Budding volcanologists rejoice! Young scientists roll up your sleeves! As for the rest of the world, get ready to rock!

Mountain of Fire: Into the Heart of Volcanoes is a fascinating nonfiction book about volcanoes for middle grade readers. And perhaps it may even inspire a few young readers to turn an early volcanic passion into their future life’s work.

In this oversized illustrated volume, author and volcanologist Julie Roberge covers a surprisingly wide range of topics, ranging from literature (the many myths and legends derived from volcanoes)–to a combination of geography and history (major volcanoes around the world, sorted by region). Roberge also touches on: astronomy via a brief look at extraterrestrial volcanoes in the solar system; geology, by examining how an eruption works and how we monitor volcanoes; and the history of science–the founders of the field of volcanology and how they met their fiery ends. Excellent front and back matter include a world map of volcanoes and a meaty glossary. And if you read all the way to the bios at the end, you’ll discover the author’s nickname. (Hint: it definitely has to do with her love of volcanoes…)

Mountains of Fire has just enough information on each volcano and every topic to whet young readers’ appetites without inundating readers with so much detail that their eyes might glaze over. Add appealing comics-style illustrations into the mix, and it becomes clear why the original French-language version of this wonderful book won the Bologna Ragazzi Nonfiction Prize. Ideal for libraries and classrooms, Mountains of Fire is sure to engage readers of all ages, whether they recently constructed their first at-home volcano, are raring to try one out, or fondly remember soda bottle Science Fair volcano demonstrations.

Mountain of Fire: Into the Heart of Volcanoes
Written by Julie Roberge
Illustrated by Aless MC
Translated from the French by Charles Simard
ISBN: 9781459835085
2023, Orca Book Publishers

Awards: 2022 Bologna Ragazzi Nonfiction Prize (for the original French); 2023 Junior Library Guild (JLG) Gold Standard Selection; 2024 Forest of Reading Yellow Cedar Award; 2023 CCBC Best Books for Kids & Teens,  Commended; 2023 Ontario Library Association (OLA) Best Bets, Commended; 2023 Science Writers and Communicators of Canada (SWCC) Book Awards – Youth Category, Long-listed; 2023 Top Grade: CanLit for the Classroom; 2023 BC Books for Schools; Commended

Review: Kirkus

You can buy a copy here* or find a copy of it at a library.

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Award-winning opera singer Nanette McGuinness is the translator of over 140 books and graphic novels for children and adults from French, Italian, German and Spanish into English, including the much-loved Geronimo Stilton Graphic Novels, as well as Tiki: A Very Ruff Year (nominated for the 2023 Eisner and Harvey Awards) and Alice on the Run: One Child’s Journey Through the Rwandan Civil War (2023 GLLI YA Translated Book Prize Honor Book, 2023 Mosaic Prize winner, 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Finalist and 2023 Harvey Award nominee). Accolades have also gone to her translations of Up in the Blue Sky: Journey from the Earth’s Surface to Outer Space (2025 Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection), Ellie in First Position (2024 ALA Top Ten Graphic Novels for Children), Magical History Tour: Vikings and Magical History Tour: Gandhi (both 2023 Excellence in Graphic Literature Finalists), Luisa: Now and Then (2019 Stonewall Honor Book; 2020 GLLI YA Translated Honor Book; YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2019) and California Dreamin’: Cass Elliot Before the Mamas & the Papas (2018 Harvey Award; YALSA’s Great Graphic Novels for Teens in 2018).