a character's thoughts, words, or actions).
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
Describe how a narrator's or speaker's point of view influences how events are described.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3
Describe how a particular story's or drama's plot unfolds in a series of episodes as well as how the characters respond or change as the plot moves toward a resolution.
| Published By | Groundwood Books Ltd — Sep 1, 2026 |
| Specifications | 288 pages | 5 in x 7.5 in |
| Written By |
EMILIE CHRISTIE BURACK’s debut novel, The Runaway’s Gold, was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a winner of the New England Book Festival. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New Hampshire, where she is the co-founder of the New Hampshire Book Festival. |
| Illustrated by |
ANNA BRON is an illustrator and animation director based in Vancouver, BC. She has worked on Emmy- and Oscar-nominated projects and illustrated award-winning books, including The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice by Amy Alznauer and Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan.
|
| Written By |
|
EMILIE CHRISTIE BURACK’s debut novel, The Runaway’s Gold, was a Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People and a winner of the New England Book Festival. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and lives in New Hampshire, where she is the co-founder of the New Hampshire Book Festival. |
| Illustrated by |
|
ANNA BRON is an illustrator and animation director based in Vancouver, BC. She has worked on Emmy- and Oscar-nominated projects and illustrated award-winning books, including The Five Sides of Marjorie Rice by Amy Alznauer and Salma the Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan.
|
| Audience | ages 9 to 12 / grades 4 to 7 |
| Key Text Features | Author’s note; biographical information; epigraph; illustrations; journal entries; map; scientific nomenclature |
| Common Core |
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.5.6
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.6.3 CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RL.4.3 |
“An imaginative adventure with a very relatable hero, a cast of quirky characters (both human and animal!), and a bedrock of fascinating science that’s perfect for curious kids — plus the world’s cutest baby woolly mammoth!” — Tui T. Sutherland, author of the #1 New York Times best-selling Wings of Fire series
”“Full of astonishing science and lovable characters, Dominic Bean and the Mammoth Melt is a deeply humorous, heart-centered, and hopeful story of the power of community action to change lives — and our world.” — Evan Griffith, author of The Strange Wonders of Roots and Wild at Heart: The Story of Olaus and Mardy Murie, Defenders of Nature
”“Equal parts mad scientist shenanigans and a high-stakes climate caper, this big-hearted coming-of-age tale is an irresistible page-turner. Buckle up for woolly mammoths, barnyard chaos — and a whole lot of fun!” — Azadeh Westergaard, author of The One and Only GooGoosh
”“This adventure connects themes of science, family, imagination, and discovery. The science is accessible for middle-grade readers and is perfect for kids who love real-world issues with some wonder mixed in, all while solving big problems.” — Donna Zecha, Library Media Specialist, Hopkinton Middle High School
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