Rocks in His Head

by Carol Otis Hurst, James Stevenson (Illustrator)

Some people collect stamps. Other people collect coins. Carol Otis Hurst's father collected rocks. Nobody ever thought his obsession would amount to anything. They said, "You've got rocks in your head" and "There's no money in rocks." But year after year he kept on collecting, trading, displaying, and labeling his rocks. The Depression forced the family to sell their gas station and their house, but his interest in rocks never wavered. And in the end the science museum he had visited so often realized that a person with rocks in his head was just what was needed.

Anyone who has ever felt a little out of step with the world will identify with this true story of a man who followed his heart and his passion.

Genres: Picture Books, Science, Biography, Childrens, History, Geology, Nonfiction

32 pages, Hardcover

First published May 8, 2001

Reviews

[Debbie W. · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVE this heart-warming story told by a woman about her father who loves collecting rocks, no matter what life hands him. I would read this book to my Grade 3 students during our Rocks and Minerals science unit. Knowing my great love for reading, the kiddos would always say, "Mrs. W., you have BOOKS in your head!"

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The premise appealed to me, and the cover illustrations also immediately drew me in. (I was big on collecting rocks & shells when I was a kid and I enjoy studying geology.)

I really, really, really loved the illustrations, and also would have when I was a kid.

There is no author’s note but it’s important to read the inside front and back covers as well as the book proper in order to get the full story. The story is about the author’s father when she was little and about her family, before, during, and after the Great Depression. It really honors her father and his passion for rock collecting and learning about rocks.

This is a gem of a book (no pun intended!), though I wish more details could have fit. Yet, it’s perfect as is too. Charming! It’s a priceless story about a man and family financially affected, but seemingly not negatively emotionally impacted, by the Great Depression. There is some wonderful content about father-daughter and father-family and man-wide world relationships, rocks, a science museum, Model T cars, and some intangible joyfulness. It’s a very special book.

[Abigail · Rating 4 out of 5]

Children's author Carol Otis Hurst turns to the life story of her own father in this delightful picture-book biography, chronicling his life-long love of rocks, and how this obsession eventually led to his dream job, despite the nay-saying of all those who claimed that there "wasn't any money" in it. A collector since childhood, Hurst's father always had time to work on his rocks - polishing them, building display shelves for them, trading them for new specimens - even while running a filling station, or, during the Great Depression, looking for work. When the curator of mineralogy noticed him haunting the rock room at the local science museum, she struck up a conversation, and, learning of his passion and knowledge, offered him a job. It was only a position as a night janitor, but soon, despite his lack of a college degree, better things were to follow...

An inspirational reminder that, sometimes, with both luck and dedication, one's private passions can be transformed into a career, Rocks In His Head was an absolute joy to read. The historical setting - the booming car business of the 1920s, the hardships and mass unemployment of the 1930s - are worked seamlessly into the narrative, which focuses on Hurst's easy-going father, and his utter absorption in his area of interest. The artwork by James Stevenson, done in watercolor and black pen, is immensely expressive, and accentuates the humor of the story. My only complaint is that there is no informative afterword to give further details, as there so often is with books like this. We learn from the author's dust-jacket blurb that her father eventually did earn a college degree - after obtaining a job as curator - but facts like these might have been better presented in a brief "what happened next" addendum. Leaving that aside, this is just a wonderful book, and a moving tribute from an author daughter to her rock-hound father.

[Kathryn · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a delightful find! Carol Otis Hurst wrote this loving tribute to her father, a man who loved to collect and study rocks. People always said he had "rocks in his head"--dismissing his passion as a mere hobby. And surely some of his ideas were a bit peculiar--such as setting up his rock collection in the filling station he started. But, they worked!!! Especially impressive here is his tenacity to persevere with his rock collecting not only in the face of naysayers but also during the very tough years of the Great Depression when he had to take whatever work he could find. I don't want to say too much as part of the joy in this story is discovering where his rock collecting takes him. Be sure to read the author's bio, though, as it completes the story and makes it even more wonderful, IMO. I wish the follow-up information about her father had been included in an Author's Note at the back of the book, rather than the author's bio on the dust jacket, as I'm afraid some people might miss it in its current form.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first time I read this I thought, "Hmm this story kinda drags, and it's not very interesting to toddlers." Three times in and I'm realizing there's a real charm to this story. It's written like a family story. Honestly it doesn't feel like super great writing but it feels authentic. There are two repeated phrases that my toddler now says. "Rocks in my head" and "take a look at this one." It's just got a lovely oral tradition around the dinner table type tone.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my! We do love rocks around here and this book is all about the love of rocks. As we were reading this, I felt like I had found a new favorite picture book!

