Aspiring “rock hounds” are the kinds of readers Dennie is after in this broad introduction to the diversity of rocks, minerals, and gems on Earth. After initial spreads devoted to rock hunting and starting a collection, Dennie moves on to discuss dozens of rocks and minerals (in one nifty visual, bits of yellow, red, and blue crayons are compressed, combined, and melted in different ways to demonstrate how igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic rocks vary). Vibrant photographs provide close-up looks at the vivid coloring and dramatic crystalline structures of fluorite, mica, topaz, and more. Small sidebars succinctly define relevant terms such as luster and transparency, and the images are annotated with intriguing details (“Turquoise crystals have no definable shape”) that supplement each section’s introductory text. A solid primer that should have many readers looking at the ground in a new light. Ages 6–9. (July)
