Rocks In His Head (Avenues) Read Free Books and Download eBooks
Some people collect stamps. Other people collect coins. Carol Otis Hurst's father collected rocks. Nobody ever thought his obsession would amount to anything. They said, "You've got rocks in your head" and "There's no money in rocks." But year after year he kept on collecting, trading, displaying, and labeling his rocks. The Depression forced the family to sell their gas station and their house, but his interest in rocks never wavered. And in the end the science museum he had visited so often realized that a person with rocks in his head was just what was needed.Anyone who has ever felt a little out of step with the world will identify with this true story of a man who followed his heart and his passion.
Lexile Measure: 440L (What's this?)
Series: Avenues
Hardcover: 32 pages
Publisher: Greenwillow Books; 1st edition (May 8, 2001)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060294035
ISBN-13: 978-0060294038
Product Dimensions: 8 x 0.2 x 10 inches
Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
Best Sellers Rank: #97,083 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #28 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Science Studies > Nature > Rocks & Minerals #146 in Books > Children's Books > Education & Reference > Jobs & Careers #432 in Books > Children's Books > Growing Up & Facts of Life > Family Life > Parents
Age Range: 4 - 8 years
Grade Level: Kindergarten - 5
An amateur is someone who does something for the love of it and the main character of Carol Otis Hurst's wonderful, beautiful Rocks in his Head is the epitome of an amateur. In this well illustrated story, Ms. Hurst recounts the story of her father, a rockhound who was dissuaded from making a career of his first love. We follow him through his life from successful gas station owner to family man struggling to make ends meet during the Depression, all the while lovingly collecting, cataloguing, and caring for an ever expanding rock and mineral collection. The payoff comes when her dad gets a job at the local science museum after the director notices his interest in minerals and then views his personal collection. The father goes on to become the curator of the museum's mineral collection. James Stevenson's illustrations perfectly compliment this story of a triumphant amateur. Children's books with true stories like this one usually have a summary page after the end of the story to give details left out of the main book. Unfortunately, details like the father being sent to college by the director and his eventual rise to director of the museum are left for the dust jacket, a part of a children's book that is often lost. Other than this minor criticism, I think this is a 5-star book and wish there were many more like this.
I just discovered this book. This is the perfect book for a child who likes to pick up rocks, or even who likes to collect just about anything. The drawings are about as charming as any book I ever saw. I love the themes of having a passion and educating yourself about what interests you, but also the excitement of being "discovered" for what you are best at. And when you least expect it. A fabulous book.
My children , ages 8 and 6, love this book. I like the message of following your dreams and passions through hard times and no matter what other people may say. We also used the book to discuss the Great Depression and rocks and minerals. I highly recommend this book!!.
This book is narrated by a rock-collector's son. He starts off telling how his father worked at a gas station. He displayed his large rock collection at the station where he worked. Many people came to talk, look at the rocks, and play chess with the father. Then the Great Depression started and the father had one job a day. He still found time to go to the museum and look at rocks. The museum manager noticed him and she gave him a job as a janitor there. Then he was found switching the rock labels because he knew they were wrong. After this happened he was moved up to museum currator. I like this book because to me, it is about following your dreams.
This picture book tells the true story of the author's father, who collected rocks and dreamed of working with them in some way. Instead, he married, raised a family, and ran a gas station -- all the while collecting rocks, labeling them, and showing them to anybody who asked about them. Then came the Great Depression and Hurst's father, like millions of other people, was out of a job. When he wasn't looking for work, he spent time in a nearby museum, looking at the rock collection. This turned out to be his lucky break: you'll have to read the story to find out the results of the lucky break. The illustrations, by James Stevenson, bring an uncommon common man to life. A warm, wonderful, true life story.
"Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins or dolls or bottle caps. When he was a boy, my father collected rocks. When he wasn't doing chores at home or learning at school, he'd walk along stone walls and around old quarries, looking for rocks. People said he had rocks in his pockets and rocks in his head. He didn't mind. It was usually true." So begins Carol Otis Hurst's inspiring biography of her father and his lifelong passion for rocks and minerals. In simple and gentle prose, we follow the story of his life, how he grew up and married, opened a successful filling station, lost his business during the depression, and finally while looking for odd jobs and work met Grace Johnson, the Director of the Science Museum. Ms Johnson was so impressed with his knowledge, dedication, and love of rocks that she to gave him a steady job as night janitor at the museum so that he could work around rocks, and that as they say, was just the beginning..... Ms Hurst's fascinating story is beautifully enhanced by James Stevenson's spare and touching pen and ink illustrations, done in quiet earth tones, that really capture the life and times of this very endearing man. With an afterword to complete her uplifting story on the jacket flap, Rocks In His Head is an engaging and nostalgic little treasure that's perfect for youngsters 5-9, and is told with great insight and affection. Never be afraid to follow your dream!
Charming illustrations and a true story make this book a "gem." The author is writing about her father who went from running a gas station to being curator of a large museum all because of his love of rocks. There are several lessons here for my students - perseverance, hard work, following your passion, all mixed with a bit of rock science. A nice combination.
Rocks in His Head (Avenues) Dem Bones (Avenues) Tree For All Seasons (Avenues) Barnyard Banter (Avenues) Michigan Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Great Lake State (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Rocks & Minerals of Washington and Oregon: A Field Guide to the Evergreen and Beaver States (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Arizona Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Grand Canyon State (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Rocks & Minerals of Wisconsin, Illinois & Iowa: A Field Guide to the Badger, Prairie & Hawkeye States (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Lake Superior Rocks and Minerals (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Minnesota Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Land of 10,000 Lakes (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) New Mexico Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Land of Enchantment (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) New York Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Empire State (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Colorado Rocks & Minerals: A Field Guide to the Centennial State (Rocks & Minerals Identification Guides) Rocks and Minerals of The World: Geology for Kids - Minerology and Sedimentology (Children's Rocks & Minerals Books) Rocks for Kids: Rocks and Minerals for Kids - A Fun Fact Rock Book with FAQ, Pictures, Jokes, Games & Geology Star Wars: Head to Head Who Wins?: 100 Historical Figures Go Head-to-Head and You Decide the Winner! Just a Little Girl: How a Clinical Death Brought a Teenage Girl Face-to-Face With An Angel and Head-to-Head with Her Faith (Morgan James Faith) Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck, 3e (Fehrenbach, Illustrated Anatomy of the Head and Neck) Over My Head: A Doctor's Own Story of Head Injury from the Inside Looking Out
