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Rock spotter
By Dan Green

Introduction by Librarian

Under your feet, where you are standing on, beneath the cement layer and pipelines that are made by man, our earth is made up of layers of rocks.

Learn how to identify rocks! Underneath our feet, the earth’s crust is made up of different kinds of rocks. Although rocks may look similar and plain, they are unique and different according to the elements inside and how they are formed. When I was small and collecting shells at the beach for my aquarium, a semi-clear green smooth round rock was spotted. I took it as a precious marble. However, it was later found to be an eroded piece of glass.

“Rock Spotter” shows you what sorts of rocks look like and where you can spot it. Photo of rock with a “Spot it” note helps you know where the rock is used and can be found. The round grey pebbles that are found on beaches are called greywacke, also known as “dirty sandstone”. Do you know when lightning strikes the sand, knotted hollow tubes of glassy stone called fulgurite, known as “fossilized lightning”, is formed?

This book is recommended to children, inspiring them to have a new insight and explore deeper on our surroundings. You will find each rock can be specific and different from the others. It is only if we are willing to spare time for more observation and finding tiny traces of minerals around us. Maybe next time when you go hiking, you can explore the pattern and colour on the rocks by the hillside. Or when you go to the beach, you may try spotting or digging to find different kinds of stones in the sand and identify them.