Into the Volcano: A Volcano Researcher at Work
Donna O'Meara, Donna O'Meara (Photographer), Stephen O'MearaBooks.org participates in affiliate programs including Bookshop.org and the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you.
Overview
In a helicopter with no doors, she hovers over a lava lake the size of two football fields -- then lands! She runs through clouds of scalding steam, dodging lava bombs, to photograph glowing hot lava as it pours into the sea. She sets up camp on the edge of a volcano's cone, only to be hit with hurricane-force winds, poisonous gases and acidic ash. Witness a typical day in the life of Donna O'Meara -- volcano researcher, writer and photographer. Donna's photographs and accounts of treacherous journeys get readers up close and personal with some of the world's most dangerous volcanoes.Synopsis
Witness the exciting and very dangerous adventures of a volcano researcher at work.
Susan Hepler, Ph.D. - Children's Literature
In an attractive and varied format, the author tells of how she became interested in the study of volcanoes. She began as a field assistant to her major professor and was soon on the plane to Kilauea to witness its eruption in 1986. Married a year later, the two have made volcano research their lives' work. The dramatic photos show volcanoes erupting, taking over the landscape or covering manmade works, and those scientists who study the phenomenon. Lavishly-captioned photos, green-tinted boxes of other information, and attractively cropped pictures entice readers to browse. Boxed information includes what sort of gear one needs to camp out near a volcano; diagrams of various kinds including strato-, cinder cone, shield, and compound volcanoes; the nature of pyroclastic flows; and a tribute to Katia Krafft, a courageous inspiration to Donna O'Meara, who died in a pyroclastic flow. This informative and personal view of science in action would pair well with Volcanoes: Journey to the Crater's Edge by Philippe Bourseiller (Abrams, 2003), another book that presents for slightly older readers this geologic marvel in a way that inspires young would-be scientists while fascinating the rest of us. Middle school and upper-elementary age readers who are interested in careers in science will also find this book of use. 2005, Kids Can Press, Ages 9 to 14.
Editorials
Booklist
Illustrating the text are exceptionally fine photos of volcanic landscapes and members of the expeditions. Sidebars carry clear descriptions and pictures (often diagrams) related to such topics as the formation of volcanoes, the types of lava, and the Volcanic Explosivity Index ? A natural for nonfiction booktalking.Washington Post
Riveting ? filled with stunning color photographs and an abundance of basic volcano information, placed in easy-to-digest sidebars.From the Publisher
The O’Mearas’ cameras catch somnolent giants and vivid eruptors alike, and fill the pages with pyrotechnic displays and incandescent lava streams.Illustrating the text are exceptionally fine photos of volcanic landscapes and members of the expeditions. Sidebars carry clear descriptions and pictures (often diagrams) related to such topics as the formation of volcanoes, the types of lava, and the Volcanic Explosivity Index ? A natural for nonfiction booktalking.
Riveting ? filled with stunning color photographs and an abundance of basic volcano information, placed in easy-to-digest sidebars.
Children's Literature
In an attractive and varied format, the author tells of how she became interested in the study of volcanoes. She began as a field assistant to her major professor and was soon on the plane to Kilauea to witness its eruption in 1986. Married a year later, the two have made volcano research their lives' work. The dramatic photos show volcanoes erupting, taking over the landscape or covering manmade works, and those scientists who study the phenomenon. Lavishly-captioned photos, green-tinted boxes of other information, and attractively cropped pictures entice readers to browse. Boxed information includes what sort of gear one needs to camp out near a volcano; diagrams of various kinds including strato-, cinder cone, shield, and compound volcanoes; the nature of pyroclastic flows; and a tribute to Katia Krafft, a courageous inspiration to Donna O'Meara, who died in a pyroclastic flow. This informative and personal view of science in action would pair well with Volcanoes: Journey to the Crater's Edge by Philippe Bourseiller (Abrams, 2003), another book that presents for slightly older readers this geologic marvel in a way that inspires young would-be scientists while fascinating the rest of us. Middle school and upper-elementary age readers who are interested in careers in science will also find this book of use. 2005, Kids Can Press, Ages 9 to 14.—Susan Hepler, Ph.D.