The Earth's rocks and minerals come to life! The Scholastic Science Readers series was created especially to bring exciting nonfiction to beginning readers. Illustrated with full-color photographs. This simple introduction to rocks and minerals illustrates where they come from, as well as the many ways in which they are formed. Young readers will explore the layers of the Earth and find out whether common rocks are igneous, metamorphic, or sedimentary. Fossils and gemstones are also discussed.