Volcano!

Lorraine Douglas is the youth services co-ordinator at the Winnipeg
Public Library.

Children will love this selection in the Disaster series for a number of
reasons. First, it focuses on the popular and fascinating topic of
volcanoes. Second, it is easy to read and filled with interesting facts
and stories. Third, it has fantastic pictures of some of the greatest
eruptions of all time (Mt. St. Helens, the plaster casts of victims of
Mount Vesuvius, and the blanket of ash from Mount Pinatubo).

Nicolson, the author of a number of excellent and entertaining science
books for children, writes in a style that makes the reader feel that
they are witnesses to all the action. For example, in the section on
Mount Vesuvius she begins by stating, “People in the Roman town of
Pompeii were puzzled when they awoke on the morning of August 24, A.D.
79. Why was the sky so dark?” How could we not read on? She also
provides easy-to-understand explanations of the causes of volcanoes and
geological structures.

Children looking for volcanic science fair projects will find in
Volcano! plenty of ideas and experiments, which are carefully explained.
The book is appended with a glossary of terms and an index. Highly
recommended.