At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.
Nonfiction
Nonfiction genre
The Bird King
A collection of sketches, drafts, and scanned ephemera from the artist who created The Arrival (2007) and Tales from Outer Suburbia (2009).
Shy the Platypus
The story of a female platypus from infancy to motherhood.
What Mammal Is That?
Egg-laying mammals – Marsupials.
Queenie: One Elephant’s Story
The true and tragic story of one of the most famous elephants of all time: Queenie, the gentle Indian elephant. Evoking a time when elephants were giving rides in zoos all around the world, the true story of Queenie follows her from her birth in an Indian jungle to Australia’s Melbourne Zoo, where she lived for more than forty years.
Game Day
What goes on behind the scenes when athletes compete?Not everyone can be an athlete, but that doesn’t stop thousands of others from participating in world-class sporting events. When Patrick Reynolds realized that he couldn’t be a race car driver, he turned his love of cars into a successful career as a NASCAR mechanic.A passion for grass and baseball led Nicole Sherry to become the groundskeeper at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland.Author Kevin Sylvester tells the stories of 19 talented and dedicated behind-the-scenes stars of the sports world. In this new book, the glamour of the frontline athletes takes a backseat to the hardworking people whose jobs are critical to the success of their sport but often go unacknowledged.Readers will discover some very special people who have devoted their lives to supporting the sports they love, including the eagle-eyed baseball scout for the Chicago White Sox, the members of the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders and the doctor who treats injured players on the Canadian Olympic soccer team.With its real-life stories and lively photographs, Game Day will delight any young sports fan or wannabe athlete.
Hooked, When Addiction Hits Home
This collection of ten true stories is based on interviews with people who, in their youth, lived with an addicted parent or sibling. The subjects speak honestly about what it was like to grow up with a family member addicted to alcohol, drugs, food, pills, or gambling. While describing how they managed to cope, interviewees explore the full range of situations and emotions they experienced—from denial, anger, and confusion to acceptance and forgiveness. Their maturity, sensitivity, and even their sense of humor will give teens going through similar situations the important realization that there are many ways to break free from the chains of others’ addictions.
Come With Me To Africa
Nearly one hundred full-color photographs take young readers on a thirteen-country African safari that captures the rich diversity of African people, animals, and landscapes, from the desert Sahara to the rainforests of Zaire.
World’s Greatest Lion
Perhaps the most recognizable Hollywood animal–outside of Lassie–is “Leo the Lion,” MGM Studios’ famous mascot. For decades his image introduced hundreds of motion pictures, and Zamba the lion acted in dozens more. But he wasn’t always a Hollywood star, and he certainly proved to be much more.
This real-life story of Zamba, told by world-renowned animal behaviorist Ralph Helfer and Caldecott Honor recipient Ted Lewin, follows the famous lion from an orphaned cub in Africa to iconic Hollywood actor. But Zamba’s greatest role wasn’t scripted and it certainly wasn’t captured on film. In 1969, the canyon that housed Ralph Helfer’s animal ranch was ravaged by floods. As death claimed many of the animals, dozens were led to safety by one heroic lion.
Kids Of Kabul
Since its publication in 2000, hundreds of thousands of children all over the world have read and loved The Breadwinner. By reading the story of eleven-year-old Parvana and her struggles living under the terror of the Taliban, young readers came to know the plight of children in Afghanistan.But what has happened to Afghanistan’s children since the fall of the Taliban in 2001? In 2011, Deborah Ellis went to Kabul to find out. She interviewed children who spoke about their lives now. They are still living in a country torn apart by war. Violence and oppression still exist, particularly affecting the lives of girls, but the kids are weathering their lives with courage and optimism: “I was incredibly impressed by the sense of urgency these kids have needing to get as much education and life experience and fun as they can, because they never know when the boom is going to be lowered on them again.”The two dozen or so children featured in the book range in age from ten to seventeen. Many are girls Deb met through projects funded by Canadian Women for Women in Afghanistan, the organization that is supported by royalties from The Breadwinner Trilogy. Parvana’s Fund provides grants towards education projects for Afghan women and children, including schools, libraries and literacy programs.All royalties from the sale of Kids of Kabul will also go to Women for Women in Afghanistan. Aftermatter includes a map, glossary, a short history of Afghanistan and suggestions for further reading/resources.
Featured in Volume VI, Issue 1 of WOW Review.