Mountains and Volcanoes Topic

When the Mountains Roared is the much-enjoyed second novel from Jess Butterworth, and one that has gone down a storm in Key Stage 2 classrooms. The physical book itself is actually really beautiful both inside and out, with its stunning cover by Rob Biddulph and the leopard-print design of its pages.

The story follows Ruby, a twelve-year-old girl who is grieving the recent death of her mother and has become filled with fear since her mother’s car accident. Ruby is an animal lover and she enjoys photographing wildlife. At the beginning of the story, Ruby faces the devastating news that her Dad is planning to uproot them from their Australian home and relocate to a remote mountain village in India to run a hotel.

Unimpressed when she arrives in her new home, Ruby does manage to find some things to like about the foreign setting. Jess Butterworth’s descriptions of the mountain landscape are beautiful and evocative as nature-lover Ruby takes in the new smells, colours and wildlife of the Himalayan habitat. Although the hotel is quite isolated, Ruby quickly befriends a local shepherd boy called Praveen, who shares Ruby’s admiration of the natural world.

Together, Ruby and Praveen set about to protect the few remaining leopards from the threat of poachers. The story is full of danger and adventure as Ruby undertakes a perilous trek through the mountains and comes face to face with some very hostile poachers, putting aside her own fears in order to save the leopards.

This is an atmospheric and enticing animal rescue story that explores an important theme about preservation and it will appeal to readers in Years 4-6

Another novel on the theme of mountains, but this one is a more light-hearted choice, popular with lower KS2. Full of humour and imagination, this laugh-out-loud book tells the story of a young woman who is kidnapped by the Yetis of the Himalayan Mountains and given the tasks of bringing up their unruly children. Although this book is very funny, it also carries a strong message about caring for our planet.

If you are looking for a gripping novel on the theme of mountains, this one could be for you. This story, from the popular children’s author Michael Morpurgo, recounts the perilous journey of Ashley and his Uncle Sung across the Himalayan Mountains as they battle for survival.

Set in North America, this is the story of Minnie and her step-Dad Dan, who still live in the remote cabin where she was born at the foothills of the pine-forested mountain that her mother had loved so much. Still stinging from her Mother’s recent death, Minnie and Dan struggle to make sense of their lives together and Minnie longs to explore the way she and her Mom once did, canoeing along the shores of the sea or hiking up through the forest trails – but Dan always seems too busy working. One day Minnie sets off up the mountain with her friend Billy to search for the forest fire that has been raging for days on the other side of the mountain, only to find instead a set of huge footprints that could only belong to one thing… a sasquatch (an ape-like creature from North American folklore, also known as a bigfoot)!

A debut novel by O’Grady, who was previously credited with penning an award-winning play for the London fringe, the story sensitively explores the process of bereavement while also balancing the differing views of two different ‘peoples’ by telling the story from the dual perspectives of Minnie and a juvenile Sasquatch, Kaayii, with their ancient culture and beliefs so closely entwined with nature.

This is an exciting story tinged with sadness but ultimately of joy, as Minnie and Kaayii discover a mutual bond of respect and understanding that brings their families closer and helps them move on from the tragedy they have both experienced.

This story, set on top of a super volcano in Yellowstone Park in America, starts with an act of senseless and terrifying violence but turns into a beautiful story of friendship and bravery. Two children are dealing with the events they have been through – Seb is struggling with both the prospect of losing his best friend as well as with his memories of a horrific shooting, while Vivi is mourning the loss of her much-loved grandmother. Set against the stunning volcanic backdrop of Yellowstone Park, this is both a thoughtful depiction of children dealing with life-changing events which are beyond their control, whilst also being a high-paced adventure with a thrilling climax deep in the heart of Yellowstone Park.

Nearly everyone has heard of Mount Everest. Towering over the Himalayas, it is probably the most famous mountain in the world. Equally, Edmund Hillary and the Sherpa, Tenzing Norgay, became household names when they became the first climbers to reach the top and descend safely again in May 1953. But what of all the climbers who tried and failed? What are the challenges and obstacles facing a team trying to reach the 8,849 metre-high summit of the ‘Peak of Heaven’?

This fascinating book by the award-winning David Long looks at the history of the race to reach the top. It is packed full of fascinating information about the challenges climbers face on the mountain, about the differences between modern climbing equipment and that used in the past, as well as the personal stories behind some of the attempts (he goes into detail about the failed attempt by Mallory and Irving in 1924, as well as the successful Hillary/Norgay expedition).

The illustrations by Stefano Tambellini not only help to set the scene but also provide extra information. The picture comparing Mount Everest to other well-known mountains, for example, is simple yet effective. The book ends on a thought-provoking note – apparently, Everest is now littered with rubbish. At such a high altitude doing a litter pick is dangerous, yet there are teams of intrepid people trying to safeguard Everest’s natural beauty. Even at these high altitudes, humans are still managing to leave their mark, and not always in a good way.