One of the things I've been mentioning to my kids as we've been reading lately is a thread I've noticed among people who succeed. They seem to do a certain amount of self-educating. I love it! Something I'm trying to encourage my kids to do (my oldest son does it naturally with the subject of birds).

[Aneesa · Rating 4 out of 5]

A true story about a happy man during the Great Depression

[Tawanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rocks in his head is a nonfiction book. It is a primary read for the audience ranging in age from 5-8 yrs old. The book is a Boston Globe Honor Book winner. The book is about a man who loves to collect rocks. This is a hobby he has had since he was a child. The depression hits and business is bad. He and his family have to move to a ramshackled house that he has to fix up. He places his rocks in the attic. He visist the museum when he can't find odd jobs and through his visits he acquires a job at the museum as a janitor. The job of a janitor later leads to bigger and better things for him in regards to his rocks. He is much like a rock himself for his family. This book I feel was a very good book that discussed dreams and family values. I think this book would be appealing to young readers because it makes the father out to be a hero. He did what he had to do to take care of his family while also doing what he loved. His passion turned into his families main source of income and made things a lot better for them because now the father had a steady job.

[Marni · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author's father was a rockhound as a child and always told he has rocks in his head. Throughout his life he collects more and more rocks, and studies all he can about them. He becomes a gas station owner but sets aside an area there to display some of his rocks. As times get hard and there is less work at the gas station he spends more and more time at the museum looking at rocks (though his collection was better than theirs). His vast knowledge overcomes the hurdle of him lacking a degree, and he eventually becomes the curator of minerology.

Inspiring story about following your interests, learning all you can, and never giving up on your dreams.

Read in November 2010 and used in a class talking about unique gifts and talents, that everyone has greatness to share.

[Caroline · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome! The true story of the author's dad and how he became director of mineralogy and then a whole museum by following his passion for rocks and minerals. The pictures were beautiful in their simplicity, the drawings of different labeled rocks and minerals really enhance the tale. The repetition of a set of lines throughout the book shows the character's simple happiness at following his interest. I am going to use this book in our unit on rocks and minerals, but it's more than just the stones as it tells a great story about how far following passions can take someone.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to our fabulous school librarian, I discovered a new lovely, lovely book. It is the true story of the author's father and his passion for learning. He lived during the early 1900's and the book is a great study in this time period as well as being a gentle, sweet book about the power of curiousity and learning. Loved it! My son's first grade class really enjoyed it as well!

[Ali · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rocks in His head" written by Carol Otis Hurst and illustrated by James Stevenson is a touching tribute to the author's father, who had a passion for collecting rocks. Nobody could quite understand his passion for studying and collecting rocks, telling him "he must have rocks in his head". He wanted to pursue a career that involved rocks but settled for a different career at first. His love for rocks didn't stop here though, and you soon learn that it never will. In the midst of the Great Depression, he felt helpless and was in desperate need of a job. Despite this hardship, he still never gave up on his love for rocks. In the end, his passion lands him a wonderful job in a museum full of rocks. The illustrations are just as wonderful as the story, with very unique rocks and car parts to look at. I think that children would really love the details in these pictures and would enjoy pointing out things that they find interesting. I loved the message in this book, to never give up on your passion in life despite the struggles you may face along the way. I think it is important that this book talks about the Great Depression and would help students get an introduction to what it might have been like for people during these times. It is both exciting and informational, which is why it would be great to read in in an elementary classroom.
With a more mature message and quite a bit of text on each page, I think this book would be best for students ages second through fourth grade. I think this age group would be able to really appreicate the message and be able to read it on their own. I also think this could be great to introduce the Great Depression, which usually wouldn't happen until later grades.

[Ben Perone · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book teaches young readers a valuable life lesson to invest themselves in what they are passionate about. The main character of the story sticks with his passion, despite those around him giving him a hard time about it. He is confident in himself. This is portrayed through dialogue. The content also tells a clear and concise story of this man’s life over time. From his childhood, to his first job, to losing his job, to starting a new one. It is easy to follow and easy to understand. One thing that I believe will appeal to young readers is the frequent repetition found in the book. Repetition is a helpful tool to keep new readers engaged. This book is illustrated in a sort of rough style that doesn’t utilize clean-cut line work or clean-cut coloring. This gives the illustrations a look that makes the child reader feel like they could illustrate something like this, which I believe will be enticing and exciting to the young readers. Throughout the story there are illustrations of many small rocks and trinkets that are visually appealing as well.

I gave this book four stars because it is a fun and unique book. It combines an interesting and uncommon art style with a very important lesson. I would absolutely give this book to my children, as it teaches them to stick with their passions regardless of what others think. This is well accomplished through the storytelling because the main character never once doubts himself or falls insecure about his love for rocks. The feeling or idea of shame is never even hinted at, let alone introduced, which I believe makes this a powerful and important read for kids.

