Rock & Mineral Books that I Love

PIN 61I get a lot of questions here at Mini Me Geology about rock and mineral books. While I write all of our books about the identification of rocks and minerals, one book that I will not attempt is a compilation of every rock and mineral type known. Why? Because there are so many fabulous books already out there. I have several sitting on my bookshelf that I truly love so here is my list just in case you want to add to your own rock and mineral book library.

  1. Smithsonian Rock and Gem ”“ This is a big book and a little on the expensive side but if you want fabulous images this is the one for you!
  2. The Encyclopedia of Gemstones and Minerals ”“ The version I have of this book is fairly old, but has tons and tons of fun information.
  3. Simon & Schuster’s Guide to Rocks & Minerals ”“ This is a classic for anyone who is thinking of a career in geology. I love this book for reference information. If you just want a fun book with great images I’d go with the Smithsonian book but for true, diehard rockhounds, Simon & Schuster’s is for you.
  4. A Golden Nature Guide: Rocks and Minerals ”“ The version I have of this book is really old, older than I am actually, but I love this little book. My copy is stamped $2.95!
  5. A Golden Nature Guide: Fossils ”“ If you are in to fossils, this Golden Guide is a great starter book. My version is from the early 1960’s and at $1.95 was a total bargain. I wonder why the fossil guide was cheaper than the rock and mineral guide?
  6. 1000 Facts on Rocks and Minerals ”“ This book is great for younger kids and students who like rocks but are not too interested in super technical details.
  7. Help, I Have to Teach Rock and Mineral Identification and I’m Not a Geologist! – This is my book that I wrote to help teachers and home school parents explain the concepts of rock and mineral identification to school-age kids. I divided the book into sections of minerals and then each rock type. Within those sections, I explain how to teach your kids and students how to identify samples and I also give you sample groups that you can use for different ages. Find out more about this book at Mini Me Geology.
  8. Blue John’s Cavern (Crystal Cave Adventures Book 1) – *Fiction Alert* – Yes, this is shameless plug for my middle grade (8-12 year old) fiction book that is based on geology, adventure and has a touch of time travel and excitement. This is book #1 of the upcoming five book series. Find out more about this book at Mini Me Geology.

So that is my bookshelf. Okay, so I have a bunch of books and notebooks from college and graduate school too, but I doubt you’d be interested in those or if you are a geologist too, I bet you’ve read them!

If you have any questions about these books or need a recommendation for yourself, a child or a friend, please email me and I’ll help you out!

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