I’m Trying To Love Rocks

K-Gr 2–This charming, brightly colored book shares a heap of information about Earth and rocks, resulting in a playful primer in geology. In the same vein as her previous title, (I’m Trying To Love Math), Barton pairs a slightly bored, disembodied narrator with a character who is passionate about the subject in question; in this case, the young president of the geology club. With her enthusiastic guidance, the second character comes to understand the wonderful world of geology, from the names and classifications of rocks to questions about how islands and diamonds are formed. Barton offers an engaging overview of some core concepts of geology, providing facts and figures without overwhelming readers and emphasizing the exciting aspects of questioning and exploration in science. A lovely touch: The endpapers at the start of the book have a host of different rocks, each labeled “rock,” while the endpapers at the back show the same rocks correctly labeled.