about the book
Rhoda is a rock hunter. So when she goes with her Auntie June and Uncle Jonah on a “long, long hike from their up-north cabin,” Rhoda is excited.
Rocks are all along the path! They’re smooth, striped, and sparkly; colored and plain; large and small.
The farther the group hikes, more and more rocks find their way into Rhoda’s pack, which is getting harder to carry. But it’s still manageable and that’s what matters. Rhoda can’t give up her treasures.
When they finally reach Big Lake, the beach is covered in rocks. It’s Rhoda’s lucky day! Then it comes time to leave…and Rhoda’s pack is too heavy to carry.
Will Rhoda leave her rocks behind or stay on the beach forever? Those are the only two options, right?
about the author
While getting her master’s degree in Writing for Children and Young Adults, Molly Beth Griffin started writing a book about rock-hunting. After many revisions, rejections, and years she finally rewrote the whole thing while on vacation with family and friends along the North Shore in Minnesota. This rewrite is Rhoda’s Rock Hunt.
Molly Beth loves cooking, reading, and hiking. She teaches writing at the Loft Literary Center in the Twin Cities.
She lives in South Minneapolis, Minnesota, with her partner and their two kids.
Sources:
Author website
Author interview: Storyteller’s Inkpot
Also by Molly Beth Griffin:
Loon Baby. Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 2011.
about the illustrator
Jennifer A. Bell studied fine art at the Columbus College of Art and Design. Her artwork can be found on greeting cards, magazines, seasonal giftware, and numerous children’s books.
She and her husband live in Toronto, Ontario, in Canada, with their cranky cat.
Sources:
Illustrator website
Illustrator interview: Bookology Magazine
Also by Jennifer A. Bell:
Safe in a Storm by Stephen R. Swinburne. Cartwheel Books. 2016.
The Adventures of Sophie Mouse series by Poppy Green. Little Simon. 2015-2016.
The Stella Batts series by Courtney Sheinmel. Sleeping Bear Press. 2012-2016.
When a Grandma Says I Love You by Douglas Wood. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2014.
Toe Shoe Mouse by Jan Carr. Holiday House. 2014.
When a Dad Says I Love You by Douglas Wood. Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. 2013.
My Pen Pal, Santa by Melissa Stanton. Random House Books for Young Readers. 2013.
The Little Bully by Beth Bracken. Picture Window Books. 2012.
Far Flutterby by Karen Kingsbury. Zonderkidz. 2010.
read more!
If Rocks Could Sing : A Discovered Alphabet by Leslie McGuirk
Did you know that some rocks look like each letter of the alphabet? No? Well, now’s your chance to learn the alphabet with these rocks and see how they illustrate each example! “A is for addition. B is for bird….”
Julie the Rockhound by Gail Langer Karwoski
After Julie finds a sparkly rock buried in the dirt, she cleans it up. It’s a beautiful quartz crystal! How was it created? Maybe her dad knows!
A Rock Can Be… by Laura Purdie Salas
“It’s sand, pebble, stone. / Each rock tells a story, / a tale all its own. / A rock can be a… / tall mountain / park fountain / dinosaur bone.” Rocks are not ordinary—they’re extraordinary! What else can a rock be?


