School Library Journal - November 2007
While exploring the hillside behind her new house, Julie finds a sparkly clear rock that her dad identifies as a crystal. He knows that it is made of quartz, that it comes from a vein in the ground, and that all crystals grow and have the same shape even if they are different sizes. While Julie is unfamiliar with technical terms such as "silicon dioxide" and "veins," she is fascinated by what her dad teaches her. The book successfully incorporates nitty-gritty detail about crystals. Soft pastel illustrations make this a warm, accessible introduction to rock collecting. The interplay between Julie and her dad and the infectious enthusiasm passed between the two add to the appeal of digging up treasure in one's own backyard. A four-page reproducible section "For Creative Minds" features tips on becoming a rockhound, a Moh's Hardness Scale for comparing minerals, and recipes that serve as models for understanding how different types of rocks are made. This book will find a place in either picture-book or natural-science collections.

—Kara Schaff Dean, Walpole Public Library, MA


Rock & Gem Magazine - October 2007
A girl's interest in mineral collecting is sparkled by the discovery of a quartz crystal in Julie the Rockhound (Sylvan Dell Publishing, 2007), a picture book for ages 5 to 9. Julie's father describes her find in words that are at once familiar and confusing. As Julie and the reader learn more about quartz, "crystal," "vein," "pocket" and "faces" take on new meanings.

Warm watercolor illustrations capture the excitement of a sparkling mineral discovery, the details of the quartz crystal shape, and the relationship between Julie and her father.

Developed in response to teacher requests, this book was designed to support the National Science Standard with regard to rocks and minerals. Educational activities at the back of the book include matching items to their plant, animal or mineral source, an edible rock formation project, and arranging minerals by ther Mohs hardness. Teaching Activities and Learning Links are offered as resources for classroom use at www.SylvanDellPublishing.com.

Author Gail Langer Karwoski and her husband own a quartz deposit in South Carolina, where they offer fee mining. A former teacher, Karwoski has written seven other titles for young readers.

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Children's Literature Comprehensive Database - October 2007

Julie discovers different kinds of crystals and learns about their names and make-up in this cleverly written story about rockhounding. Julie and her dad use word play with common words like vein, pocket, and face to increase her knowledge about rocks and the entertaining and informative dialogue between Julie and her dad keep the story moving. Realistic watercolor illustrations capture Julie’s concentration and wonder as she journeys through her rockhounding day. Detailed, realistic illustrations show readers what Smoky, White, Clear, Rose, Citrine and Amethyst quartz really look like. The Creative Minds section at the end of the book gives the reader more opportunity to learn about rocks. One activity consists of matching things made in nature and made by humans. Another gives clear directions on how to become a rockhound, and a third lets readers create fun and delicious recipes that help them learn about Sedimentary, Metamorphic, and Igneous rocks. This book would make an excellent addition to earth science lessons and it will keep curious, young rockhounders busy.

Like other Syvlan Dell Publishing books, Julie the Rockhound comes with a "For Creative Minds" section. (Click here for a PDF version.) Your child will explore if items are plants, animals or minerals. They'll learn what they need to become a rockhound, how rocks are formed, and how to classify minerals.

The "Food Rocks!" section shows how you can use cooking to understand how rocks are formed. The recipe they give for sedimentary rocks is making a sandwich. The layers of margarine, cheese, bread and meat represent layers of sedimentary rock. Great idea!
-Anne-Marie Nichols
Go to the review online


Laura Williams' Musings - October 2007
My two oldest sons, ages 7 and 8, enjoyed this book the most out of my children. They enjoyed reading about how the main character, Julie, found crystals.

The Creative Minds section in the back of the book give your child the chance to learn more crystals as well as activities and gives classification charts.

The science behind the storyline in this book makes it a great addition for a homeschool family's book shelves.

I give this book a bright line of 5 stars

-Laura Williams

PRS, issue 105 -- Winter 2007

Julie showed her dad where she found her crystal.  She helped him dig a deep, wide hole.  In the hole, they found many sparkly crystals poking into a small cavity.

"Look! Here's a pocket of crystals," Dad cried.

Julie the Rockhound is the delightful tale of a young girl who finds a beautiful quartz crystal on the hillside behind her home.  Excited about the unexpected discovery, she eagerly shows her new prize to her father.  Although her father tries to explain the nature of crystals to Julie, she remains a bit befuddled by his somewhat confusing play on words.  Thus, while the crystal that she found is a type of quartz, this is not the same as the quarts of milk in the refrigerator.  And, despite the fact that minerals and crystals may grow in veins or pockets, these differ from the veins in her arm or the pockets in her trousers.  The misleading vocabulary of the rockhound’s lexicon leaves her with much to think about; however, in spite of her confusion, Julie’s father helps open her eyes to an amazing world of rocks and minerals right beneath her feet.

Karwoski concludes with some basic information about how rocks are formed and how minerals are classified, as well as some important tips on how youngsters can go about becoming rockhounds themselves.

This nicely illustrated story is primarily written for children 5 to 9 years of age (interest level K to 4).  It offers young readers an opportunity to discover an exciting new hobby and to learn a little about earth science in the process.  Rockhounds hoping to encourage a similar passion in young children will appreciate that Julie the Rockhound should be of value in helping to stimulate an interest in rock and mineral collecting among burgeoning pebble pups.

-Danny Brass

Children's Book Reviews - December 2007

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.

-Judith Nasse