Eruption!: The Story of Volcanoes

by Anita Ganeri

What spits our fire and ash? What sleeps for years but may explode with a bang at any time? Find out all about volcanoes Longer sentences and an expanded vocabulary make this series of 48-page books slightly more challenging: Level 2 is appropriate for children who have started to read but still need help. Information boxes full of background information will stimulate inquisitive minds. These books contain between 700 and 850 words, and they are approximately 70 percent pictures and 30 percent text. The Dorling Kindersley Readers combine an enticing visual layout with high-interest, easy-to-read stories to captivate and delight young bookworms who are just getting started. Written by leading children's authors and compiled in consultation with literacy experts, these engaging books build reader confidence along with a lifelong appreciation for nonfiction, classic stories, and biographies. There is a DK Reader to interest every child at every level, from preschool to grade 4.

Genres: Science, Nonfiction, Picture Books, Childrens, Nature, Earth Sciences

32 pages, Paperback

First published March 14, 2001

About the author

Anita Ganeri is a highly experienced author of children’s information books, specialising in religion, India/Asia, multiculturalism, geography, biography and natural history. She became a freelance writer after working at Walker Books (as foreign rights manager) and Usborne Publishing (as an editor). Since then, she has written over 300 titles, including the best-selling Horrible Geography series for Scholastic. The series won the Geographical Association Silver Award in 1999 and was cited as being ‘an innovation that all geographers will applaud’. She is a Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society where she conducts most of her research for the books.

Reviews

[Allison · Rating 4 out of 5]

My 3-year-old has been single-mindedly obsessed with all things volcanoes, eruptions, lava, earthquakes, and more recently. This was a little more advanced than I would have liked to read aloud at bedtime but it held his attention so that is a win in my book!

[Sophia Lawrence · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is appropriate reading level for 1st through 2nd graders. It has very straight forward language and any possible new language has a text box about what it means and how to use it. It talks about what a volcano is and what happens after an eruption. There is also discussion about what happens after a volcano and how it can ruin a town nearby. There is information about extinct volcanoes and hoe geysers also have eruptions just with water instead of lava. Lots of informational picture and diagrams with labels about volcanoes.
I could possibly use this book in my classroom someday, but it is almost not exciting enough to read aloud. There seems to be really dry information in this book that I feel like a video could make better or maybe there are just better books about volcanoes in this genre. Maybe I have a unit on natural disasters and this book is perfect, but I just think there is more exciting stuff out there.

[Aurora · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book for children as an introduction to volcanoes!
Me as a child always wanted to know what's inside an volcano, why it erupts. Volcanoes looked so mysterious to me!
Well, now I know why. Learning what you want to learn is one of the advantageous perks of adulthood 😄

[Melissa Namba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very informative while being brief. I actually felt like more information could be added, but it's a good starting point for curious kids.

[Erin Chambers · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book for learning about Volcanoes. Teaches how they start and what goes on underground; very informational. Teaches about different volcanoes, the impact of the ashes, and what happens when they explode. Takes you to different parts of the world to teach about some famous volcanoes and Old Faithful. Very interesting and full of great information and historic facts. Has pictures for visual aid, perfect.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very approachable for kids, with a glossary and pronunciation guides for the bigger words. The science is still solid, and the book is interesting - I liked how it balanced the good and bad of volcanoes. Yes, they can be very destructive, but they can also help produce very fertile farmland, for example. The book covers something to interest everyone.

Especially notable - lots of books have comprehension quizzes in the back, but this one combined the quiz with a flowchart-style maze.

[Kellee Moye · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love volcanoes. Well, I like all geological things, but volcanoes are by far my favorite. I wish that I could be a volcanologist. This is a great early reader book about volcanoes- it gives a ton of information in its 30+ pages. It gives a lot of historical, geographical and geological information.

[Gemma Fasheun · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great for my kids. One of them really like it.

[Horace Mann Family Reading Challenge · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are 12 different kinds of volcanoes in Italy. A.G.