Rage Of Fire (Mysteries in Our National Park) - Softcover

Skurzynski, Gloria; Ferguson, Alane

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0792276531 ISBN 13: 9780792276531

Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books, 2001

Synopsis

Vacationing in Hawaii, 12-year-old Jack and his almost 11-year-old sister Ashley snorkel and discover the island?s wildlife. Then they are swept up in a mystery with Danny, a young boy from Vietnam, who offers to take them exploring. While climbing Devastation Trail on the Kilauea Iki crater, they are chased by a mysterious woman in red with long black hair who shouts at them in Hawaiian. Is she Pele, come to exact her revenge because the kids ate ohelo berries without offering one to her first? Ashley is convinced that the woman is Pele, but Jack isn?t so sure, and Danny isn?t talking. If she?s not Pele, however, why did she chase them and how did she disappear into the lava cave? This fast-paced novel combines science, suspense, youthful camaraderie, Hawaiian history and culture, and breathtaking descriptions of the island?s natural landscapes and lava flows?a unique combination certain to capture youthful imaginations. A map that will help young readers picture the volcanoes at Hawaiian National Park is included.

About this title

About the Author

Gloria Skurzynski is an award-winning author who has written more than 50 children's books. Her nonfiction book Almost the Real Thing won the American Institute of Physics' Science Writing Award. She has also penned numerous works for National Geographic, including Are We Alone?, an IRA/CBC Young Adults' Choice for 2006. Skurzynski lives in Boise, Idaho.

Alane Ferguson's skill at weaving mystery and suspense into middle-grade fiction won her an Edgar Award for Show Me the Evidence. Along with Gloria Skurzynski, she has cowritten many books in National Geographic’s Mysteries in Our National Parks series. Once they decide on a plot they do on-site research in the featured park, then collaborate by phone, fax, and e-mail to develop the page-turning plot. Ferguson lives in Elizabeth, Colorado.

From School Library Journal

Gr 4-6-While vacationing in Hawaii, Jack, Ashley, and their parents are asked to accompany Danny, a young Vietnamese boy, back to Wyoming, where he will live with his American grandfather, a man whom he has never met. Danny quickly bonds with Jack, while Ashley has difficulty overcoming his overbearing personality. The suspense begins when the children try to escape from a mysterious pursuer whom they believe to be the Goddess Pele. What begins as a promising adventure story set in the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park quickly fizzles into a disappointing tale. The underlying plot involving Danny and his shadowed past is intriguing and heightened by references he makes about men with guns, a helicopter search for prisoners, and an internment camp, but this information is overshadowed by the endless pursuit of the trio through the park. The characters are superficially drawn and the historical and geographical tidbits about the Goddess Pele, Hawaii, and the national park, while interesting, fail to jump-start the story. Full-color photos of Hawaii's flora and fauna, and of the volcano itself are beautiful, but the story lacks credibility.-Janet Gillen, Great Neck Public Library, NY

Copyright 1998 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: National Geographic Children's Books
• Publication date: 2001
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0792276531
• ISBN 13: 9780792276531
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 160