Begining readers will be fascinated by this introduction to earthquakes and how they happen. Included are facts about the geophysics of the earth's core and the layers of plates that float on the hot oozing rock until the plates push against one another or pull apart. Bauer contrasts traditional tales about earthquakes with the hard facts of what scientists can now predict, as well as what remains unknown. Part of the Ready-to-Read Natural Disasters series, this title features clear, simple full-color illustrations that show the damage that earthquakes can cause, along with diagrams of the earth's plates. Accessible and eye-catching, this will encourage new readers to think about the earth's structures and the moving rock beneath them. The back matter includes interesting facts, along with instructions for what to do in an earthquake.