This book tells the story of the eruption of Mount St Helens, and especially of how life returned after the devastation. The pictures are the book's main asset, and it could therefore be used for readers who are much to young to comprehend the text. The book is also appropriate for middle elementary science students. ( )

Would be used as an introduction or incorporated into a study of geology and/or earth science for grades 4-8. The primary themes of life, volcanoes and geology are discussed in depth, so that for younger ages, the books would be best read in the company of an adult. For older readers, Lauber does a fine job in defining key words such as geology, stonewind, boiling point, mud flow, etc.
The text of the book is concise and to the point, but what makes this book special are the beautiful images of Mt. St. Helens, its eruptions and wildlife before and after the eruptions. Never before had I seen such detailed photos of the mountain.

An account of how and why Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980, and the destruction it caused, and a discussion of the return of life to that area.

A Newbery Honor Book

This is most interesting. It tells about volcanoes, but shows you with photographs exactly what happens. I'm mostly keeping it because it is something cool which happened in my lifetime in my favorite mountain range. ( )