Skip to main content

The Diamond and the Boy

Image
By


The Diamond and the Boy: The Creation of Diamonds & the Life of H. Tracy Hall 
By Hannah Holt
Illustrated by Jay Fleck
Balzer + Bray, an Imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, 2018. Picture Book Nonfiction.

This unique story tells of two events: first of all it tells how a diamond is made, second it tells about the life of H. Tracy Hall—who happened to be the one who invented the process to create man-made diamonds. Because the two events are told simultaneously, it shows how a lot of heat, pressure, and difficulties help to form diamonds and also helped to shape Hall’s life. For example, in the first stages of making a diamond “heat seeps through the earth’s mantle where the continents collide, making the rock bend sweat weep.” On the opposite page there is a picture of Hall when a boy hiding in an air vent and the text reads, “Heat blows through the air vent at school where he hides from bullies, making Tracy bend sweat weep.” By showing the harsh realities of how a diamond is made alongside the difficulties that Hall had growing up, kids can learn more about the value of diamonds due to how they are formed or shaped—and along the way they will learn the same thing about Hall. Also, as an added note Hall lived in Provo, Utah. So this biography might have even more interest to those who live in our area. This book is a good look at a geological gem as well as a native Utahan who became a great inventor.
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Review: Fowl Play

By
  Fowl Play By Kristin O'Donnell Tubb New York: Katherine Tegen Books, 2024. Fiction 277 pages. Still reeling from her beloved uncle's death, Chloe Alvarez is comforted and confused when at his last will and testament reading, Uncle Will gifts her his African Grey parrot, Charlie. Charlie has a robust vocabulary and loves to make Alexa requests for her favorite songs, but when she starts saying things like, "homicide," and "cyanide," Chloe becomes convinced that Uncle Will may have met his demise by murder instead of a genetic disease, as was previously thought. Ultimately, bringing in her brother, Grammy, and Uncle Frank (and of course Charlie,) Chloe's ragtag and adoring family support her search for answers ---going on stakeouts, engaging in fast pursuits, and searching for clues. But as the suspects stack up and the mystery grows, Chole will learn that the process of death and grieving is complicated, and in the end her Uncle Will's words that, ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: The Factory

By
The Factory By Catherine Egan New York, NY : Scholastic Inc., 2025. Fiction. 306 pages.  Thirteen-year-old Asher Doyle has been invited to join the Factory, a secretive research facility in the desert which ostensibly extracts renewable energy from the electromagnetic fields of its young recruits. But Asher soon realizes something sinister is going on. Kids are getting sick. The adults who run the Factory seem to be keeping secrets. And the extraction process is not only painful and exhausting, but existentially troubling. Asher makes a handful of new friends who help him with an investigation that turns into a resistance, which turns into...a cliffhanger! The Factory is a page-turning sci-fi with multidimensional characters, an intriguing plot, and refreshingly straight-forward writing. Egan weaves in detail about climate crises and social unrest, making the story's dystopian setting feel rich and plausible. With its sophisticated themes and accessible storytelling, I would recomm...
Post a Comment
Read more

Review: A Game of Noctis

By
A Game of Noctis By Deva Fagan New York: Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2024. Fiction. 310 pages. On the island of Dantessa, social standings and wealth are determined by your place in the Great Game. If you keep on winning, you can reap treasures, power, and security for yourself and your family; but if you lose too many games, you'll be exiled to Pawn Island and a life of servitude. That's what happens to 12-year-old Pia's grandfather. Due to poor vision, he struggles to see the games, but also can't afford new eyeglasses without winning. When his score falls to zero, he is sent away. Desperate to bring him back, Pia joins a ragtag group of misfits to form a team for the annual game of Noctis. The game requires contestants to perform dangerous challenges in front of a live audience, and no one outside the wealthy Diamond District has ever won. Each member of Pia's team, the Seafoxes, has their own reason to compete, but if they're going to win they'll h...
Post a Comment
Read more