Elizabeth Rusch

Another excellent addition to the "Scientists in the Field" series. There are lots of volcano books for kids at the library, but I'd venture to say this is the best (especially for ages 9 to 12).

The true danger of volcanoes has never been so palpable on the page. Author Elizabeth Rusch takes readers all over the globe to visit some of the world's most explosive volcanoes and we get to meet the people living at their doorsteps, along with the scientists whose main priority is keeping folks out of harm's way. It's trickier than it sounds. Evacuating an area around an active volcano means hugely disrupting people's lives. What if you tell them to flee and you're wrong? What if you don't tell them to flee and they die?

This book has local interest for Washington state, too. Obviously, we are in the Ring of Fire and Mt. St. Helens lurks. But did you know that the VDAP (Volcano Disaster Assistance Program) has offices in Vancouver, Washington, at the Cascades Volcano Observatory? (You can check our volcano alert level here: http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/observatories/cvo/.)

Wonderfully written, with awesome photography, and packed with information, I imagine this will inspire some future vulcanologists.… (més)

This is a book to read slowly and savor. The lyrical text is structured after a musical sonata and is divided into sections with musical headings (and definitions). Most of the sections are only a paragraph or two, but the words are well-chosen and descriptive. The illustrations are beautiful and rich with patterns and textures. Combined, the text and illustrations are full of sensory details, which give the impression of brief, but profound memories that have been polished and strung together. The back matter includes a more detailed biography, followed by a bibliography.

For additional reading, this would pair well with Catherine Brighton's "Mozart: Scenes from the Childhood of the Great Composer", which is more detailed, but targeted towards a slightly younger audience.… (més)