Six Really Great Books About Geology

One of my son’s latest obsessions is geology. Last week we went to Cornwall for a short break; while we were there he went on a geology walk which fuelled his obsession no end. We already had a few books about rocks and geology on our shelves; but the geology walk meant we needed to visit a bookshop and expand our selection of books about geology a little more. After consulting with the boy, we’ve chosen six of his favourite books about geology.

Six Really Great Books About Geology

Usborne Naturetrails: Rocks and Fossils by Struan Reid – this is an absolutely brilliant book. It’s got bags of full of colour pictures, and easy to understand information all about rocks. There are fantastic facts boxes and short experiments to enhance understanding. The end section contains a field spotters guide listing the main rocks, minerals and fossils to be seen; plus tips and advice on collecting rocks. It’s a great all round book for junior geologists!

Everything: Rocks and Minerals by National Geographic Kids – Packed with facts and anecdotes from experts and bursting with colour photographs, learn all about rocks, minerals, fossils, types of rock, tectonics and gems in this informative and fun educational book from National Geographic Kids.

Rock & Fossil Hunter (DK Eyewitness) by Ben Morgan – this books explains everything you never knew about rocks, fossils, minerals, gems, and shells. There are more than 30 hands-on practical projects to try out at home; start your own rock collection, grow your own gemstones, make a fossil bone, build a sandstone castle, or even create an erupting volcano! Each activity comes with easy step-by-step instructions to help you. This is a great book for learning about the geology of rocks, Earth’s changing landscape, and much more.

My Book of Rocks and Minerals: Things to Find, Collect, and Treasure by Dr Devin Dennie – For children aged 5+, this guide is the ideal starter companion for any child interested in starting their own rock and mineral collection. This is a fantastic introduction to the world of rocks, gems, and minerals. Children will learn all about where rocks and minerals come from, what a fossil is, and how they can go about starting their own rock collection, as well as how to identify any rocks they find.

Rocks and Minerals Sticker Book by Natural History Museum – For children who love activity books, this is full of fun stuff; with colourful stickers, fantastic facts and fun learning pages, this activity book is a great introduction to 100 rocks and minerals from around the world. Written and designed for younger readers, it contains 100 re-useable stickers. There are lots of bite-size facts about what rocks and minerals look like and where they come from; plus exciting puzzles and games, including a colouring in activity and spot the mineral quiz. You can build your own rock world by adding stickers to a colourful double page landscape. This book is ideal for children who want to know more about rocks and minerals.

The Street Beneath My Feet by Charlotte Guillian is something a little bit different than the rock spotter books listed above. This double-sided foldout book takes you on a fascinating journey deep underground. One side of the foldout shows the ground beneath the city and the reverse side shows the ground beneath the countryside. The underground scenes include tunnels and pipes, creatures’ burrows, layers of rock and the planet’s molten core. Covering subjects such as geology, archaeology and natural history; this expansive concertina book opens out to an impressive 2.5 metres long; perfect for spreading out on the floor to pore over for hours.

Geology is a fascinating science; whether you’re interested in rocks, minerals, fossils or gems, there’s a really great book on this list that can help you learn more. What’s your favourite book about geology?

If you enjoyed this, you might also like these five books about science or these six books about space.

Six Really Great Books About Geology

Six Out Of This World Books About Space

This year is the 50th anniversary of the moon landings. As part of NASA’s Apollo 11 lunar mission, the first man walked on the moon on 20th July 1969. 50 years later, we are still fascinated with space. My son loves anything to do with space, and so we have many excellent books on the subject. We’ve picked out six of our favourite books about space.

Six Out Of This World Books About Space

Astronaut Academy by Steve Martin is a wonderfully fun book for aspiring astronauts. This activity book will test their ability to manage life in space, working on their hand-eye coordination and putting them through obstacle courses; building a balloon rocket, learning basic first-aid skills, how to deal with weightlessness, and doing fiddly things while wearing big gloves! The book also includes stickers, a poster, board game, press-outs, and a model space shuttle; in fact everything an astronaut needs to get started!

Six Out Of This World Books About Space

Paperscapes – The Spectacular Journey Into Space by Kevin Pettman takes a look at the wonders that can be found in space, both natural and man-made. This beautiful book is full of dye-cut images including photographs and CGI images. It’s a lovely keepsake book, one for the whole family to enjoy and admire. You can read our review here.

Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers About Space by Katie Daynes is a lovely book for littler ones. With over 60 flaps to lift, this delightful book answers questions such as ‘Where have people visited in space?’, ‘What’s a cosmonaut?’, ‘Why can’t I see stars in daytime’; and lots more what, where, how, why, and yes or no questions with answers beneath the flaps.

