Customer Reviews

Julie the Rockhound

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Karwoski's latest book will appeal to readers of many ages. For the youngest, it is a story of a girl and her dad sharing a day together and exploring the natural world. Older readers will enjoy the details Julie learns from her dad about rocks and rock collecting. Downey's clean illustrations focus attention on the beauty of the quartz crystals. Four pages of activities following the story are sure to lure beginning rockhounds outside to start digging! Teachers will find the book especially useful for teaching about rocks and minerals. A great purchase for the home, classroom, or school library.

I picked up a copy of Julie the Rockhound while at the Southern Independent Booksellers Association Conference. I am so pleased with it I plan to give it to my granddaughter for Christmas. As a former teacher, I am always on the lookout for entertaining and educational reading for children. This one is great. Not only is it a resource for children's reading, it is a means for teaching and inspiring an interest and hobby! The book includes a learning-activity section at the end of the story, parents and teachers will find helpful.

This is a great introduction to rock collecting for kids. The story shares the excitment of collecting and introduces simple and sometimes confusing terms in a funny way. The tips in the back for rock collecting are helpful and easy for any family to follow to add this fun and inexpensive hobby to family outings. The activities are great for home or for the classroom. This is a terrific book for elementary school teachers.

This is a fascinating read and will enthrall young children, especially those who love to dig for rocks and crystals in the ground. Young Julie finds a sparkly rock on the hillside behind her new house and discovers (thanks to her dad) that she found a piece of quartz. Both father and daughter decide to explore the hillside for more quartz and do find some treasure of the sparkly kind! In the process, Julie finds out a lot of information about the formation of crystals, and the different kinds of crystals. The illustrations are huge and beautifully done, especially in depicting the various types of crystals. At the end of the book, there is an educational section where there is more information about classifying minerals, tips on how to become a rockhound, and also a matching activity. An educational and fun read!

REVIEWED BY: Gayle Jacobson-Huset, Managing Editor

This high-quality book serves well as an additional source of information for the topic of Earth Science in elementary school, usually introduced to students in Grade 3.

Julie discovers a shiny rock in the backyard of her new home. She wants to know what it is. She shows it to Dad. He tells her all about crystal quartz and its many properties. They go up the hill where Julie found the crystal and together they search for more. Do you know what rocks you can find in your backyard? You'll just have to read this fun book so you can figure out how to look for the rocks and what kinds you will find. This is a great idea for a new activity you and your child can share.

This book is an excellent resource for kids who want to learn more about rock collecting, who want to experience a new adventure, or who want to start a new hobby. Author Gail Langer Karwoski does a terrific job in providing very clear and straightforward text that will appeal to children of all ages. The realistic illustrations by Lisa Downey make the different rocks easily identifiable. I learned lots by reading this book!

As with all Sylvan Dell books, there is a section entitled "For Creative Minds" at the end of the book that is also available online. There's a section on "Plant, Animal or Mineral? A Matching Activity", and "Become A Rockhound", which explains in detail how to go about this fun activity, "Rocks And How They Are Found", "Food Rocks!" and "Sorting It All Out-Classifying Minerals".

What child doesn't collect rocks at one time or another, especially the shiny and unusual ones? That makes all children rockhounds like Julie in this most interesting story that proficiently explains what quartz crystals are and how to find them. Young readers will enjoy learning about the properties and growth of crystals. Yes, crystals do grow! Author Gail Langer Karwoski has done a splendid job of taking a scientific concept and creating an absorbing story around it.

Artist Lisa Downey's detailed pencil drawings add so much to the story, making it easy for readers to visualize what Julie and Dad talk about on their hunt for rocks. For instance, where Dad explains, "It takes a VERY long time...to grow." The illustrations show the ascending scale of a quartz crystal's growth. The activities in the back of the book are both informative and enjoyable. The book is highly recommended for the rockhounds in any home or classroom, ages 6 - 10.

Georgia author Gail Karwoski offers another well-written and captivating picture book in Julie the Rockhound. The story begins when a young girl, Julie, notices something sparkling on a hillside behind her new home. The sparkle leads her to pick up a rock that's shiny with flat sides and a pointy end. Julie shows her find to her dad who calls it a crystal. The humorous word-play explanations dad offers for Julie's questions about her rock will tickle young readers as they learn along with Julie about quartz crystals. Some of the things I like most about book are the clear, informative writing, the warm relationship between Julie and her Dad, and the informative suggestions in the back of the book that will teach readers how to become rockhounds themselves. This book is ideal for parents, grandparents and teachers to share with young readers or for older children who want to read it on their own. It's great for those who already have an interest in rockhounding and for those who might want to join in the fun.