Indiana: Geodes and Gnomes

Miriam loves her rock collection like other children might love their pet mouse or stuffed animals. She talks to them and takes good care of them and, remarkably, they talk back to her — or at least the rock fairies do. Their friendship comes in handy when Miriam’s Uncle Jack, a geologist at Indiana University, is asked to study an area in central Indiana where a road is being planned. He brings Miriam along — and lucky for him, she is able to let him know some very important geological information about a nearby mountain.

Note: Though this is historical fiction and the characters have been developed to accommodate a story, their attributes and development may be useful as reference points and inspirations.