A gripping mountain-based adventure with strong female role models. Clova has grown up with the mountains and moors as her playground, with her Mum and Dad’s love of the outdoors shared passionately since the day she was born. When her Mum’s life is lost during a search and rescue mission, Clova loses not just her Mum, but her Dad, her best friend and the freedom to run wild that, to her, is the very essence of life itself. By chance she meets Taffy, an abandoned collie, and a bond develops between them that might just save more than one life, including their own.

This is a story filled with loss and heartbreak, hope and fear, and a delicate web of characters, each experiencing and dealing with loss in their own way.  I found myself wanting to pack a rucksack and hiking boots and head straight off to the highlands of Scotland, then became mindful of the dangers that might arise if I did just that. Masterful and sweet, each character is introduced, sometimes fleetingly, only to return at a poignant point later as their paths cross again and the elaborate tapestry that Forrest sews comes together.

With a beautiful foreword by the greatest living explorer of our time, Sir Ranulph Fiennes, this brilliant book combines fresh and contemporary illustrations by Joe Todd-Stanton with Alexandra Stewart’s captivating writing and publishes in time to celebrate the centenary of Edmund Hillary’s birth. This unique narrative tells the story of how Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay made their mark on the world from birth right up to their final days and the impact they’ve had on Nepal today.

Escape from Pompeii tells the story of a young boy called Tranio who lives in Pompeii at the time of the famous eruption of Vesuvius in AD 79. This captivating picture book allows readers to follow the footsteps of Tranio and his friend Livia as they come to terms with the destruction of their city and find their own routes to freedom.

There is also an accompanying 2-week English unit available from KS2History.

The bright, eye-catching cover of the picturebook, ‘Stranded! A mostly true story’ draws the reader in with humour and kept me guessing throughout about which part was not true. It is a unique, ‘mostly’ true story about the beautiful country of Iceland and a volcano, based on the experiences of the author’s grandfather and the Icelandic volcanoes at Surtsey.

I learnt lots of new information about Iceland and the illustrations were outstanding. As the story progresses, the reader is kept guessing right until the very end and there is a lovely twist that I do not think many would guess!

This is a perfect book for anyone who likes to learn about volcanoes and this real-life account also is complemented by a section about ‘Surtsey’ the World Heritage Site (which this story is about) and lots of information about volcanoes, as well as ‘Did You Know?’ and links to the Gods of Norse Mythology. For this short book, there is something for everyone; it is a gem!

This book provides an in-depth look at Everest, including its culture, history and wildlife. For many of us, this beautiful non-fiction volume will be the closest we come to Mount Everest, the tallest of the peaks in the Himalayan mountains. Richly informative and beautifully illustrated, this is an information text that will appeal to explorers-in-the-making in KS2 classrooms

The book systematically covers different aspects of the history and geography that make Everest so fascinating, including various mountain climbers’ attempts to scale Everest, wildlife living at different altitudes and how scientists accurately measure such an immense mountain. The writers also recognise how Everest has captured imaginations for centuries and the book gives plenty of space to exploring the array of myths and legends surrounding Everest as well as the way it has inspired people to invent, create or achieve in different ways.

‘Into The Volcano’ is an engaging and informative text full of interesting facts for a Key Stage 2 audience. The book supports the National Curriculum objective of understanding the processes that give rise to key physical features of the world – it describes, in a way that the reader will be able to understand, whilst still using ambitious vocabulary, how and where volcanoes are formed, the different types of volcanoes, as well as discussing their positive and negative effects.

We enjoyed the inclusion of myths and legends inspired by real-life volcanoes, details about books and films that feature volcanoes (both real-life and fictional ones); and stories of artists who have chosen volcanoes as their subject.

Throughout the book, there are fascinating ‘Did you know?’ snippets – for example, did you know that scientists believe that the ‘scream heard piercing through nature’ which inspired Edvard Munch’s world-famous painting ‘The Scream’ was in fact the effects of Krakatau exploding?

This volcano-themed children’s book is a fascinating read from start to finish.

This book is packed with information for budding mountaineers or fans of Geography.

Filled with facts, this book is perfect for class libraries or topic boxes. The beginning of the book features information about mountains, geographical terms, mountain ranges, explorers and the preparation involved before attempting to reach a summit.

The rest of the text concentrates on pages of information dedicated to famous mountains across the world, including Everest, Kilimanjaro and Vinson Massif – which is perfect for in-depth study work. Each section includes facts and details about conquests and climbs, accompanied by a very detailed glossary.

A fact-filled, round-the-world tour of the greatest mountains on Earth that is the perfect read for children and adults alike.