Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens Hardcover – May 14, 2024

What a captivating read! I started this book thinking I would read a few chapters, but then I kept reading on, wanting to learn what happened next. Before I knew it, I had finished the whole book in one sitting!This is an incredibly interesting story, and Barone does an excellent job of recounting it through the eyes of many of the people involved (scientists, politicians, survivors, and even victims). The history comes alive, and this book is a fast-paced thrill ride that has you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. The book is very well researched, with the author expertly weaving interviews with those involved into the narrative. You come away from the book feeling like you've both learned a lot of science around volcanos while also having read a gripping disaster novel.While I may be older than the intended reader, I really enjoyed this one and know I would have loved it when I was younger as well. There are great role models in the scientists who studied the volcano before, during, and after the event, which I can imagine will inspire younger readers who might be considering STEM fields. Overall, I'd highly recommend this book to anyone interested in learning more about the Mt. St. Helens eruption, anyone who enjoys narrative nonfiction, or those who like to come away from a book having learned something new.

My 11 year old daughter did a research paper on this book. I was thrilled to find a book on this historical event that would keep her interest! Awesome book for kids and adults that gives the account of those tragically lost….and the amazing survival stories!

I have lived in Washington State my whole life (40+ years) and have heard many stories about Mount Saint Helen's eruption. (I was only 5 and don't remember much.) I also taught Washington State history for five years, and I wish this book was around during that time! It is evident that the author thoroughly researched not only that fateful day but the days leading up to and following the eruption. I learned so much during that time in our state's history. I can't wait to get this book in my middle school library. Even after book talking this book to my in-laws at a family event, they plan on reading it as well. For any book lover of historical fiction, survival/adventure or Washingtonian, grab yourself a copy of this fantastic read!

I have to admit that I still have Volcano : The Eruption and Healing of Mount St. Helens by Patricia Lauber from 1986 in my school library, mainly because I remember this happening. Obviously, after 40 plus years, the details are fuzzy, so it's good to see this major environmental event given a thorough nonfiction treatment.Barone, who has a science background, does a good job at outlining the history of the volcanic activity in the area, and explains how modern scientific record keeping has changed over time. Sure, we know that there was an Eruption in 1853 that killed fish, but there isn't the kind of seizmological information that can be gathered now. Even in 1980, the information wasn't necessarily computerized; the readings would come out on paper. The most astonishing thing to me was that there was a lot of data gathered, but because some of it was able to be printed over the weekend, it wasn't able to be used to warn people!Earthquake tremors began to be felt in March of 1980, and scientists were very concerned. Weyerhauser loggers and scientists were the only ones who were supposed to stay in the area, but as time wore on and Mt. St. Helens made the news, tourists started coming in to the area to see what was going on. This caused a lot of safety hazards, especially on the narrow, winding mountain roads. A lot of people were evacuated, but there were some hold outs; one of the more memorable characters who was on the news a lot was Harry Truman, who was determined to stay in his lodge that he had run with his wife. He was 83, and felt he had prepared for the disaster, which wouldn't really effect him. He eventually perished.While most of the Spirit Lake Residents left, and the YWCA and Boy Scout Camps got permission to remove equipment from their camps, there were a number of hikers, photographers, and scientists who flocked to the area. The book even talks about Keith and Dorothy Stoffel, geologists who decided to charter a helicopter to fly over the mountain and were practically on top of the volcano when it erupted! There was also a family who narrowly escaped. In all, 57 people died, including David Johnston, who was the one remaining scientist at one of the observation points.There's lots of interesting scientific information about what was occurring with the volcano and also about the aftermath. I was fascinated by the fact that grass seed was scattered over the area to try to get things to grow. All that it did was to attract a large number of mice, who ate the seeds, and when they ran out, gnawed on the emerging trees! Had nothing been done, the area would have recuperated more quickly.Like Barone's Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica and Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis' Secret Code, this is a well researched and appealing written book that will get a lot of use. It's great for pleasure reading, but has enough details to make it a good choice for research as well. It reminded me a bit of Walker's 2011 Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 in its combination of facts and personal stories.

Loved the suspense and informative nature of this title. Gives an amazing sense not only of the tragic events of the eruption, but also about how it lead to a deeper understanding of volcanic activity in general. Thank you to the publisher for the ARC!

A thrilling tale of science and adventure! Young readers won't be able to put this one down as they read about the harrowing survival stories as well as the scientific research surrounding the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens in this thoroughly researched and expertly crafted narrative nonfiction. Highly recommended!

I have eagerly anticipated reading MOUNTAIN OF FIRE. It's an exceptionally well-written story of the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helen's.Rebecca E.F. Barone tells the story of the survivors and scientists. She examines the truth of what went wrong and carefully crafts a story for all to read.I devoured this book. And you will too. Then hand it over to a curious kid because they'll want to read it, too.This would be an excellent choice for a whole-school nonfiction read. The chapters are short and fast-paced!