Ages 7 to 14 years. Formed over millions of years, coal is a sedimentary rock that has been mined by people for use as fuel at least as far back as 1000 BC. This informative new book shows young readers the basic make-up of coal and how it is mined. It also describes how the rise of industry led to more widespread coal use for fuel as wood reserves became depleted, and the environmental and health problems its use has created. Topics include: how coal is made; the four grades of coal: peat, lignite, bituminous, anthracite; finding and extracting coal by shaft and strip mining; where coal deposits are located in the world; a miner's life; the uses of coal; pollution problems from this "dirty" source of energy; alternatives to coal.