[Panda Incognito · Rating 5 out of 5]

This unique, special book is about the author's father, who never gave up his passion for rocks in spite of other people's criticism and persevered through the Great Depression. I don't want to give anything away, but the ending is just lovely, and the author's bio on the dust jacket shares even more information about her father.

This book originally came out in 2001, but this was my first time encountering it. My library just got new copies of it, and I'm glad we have them in the collection now. I really enjoyed the illustrations, and even though the text is pretty simple, it's written in a style that feels reminiscent of oral storytelling and fits well with the subject matter.

I really enjoyed this, and within a couple hours of me checking this back into the library and putting it on display, one of my storytime regulars picked it up. I told her how great it is, and she flipped through the book and told her son, "It's like Daddy!" I love that they felt a personal connection with this, and I'm glad we have the book.

[Fatima Siddiqi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rocks in His Head by Carol Otis Hurst is a story about a man who dared to dream about his aspirations in a time when people all around him thought he was crazy. They told him his love for rocks was ridiculous and said that he had 'rocks in his head'. Despite all of the negativity and the desperate financial conditions he underwent, he never let go of his love for rocks, which led him to landing a job of his dreams.

The illustrations in this story were perfect for the story that they told and I loved the messy lines and hazed outlines of the Model T cars that were depicted. The story itself was also hopeful and sent a message of following your dreams and persisting, even in times of distress. I would recommend this book for 5th grade and higher.

[Kiersten Anger · Rating 5 out of 5]

As someone who grew up collecting rocks, I immediately took to this book. Carol Otis Hurst narrates from a child's perspective their father's habit of collecting rocks. How it started as a hobby from his childhood and grew into a unique interest that he knew a lot about. The father spent his life collecting rocks, trading rocks, and reading and learning about rocks. He was always ready with a rock in his pocket to show any one. The story goes on to follow his through life. He continues to collect rocks and no one understands why. Even when they fall on rough times he does not stop. Young readers will be inspired to follow their own interests no matter the apprehension. As we learn from the story, it some times pays off.

[Katie · Rating 3 out of 5]

A story about the author's father and his penchant for collecting rocks and minerals throughout his life. He displayed his finds in his filling station, and when the Great Depression hit and forced him to close his business, his passion for rocks landed him a job at the Springfield (MA) Science Museum, even though he didn't have a college degree. A nice vignette about a person and time period that wouldn't typically be seen in a children's book.

[Diana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Stand up for what you love and become who you are meant to be! That's really the message of this book. It may take a lifetime, but if you work hard and never give up on your passions, you might someday find that doing what you love has been your destiny all along. I found this book enjoyable and very inspiring. Kudos to the author.

[Kat Harrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Rocks in His Head" is an absolute delight for ages 5+ (parents, too). It tells the true story of Carol Otis Hurst's father and his "silly" passion for collecting rocks. The dismissive refrain of "rocks in his head" is woven throughout this heartfelt narrative (and wholly effective at that), set in the Great Depression, and shows readers what can happen if you follow the path less travelled.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

The illustrations are alright, but the story is wonderful! I enjoyed reading it and finding out what was going to happen next to the father with "rocks in his head". Sweet and interesting story about a man who loved collecting rocks and looking at rocks. Read the story to find out the rest! It's a good-feeling-type of book :)

[Michaela · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short nonfiction picture book about a man who followed his passion. Her father was never named in the story, but Carol Otis Hurst shares his story about his love of rocks and how he followed his passion throughout his life, even when it didn't make sense to others. I stumbled across this book to complete a reading challenge. What a delightful surprise.

[Antoinette Scully · Rating 3 out of 5]

It follows the life of one man who is fascinated with rocks more than anything else. The illustrations fit the story well but there wasn’t much to it. It’s a simple idea of not letting people get you down based on your interests.

[Brittany Dean · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I like most about this book it’s a historical book! It’s about a dad who does many jobs and has a hobby of collecting rocks and learning lost about them. This will lead him to a job durning the Great Depression.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this true story of the author's grandfather. "He loved and respected all kinds of learning." But this story is about his passion for collecting rocks.

[Kristine · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautiful story of someone who follows their lifelong passion of rocks

[Kelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this to my 7- & 5-year-old boys after a field trip to a local gem mine.

[Ciria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because my daughter loves to collect rocks I picked this up. It was so random. BUT I LOVED IT! Doing what you love - that is what is important you never know where it will lead you.

[Jaid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved the overall message and the illustrations. This is, of course, coming from a girl who has rocks in her head as well.

[Arlene S]

Very well done. Picture book/biography ( of author's father, early 1900's ).

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins or dolls or bottle caps. When he was a boy, my father collected rocks..."

True story, great depression time period.