Description

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Mountain of Fire is the narrative nonfiction account of the violent volcanic eruption of Mount St. Helens on May 18, 1980, the story of the people who died, those who survived, and the heroes who fought to raise an alarm.

For weeks, the ground around Mount St. Helens shuddered like a dynamite keg ready to explode. There were legends of previous eruptions: violent fire, treacherous floods, and heat that had scoured the area. But the shaking and swelling was unlike any volcanic activity ever seen before. Day and night, scientists tried to piece together the mountain’s clues—yet nothing could prepare them for the destruction to come.

The long-dormant volcano seethed away, boiling rock far below the surface. Washington’s governor, Dixie Lee Ray, understood the despair that would follow from people being forced from their homes. How and when should she give orders to evacuate the area? And would that be enough to save the people from the eruption of Mount St. Helens?

Includes a QR code for a website featuring eye-catching photos of the eruption.

About the Author

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Rebecca E.F. Barone is an engineer and author. She has worked on technical projects as diverse as injury analysis for the NFL and engine calibration for hybrid cars. Realizing her love of books in addition to numbers, she now describes the world with words rather than equations. Her first two books, Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Surviving Antarctica and Unbreakable: The Spies Who Cracked the Nazis’ Secret Code, received a combined nine starred reviews and were featured on numerous “Best of” lists. She lives in Ohio with her family.

Praise For…

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"A heart-stopping account." –Elizabeth Partridge, Sibert Medal Winning author of Seen and Unseen: What Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams's Photographs Reveal About the Japanese American Incarceration.

"The pages of this book absolutely crackle with ash and mud. . . A taut, white-knuckle true tale that will keep readers turning the pages from beginning to end." —Candace Fleming, YALSA Nonfiction Award winning-author of The Rise & Fall of Charles Lindbergh

“Barone mixes science and survival in this white-knuckled account of the most deadly and destructive volcanic eruptions in the history of the United States.” —John Rocco, author of the National Book Award nominee, How We Got To The Moon

* "Pulse racing history that’s sure to fascinate any reader." —Booklist, starred review

* "Rock-solid history and science, high-octane action, and vivid descriptions—the book will inspire as much as it entertains." —Kirkus, starred review

Praise for Unbreakable:

A Booklist, Chicago Public Library, and Amazon Best Book of the Year

"A thrilling adventure of intrigue and daring worthy of the best James Bond stories and made all the better because it’s completely true." –James Ponti, New York Times best-selling author of City Spies

* "A riveting true-life adventure story combining brains, courage, and heart." –Kirkus, starred review

* "A breathlessly told account of clandestine operations whose success contributed to the war’s end." –Publishers Weekly, starred review

* "Barone delivers another impressive feat of narrative nonfiction storytelling." –Horn Book Magazine, starred review

Praise for Race to the Bottom of the Earth:

A BCCB, Booklist, and CBC Best Book of the Year

"A huge treat for adventure story fans—not one, but two incredible races across the fearsome and fascinating Antarctic!" –Steve Sheinkin, New York Times–bestselling author

* "A compelling narrative focused on science and technology, embedded in a cluster of thrilling adventure stories." –School Library Journal, starred review