Nonfiction That Makes the Grade: Volcanoes by Melanie Waldron

What can hurl lumps of melted rock hundreds of feet into the air? What can blow itself apart and destroy everything in its path?

The answer is a volcano.

Luring young readers to pore over nonfiction books is not easy. Publishers, however, were not born yesterday, and they know how to use the pull of the sensational to appeal to kids. Heinemann Library's Mapping Earthforms series is no exception. Exploring the intriguing science on the borderline between geology and physical and human geography, these books take readers beyond their generic "wow" response to powerful natural phenomena to think about how humans have historically interacted with these powerful forces of nature. Among the solid science titles in this group, one standout is the eye-catching Volcanoes (Mapping Earth Forms).

The book offers an in-depth discussion of the nature and causes of volcanoes, types of volcanoes (shield, caldera, and strato) and the location of these types around the globe. Attention is given to plate tectonics and their role in the formation of volcanoes, as well as the behavior of magma and even the possible effect of low pressure, such as is noted in typhoons, as a potential trigger for eruptions.

A full chapter is given to the science of volcanic eruption, documenting the forms of eruptive substances--lava flows, volcanic bombs, pyroclastic flows, and lahar flows. --with the 1980 eruption of Mt. St. Helens used as an example. Strategies for predicting volcanoes--seismic and gas monitoring, historical patterning, and landscape changes--are discussed, along with ways people near volcanoes can prepare for evacuation and rescue operations if they become necessary.

Another section discusses the effects of volcanoes upon life in its immediate area, from lava barrens where nothing flourishes to fertile volcanic soil which provides vegetation, cropland, and wildlife alike with favorable habitats. The way of life of people "living in the shadow" of volcanoes provides examples of human coping in Chile, Peru, Indonesia, Monserrat, and Mt. Etna. The chilling possibility of "supervolcanoes," whose eruptions might have the ability to alter earth's climate for years, are also touched upon in the final chapters, and an accompanying map shows that three of these are in the western United States.

Extensive scientific terms are introduced and defined within the text and, thankfully, duplicated in the glossary. Written at higher levels (e.g., Accelerated Reader levels 5.1-7.0) than most science nonfiction sets, this series is a valuable resource for middle readers for research writing or simply browsing An appendix ("Volcano Facts"), a bibliography ("Find Out More"), glossary, and index round out the backmatter.