Down to Earth by Betty Culley

Disclaimer: I received an e-arc of this book from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Down to Earth

Author: Betty Culley

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 4/5

Recommended For…: Middle Grade readers, contemporary, science, geology

Genre: MG Contemporary

Publication Date: August 24, 2021

Publisher: Crown Books for Young Readers

Pages: 224

Recommended Age: 8+ (Parent death mentioned, Depression shown, Flooded house, Violence)

Explanation of CWs: There was one violent action wrote in the books where a kid gets hit with a brick to the head and he goes into a coma. There is also parental death brought up and depression is shown by the MCs mother.

Synopsis: Henry has always been fascinated by rocks. As a homeschooler, he pours through the R volume of the encyclopedia to help him identify the rocks he finds. So, when a meteorite falls in his family’s field, who better to investigate than this rock enthusiast–with his best friend, James, and his little sister, Birdie, in tow, of course.

But soon after the meteorite’s arrival, the water in Henry’s small Maine town starts drying up. It’s not long before news spreads that the space rock and Henry’s family might be to blame. Henry is determined to defend his newest discovery, but his knowledge of geology could not have prepared him for how much this stone from the sky would change his community, his family, and even himself.

Science and wonder abound in this middle-grade debut about an inquisitive boy and the massive rock that came down to Earth to reshape his life.

Review: For the most part this was a good book. I liked how fun the book was from the characters perspective and how well the character handled the issues in an age appropriate manner. I think younger aged children would love this cute story.

However, the book was mostly narrative instead of descriptive and that caused the character development and world building to suffer. The story was also disjointed and there was a lot of math involved in the book which could be off-putting to some kids.

Verdict: It’s a good read for littles!