Mountain of Fire by Rebecca E. F. Barone

 

Mount St. Helens erupted in 1980 in spectacular fashion. And even though people had plenty of warning that something big was happening, scientists had no idea when it would blow and how devastating the destruction would be. This nonfiction book tells about the months leading up to the eruption, including how scientists were monitoring the mountain, how government leaders were making decisions, and how people living nearby were reacting. The lead-up to the eruption is fascinating, and the eruption and survival stories of some nearby people are even more gripping. There were survivors and people who were killed by the blast, and the author has done a great job of pulling together many stories and making them come alive for young readers. The silly-looking cover might appeal to kids, but doesn't show what a fine work of nonfiction this is. There's a lot of great science and action here and curious kids will find it fascinating. Highly recommended for middle school nonfiction readers.  

Whale Eyes by James Robinson

 

This memoir about seeing and being seen is like no other book for middle schoolers. James Robinson has strabismus, a condition often mis-labeled as "lazy eye" and it has affected many aspects of his life. In this book he not only tells about his childhood and all the attempts to correct his eyes, but it also visually shows what words on a page look like to him. Readers will be spinning the book, turning it upside down, and experimenting with how words appear to James. It's a compelling story, and a vehicle for talking about disability, inclusion, and empathy. James Robinson is a documentary filmmaker and you'll definitely want to show students his New York Times documentary, I Have a Visual Disability and I Want You to Look Me in the Eye.  Highly recommended!

The Vanishing of Lake Peigneur: A Graphic Novel Based on a True Story by Allan Wolf (Author) and Jose Pimienta (Illustrator)

This gripping nonfiction graphic novel tells a little-known story about science, survival, and environmentalism, all from the first-person point of view of Lake Peigneur, which literally did vanish one day in 1980. Lake Peigneur, located in Louisiana, had an oil well and a salt mine on its shores, both of which contributed to the bizarre disaster that occurred on November 20, 1980. The lake had numerous people on its waters and shores, including fishermen, oilmen, and miners, all going about their normal work on an ordinary day. The author tells the tale of the 51 men deep in a salt mine, the father and son fishing on the lake, and the passengers on a boat rescuing some of the oil rig workers. It's a compelling survival story, with science and history thrown in. Curious middle schoolers will definitely be caught up in this story, and the back matter gives context and documentation to the remarkable tale. Highly recommended for middle school libraries. 

The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staff

I love how much I can learn from an excellent middle school nonfiction book--and this one taught me about a woman who deserves greater recognition. Jeanne Villepreux-Power was a powerhouse of scientific research in the early 1800s, when women had great difficulty being accepted as scientists. She was born in France, and lived with her wealthy husband in Sicily, where she became fascinated with sea life, in particular the type of octopus called an argonaut that lived in a shell. She made the first aquarium ever invented, but realized that it was hard to keep sea life alive in her home, so she invented a way to place an aquarium underwater and observe in the clear shallow water of Sicily. Jeanne was a pioneer in studying living sea life (rather than just looking at dead specimens) and she developed ways of testing her hypotheses that stand the test of time. She also refuted commonly held beliefs and spent hears writing up her findings and convincing scientific societies to accept her as a member. She was a pioneer in many ways and this book takes a deep dive into her life and work. It would be great for motivated kids who are really into science, but I would argue that due to its complexity, it's even better for adults.