Overall, the book was well written and I did really enjoy it. Thank you for this advance reading copy!

What a fabulous book!

Informative and fun!

I love that we get a main narrative as well as additional boxes of more information - this makes this book accessible for a wide range of ages and levels. I could see this being useful as a book siblings share!

And bonus - aside from being a great book of science facts there is even ANOTHER narrative - about making mistakes and trial an error! Something scientist know well - that is just like the mistakes we make in life too!

Scratching the Surface is a great introduction to the Earth's layers and the scientific method. The book starts with thought-provoking questions that will pique the interest of curious young readers and prompt discussions between grown-up readers and their audience. There are helpful definitions throughout. The illustrations are fun and captivating though I do think that a few of the images could have been a bit clearer for those who are learning new concepts. For example, the illustration for the mantle and the description of plate tectonics might benefit from the addition of a volcano that illustrates what is being described and/or a few illustrations that demonstrate how plate tectonics work.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishing team for providing me early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

Archaeologist here 👋 I saw this title and new I needed to grab this one for review. I read through it and also read it with my two daughters (aged 6+4). Upon my own initial inspection, I was a little bummed that there wasn't more archaeology. I also wasn't a huge fan of the side boxes with more information. I was hoping for more of a story book, and this one came across as an "early learners textbook" so to speak. I also felt like my kids weren't really comprehending things like the temperatures and miles. but appreciated the attempt at explanation (twice as hot as the temperature cookies bake at!).

While I did have some minor issues with this, they were, indeed, quite minor. I absolutely LOVED the illustrations. And I did enjoy the text, which I was accurate and mostly conveyed the message to my kids age group. I absolutely LOVED that the author provided additional reading and citations. And the scientific method at the end.

My kids say 10/10. I'm inclined to agree. I may have to purchase a copy to display on their bookshelf :)