Graham, Amy. What Are the 7 Wonders of the Natural World?

Graham, Amy.  What Are the 7 Wonders of the Natural World?  Enslow      2013  48p  $23.95  ISBN 978-0-7660-4153-0 ms      series: What Are the 7 Wonders of the World? E-BN    

The many processes of nature have created these seven wonders of the natural world: Mount Everest, Victoria Falls, the Grand Canyon, the Great Barrier Reef, the Northern Lights, Paricutin Volcano, and the Harbor of Rio de Janeiro.  A chapter is dedicated to each “wonder”, explaining and exploring it in detail.  The engaging and informative text about each one is enhanced with full-color photographs and illustrations, such as that of Victoria Falls (page 15) and the aurora borealis (page 29). The text is written for middle-school students, and will no doubt provide a wonderful resource for pleasure reading as well as research. For those interested in learning more about each wonder of the natural world, the author has provided excellent chapter notes that can be found at the end of the book.  The book concludes with a glossary, said chapter notes, a list for further reading (print and web), and an index.  Complete in four titles, this series What Are the Seven Wonders of the World? provides an excellent resource for research about the wonders, as well as pleasure reading for interested students.   

Natural wonders                                                   --Lynn Fisher

Athans, Sandra K. Climbing Mt. Everest with Pete Athans: Tales from the Top of the World.

Athans, Sandra K.  Climbing Mt. Everest with Pete Athans: Tales from the Top of the World.  Millbrook Press/21st Century/Copper Beech             63p         $24.00   978-0-7613-65-6-8   2013      ms           E-BN         Nonfiction                           

This is a really well-put-together book that describes what it is like to climb Mount Everest, whose peak is about five miles above sea level, from the initial attempts long ago, to the science of mounting an expedition in the present day. There is a lot of discussion of the four base camps, the role that sherpas play in every expedition, and the equipment and techniques of climbing.  While magnificent photography illustrates various landmarks along the climb, the many hazards are also described in full.  Pete Athans has been dubbed “Mr. Everest” because of his many summits and his vast experience mountaineering, and throughout the book there are sidebars titled “Ask Mr. Everest” to answer questions that would be of interest to younger readers, such as “How do you go to the bathroom on Mount Everest?” (page 17), and “How did you become interested in high-altitude mountaineering?” (page 49).  Other text boxes talk about helicopter rescue on the mountain (page 42), and hyperthermia (page 27).

Mountaineering – Mount Everest                                                        --Lynn Fisher