Minerals

Children's Literature - Marilyn Courtot

Did you know that the Earth has more than 3,500 different kinds of minerals? Minerals are made of atoms and they can be pure—only one type of atom like gold or made up of multiple atoms like halite which is more commonly called salt. When this book is opens, kids are challenged to find more than a dozen words and to deduce their meaning (they are defined at the end of the book in the glossary). Pictures of various minerals fill the pages, and some of the crystal formations are truly striking. Readers learn how minerals are classified—color, shape, size, and hardness are some of the characteristics. There is even a scale—Moh's Scale—that is used by scientists to measure the hardness of minerals. Some minerals break in a special way, others have a shiny, oily or powdery surface. Examples accompanied by pictures make the differences clear. Various types of rocks are described—igneous, sedimentary, and metamorphic. The final section of the text discusses the uses that people find for minerals. The closing pages contain information for adults with advice regarding the sharing of a book. There are a few books and web sites referenced for more information. A good introduction to the topic for young readers and a selection that really seems more appropriate for a classroom library than a personal purchase. Part of the "Early Bird Earth Science" series.