Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The World's Most Amazing Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Other Forces (Spencer Christians World of Wonders) [Paperback]

Spencer Christian (Author), Antonia Felix (Author)

Book Description

Series: Spencer Christians World of Wonders

Discover the amazing forces that shape the earth!

Where do "killer clouds" come from? What causes the birth of an island? How tall is the tallest mountain . . . and how come you can't see it? Can cockroaches really predict an earthquake?

Join popular ABC-TV weather forecaster Spencer Christian as he unearths the mysteries of volcanoes, tornadoes, and other natural events so powerful they've changed not only the face of the planet but the very course of history! Find out what makes the earth quake. Create your own shock wave. Discover what volcano covered an entire city with over four feet of ash, and how the lost continent of Atlantis disappeared. Plus, you'll learn the answer to that age-old question, will Old Faithful always erupt on time?

It's an action-packed tour that will have you shaking, rattling, and rolling as you explore the forces that shape our world. Intriguing, easy-to-do activities let you experience amazing natural phenomena up close--and dozens of fascinating sidebars, fun facts, and illustrations bring the world's wonders to vivid life. The natural world has never been this awesome!

For children ages 8 to 12

Also available in Spencer Christian's World of Wonders series: Can It Really Rain Frogs?: The World's Strangest Weather Events

Editorial Reviews

From School Library Journal

Grade 6-10AA wealth of information on the dramatic events surrounding earthquakes and erupting volcanoes. Through clear descriptions, Christian covers technical details such as plate tectonics, P and S seismic waves, and types of volcanic eruptions. There is even a section on volcanoes on other planets and moons, and another linking geologic activity to geysers and hot springs. Scattered throughout the text are several demonstrations that use common household materials, such as combining vinegar and baking soda to simulate a volcanic eruption. The book's downfall is in the illustrations. There are too many cute black-and-white pictures with caricatures, especially of TV personality Spencer Christian, and not enough straight science images. It is too bad that there are no actual photographs of fault lines, erupting volcanoes, and earthquake-ravaged areas.AAlan Newman, American Chemical Society, Washington,
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From the Publisher

The authors will take children, ages 8 to 12, on an exciting journey over and through the earth's surface as they explore popular topics, such as earthquakes and volcanoes and other earth science subjects. The book is written in an attractive style that mixes text, fun facts, illustrations, maps and activities.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 128 pages
• Publisher: Wiley; 1 edition (June 1997)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0471152919
• ISBN-13: 978-0471152910
• Product Dimensions: 10 x 7 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.3 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,138,414 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars The best kids' book on the topic I've found, February 23, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The World's Most Amazing Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Other Forces (Spencer Christians World of Wonders) (Paperback)

I liked this book for its straightforward language and friendly graphics. It is jam-packed with fun facts and easy activities that illustrate major concepts in earth science. I don't agree with the age range stated... The back of the book says ages 8 to 12, and I think this is more appropriate. I intend to use this book as a more interesting text for a sixth-grade lesson that I will be teaching on plate tectonics and vulcanology.

5.0 out of 5 stars I recommend this book for teachers of Earth Science, March 5, 2004

By A Customer

This review is from: Shake, Rattle, and Roll: The World's Most Amazing Volcanoes, Earthquakes, and Other Forces (Spencer Christians World of Wonders) (Paperback)

I teach Earth Science to 6th graders. This book has been very useful for when I had to teach about Earthquakes and Volcanoes. The illustrations in the book are simple, yet excellent for showing some of Earth's processes. The drawings show how hot spot volcanoes are formed, how subduction works, and how geysers erupt. It compares the convection currents in a pot of boiling water to the way molten lava moves under the Earth's crust. I enlarge many of the illustrations and make them into transparencies to use as visual aids for my students. These help me to explain complicated concepts in simpler terms. The book has fun facts that can be copied onto transparencies too. Some that I liked were "Bizarre Things Animals Do before an Earthquake"( Cute illustrations of animals going bonkers), "Early Explanations About Earthquakes" (Shows a jaguar brushing up against the pillars of the world), "The Discovery of Pompeii (Nice illustration of the method for creating sculptures of the bodies found in Pompeii). There are lists of the world's deadliest volcanic eruptions and the most destructive earthquakes in the world. The book has several hands-on experiments that can be done in class or would be fun to do at home with your children. I just purchased the other books in Spencer Christian's World of Wonders series because I loved this one so much.