As I mentioned before, the kids and I will be heading to Florida with my mom so they can see where she grew up. My least favorite thing about Florida? The SAND! Seriously, I am not a fan- it is dirty and sticks to everything. However, I try to not show the kids my dislike for things and let them make up their minds for themselves. So, when I was told about The Secrets of Sand (From the same publisher as The Snowflake: Winter's Frozen Artistry), I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to get them interested. Maybe they will not notice my distaste for the stuff!The Secrets of Sand: A Journey into the Amazing Microscopic World of Sand ($27), by Gary Greenburg, Carol Kiely, and Kate Clover, is a beautiful book full of facts and fun.
Every grain of sand is a snapshot in time: Each grain originated somewhere and is headed somewhere else. Biogenic sands often contain fragments of the hard tissues from marine organisms such as shells, corals, sponges, sea urchins, forams, and bryozoans. When these organisms die, the hard tissues that are left behind erode into some of the most spectacular grains of sand imaginable. In this book, deep-focus microscope photography, x-ray images, and high-resolution scanning electron microscopy reveal their secrets.Personally, I was amazed at the beauty that is in sand as we took this tour of sand across the world and beyond. My kids were completely intriged. I even overheard my oldest saying "I wonder what this dirt would look like under a microscope." I even look at sand differently now.
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