Space – A Children’s Encyclopedia by Dorling Kindersley is a really thorough encyclopedia for kids. Learn all about what living in space is like for an astronaut, take a tour around planet Earth and the moon. Then go beyond where any human has gone before; marvel at the red, rocky landscape of Mars and the truly magnificent icy rings of Saturn. Packed full of beautiful images, this book contains everything you need to know about space.

Hello, is this planet Earth?: My View from the International Space Station by Tim Peake. My son was lucky enough to meet Tim Peake and has been his biggest fan ever since. This book is a captivating collection of over 150 of Tim’s stunning photographs that he took while he was on board the International Space Station. Includes a personal commentary from Tim about his time in space.

Space Number Crunch! by Kevin Pettman covers a whole range of space related topics, from the planets and stars, the astronaut training, comets, galaxies and space agencies. It’s very much the kind of book you can dip in and out of and absolutely perfect for fact fans like my son. It’s very well put together. I like the themed pages and it means you can find the facts you want quickly. It’s probably the most informative and interesting book about space we’ve read. You can read our full review here.

If you enjoyed this collection, you might also be interested in books about science.

Six Out Of This World Books About Space

Book Review: Space Number Crunch!

A little while ago we reviewed Dinosaur Number Crunch! by Kevin Pettman and we were very taken with how the facts were presented in a bite-size style, you could really dip in and out of it and it’s a firm favourite. We knew there were more books planned in the Number Crunch series, so we were pleased to get our hands on Space Number Crunch! which is published on 12th July 2018.

Space Number Crunch! contains 96 pages of facts, figures and out of this world stats to please any space fan. From the biggest planet, fastest asteroid to astronaut facts, every page of the book is packed full of space data.

Book Review & Giveaway: Space Number Crunch!

It’s aimed at children aged 8+, but it’s just right for my space loving seven and a half year old. Space Number Crunch! is full of colourful illustrations and graphics. These’s even a quiz at the end to check your learning.

Space Number Crunch! covers a whole range of space related topics, from the planets and stars, the astronaut training, comets, galaxies and space agencies. It’s a really handy reference book; we’ve been reading in a few pages at a time before bed, and in the car on long journeys too.

It’s very much the kind of book you can dip in and out of and absolutely perfect for fact fans like my son. It’s very well put together. I like the themed pages and it means you can find the facts you want quickly. It’s probably the most informative and interesting book about space we’ve read.

Book Review & Giveaway: Space Number Crunch!

If you’re interested in everything to do with space, this Space Number Crunch! book is essential reading. This flexicover book is available to buy from 12th July 2018. This would make a truly out of this world gift for space enthusiasts!

Space Number Crunch! is published by Carlton Kids and costs £9.99. It’s available in all good bookshops and online now.

If you enjoyed this, you might also like my pick of five books about science.

Disclosure: We were sent a copy of Space Number Crunch! for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

Children’s Books: Five Superb Books About Science

One of my son’s favourite things is science. We can often be found at a science museum, or experimenting at home. He also loves to read books about all kinds of science; with a particular focus on dinosaurs, space and the earth sciences. I’ve picked out five of our favourite books about science, each one is a great introduction and resource for science mad kids!

Here are my Five Superb Books About Science –

First Encyclopedia of Science by Rachel Firth published by Usborne is a lovely basic introduction to science. Suitable for younger children this children’s encyclopedia is packed with easy-to-read text and lively illustrations which introduces a broad range of basic science topics. It’s a great first step into science for younger children!

Children's Books: Five Superb Books About Science

Bug Hotel by Libby Walden and illustrated by Clover Robin is a beautiful book aimed at 3-6 year olds. Each page details the hotel habitat where creepy crawlies of all shapes and sizes can find a place to stay. Lift the flaps to find out facts about your favourite garden insects and learn how a bug hotel can create a sustainable, safe environment for insects and mini-beasts.

365 Science Activities by Minna Lacey is jam-packed with fun science activities and experiments. With a different activity or experiment for every day of the year, this book is filled with hands-on science you can do at home with everyday things you’ll find around your home. This book is perfect for inspiring future scientists!

Astronaut Academy by Steve Martin is a wonderfully fun book for aspiring astronauts. This activity book will test their ability to manage life in space, working on their hand-eye coordination and putting them through obstacle courses; building a balloon rocket, learning basic first-aid skills, how to deal with weightlessness, and doing fiddly things while wearing big gloves! The book also includes stickers, a poster, board game, press-outs, and a model space shuttle; in fact everything an astronaut needs to get started!

National Geographic Kids – Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes by Kathy Furgang. The National Geographic Kids series is fantastic for explaining things in ways children will understand. We are big fans of the Nat Geo books and Everything Volcanoes and Earthquakes is one of our favourites. Packed with incredible photographs and facts, this book takes a fun approach to science; introducing kids to plate tectonics and the tumultuous forces brewing beneath the Earth’s surface.

Do you have any favourite books about science you read with your children?

Children's Books: Five Superb Books About Science