Most people recognize Michigan by its mitten-shaped Lower Peninsula and the Great Lakes embracing the state. Underneath the earth's surface, however, is equally distinctive evidence of an exciting history. Michigan rests on sedimentary rocks that reach down into the earth's crust more than fourteen thousand feet-a depth three-and-a-half times deeper than the Grand Canyon. Within these layers of rock rest all sorts of ancient fossils and minerals that date back to the eras when tropical seas spread across Michigan and hot volcanoes flung molten rock into its skies-long before mile-thick glaciers bulldozed over Michigan and plowed through ancient river valleys to form the Great Lakes.
Under Michigan is the first book for young readers about the geologic history of the state and the structure scientists call the Michigan Basin. A fun and educational journey, Under Michigan explores Earth's geological past, taking readers far below the familiar sights of Michigan and nearby places to explain the creation of minerals and fossils and show where they can be found in the varying layers of rock. Readers will learn about the hard rock formations surrounding Michigan and also discover the tall mountain ridges hidden at the bottom of the Great Lakes. With beautiful illustrations by author Charles Ferguson Barker, a glossary of scientific terms, and charming page to keep field notes, Under Michigan is a wonderful resource for young explorers to use at home, in school, or on a trip across Michigan.

Under Michigan: The Story of Michigan's Rocks and Fossils (Great Lakes Books)

Children's Books

Barker, Charles Ferguson

Science, Nature & How It Works

Wayne State University Press

Under Ohio: The Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils

There is much more for children to discover about Ohio than first meets the eye. Under Ohio: The Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils, by geologist Charles Ferguson Barker, takes young readers underground to reveal the fascinating story of Ohio’s geology. Barker presents this story through colorful illustrations, sending his readers down the “Ohio Timepike” and back a billion years to when the earth under Ohio split, creating faults that cause the earthquakes felt today. He tells of colliding continents that pushed up mountains taller than the Rockies and of the tremendous impact of the Ice Age, which profoundly altered the landscape. He shows fossil coral and shells, evidence of the tropical seas that once covered the state. Under Ohio offers a rich, interactive source of information for kids, parents, teachers, or anyone who would like to uncover facts about the state’s geological features. Armed with a list of Ohio’s best sites for rock and fossil hunting, junior geologists will want to set out on an adventure that can begin in their own backyards.

Literature & Fiction

Ohio University Press

There is much more for children to discover about Ohio than first meets the eye. Under Ohio: The Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils, by geologist Charles Ferguson Barker, takes young readers underground to reveal the fascinating story of Ohio’s geology. Barker presents this story through colorful illustrations, sending his readers down the “Ohio Timepike” and back a billion years to when the earth under Ohio split, creating faults that cause the earthquakes felt today. He tells of colliding continents that pushed up mountains taller than the Rockies and of the tremendous impact of the Ice Age, which profoundly altered the landscape. He shows fossil coral and shells, evidence of the tropical seas that once covered the state.Under Ohio offers a rich, interactive source of information for kids, parents, teachers, or anyone who would like to uncover facts about the state’s geological features. Armed with a list of Ohio’s best sites for rock and fossil hunting, junior geologists will want to set out on an adventure that can begin in their own backyards.

A fascinating—and entertaining—cautionary story about what the Great Lakes would look like without water. What’s down there (garbage, lost sunglasses). And what would happen with no water (boats would tip over and be stranded). Each Great Lake is analyzed, with humorous—yet also serious—solutions to the problem. For example, instead of driving for HOURS to get to the other side of Lake Michigan, without water, you could just drive your car across the now-dry lake. The book also serves as inspiration for readers to take care of these beautiful waters, to make sure they are clean and last forever. The book contains NOAA maps that show the underwater features of the lakes, and pages of facts about each one.

The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away

Sky Pony

Cole and Clare love to play with Bonnie, their little toy Friendship sloop, in Moosehead Lake, where the mighty Kennebec River starts its long journey to the ocean. Every night, Cole ties Bonnie tightly to the dock so that she will be safe and sound until the next morning. But one evening as the moon shines over the lake, the ropes knot comes loose and Bonnie drifts away.Bonnie is helpless as the rivers strong current pulls her downstream. Frightened but determined to stay calm until she can find her way back home, Bonnie sets out on a journey down the Kennebec River to the mighty Atlantic Ocean and along the New England coast. As Cole and Clare search for Bonnie all along Moosehead Lake and beyond, the toy boat must deal with bullies, rapids, the swirls of an eddy, and the dangers of a rip current. All the way, Bonnie wonders whether she will ever be reunited with her friends.In this charming, touching tale, a little toy boat struggling to find her way back home learns to never give up hope, value friendship, and remember that it is always darkest before the dawn. This book about making it through hard times is truly for all ages: Children, Teens, Adults, and the Elderly. For a new approach to spending quality time, try reading it to those elderly who can no longer read for themselves.

Bonnie the Friendship Sloop: A Story about Making It through Hard Times

Cars, Trains & Things That Go

iUniverse

Under New England introduces the reader (approximately ages 7 to 12) to the formation of the rocks and fossils that lie beneath New England and explains the fascinating geology that defines our landscape. The book presents the incredible story of colliding continents, fiery volcanoes, oceans closing and opening, and ice sheets more than a mile thick slowly scraping across the land―all shaping the place we now know as New England. The book explores the region’s geological past, taking readers far below the familiar sights of New England to show what lies beneath, from the soil under the cobblestone streets of Boston and the sandy shores of Cape Cod, to the mountains of Northern New England and the birth of the Berkshires, from the Precambrian to the present. Most of all, the book will inspire both children and adults to see New England in an entirely different way. Placed throughout the book are poems and quotes relating to the region’s landscape by some of New England’s favorite writers, providing a link from the geology of the land to its literature. Fully illustrated with charming and enlightening illustrations by the author.

Under New England: The Story of New England’s Rocks and Fossils

University Press of New England

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Barker, Charles Ferguson. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Barker, Charles Ferguson

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Barker, Charles Ferguson. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Under Michigan: The Story of Michigan's Rocks and Fossils (Great Lakes Books)

Under Ohio: The Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils

Under Ohio: The Story of Ohio’s Rocks and Fossils

The Day the Great Lakes Drained Away

Bonnie the Friendship Sloop: A Story about Making It through Hard Times

Under New England: The Story of New England’s Rocks and Fossils