Veronica and the Volcano by Geoffrey Cook

​Review 4 star

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Veronica and the Volcano by Geoffrey Cook is an exciting adventure story for grades 4-6, with educational elements. It is designed to stoke young girl’s interest in science while entertaining them. 10-year-old Veronica lives in a high-tech, gadget-filled house on the slope of an active volcano. Eruptions are a part of life, as she watches from the protective shields of her home. When she goes on a quest to find rare white volcanic pearls, she leads her father, her best friend Maddy, and her friend’s dad, the blustering Captain John, into a series of hair-raising adventures. But the dire words of a mysterious blind old jeweler tell her of a dangerous man in white—and before Veronica knows it, the adventure takes on an even bigger angle that threatens the whole town.
 
Geoffrey Cook creates an inventive, unusual story filled with twists and turns. Veronica and the Volcano really delivered on the angle of combining earth science with action elements. A glossary in the back provides an at-a-glance list of the facts in the book, but the story is interesting in its own right. Veronica was a spunky, completely relatable heroine who faced with courage every challenge relentlessly thrown in her direction. Pirates, time-travel, pyroclastic flows, a crazed mob trying to sacrifice her to a volcano, and a trip through a jungle of monkeys were just some of the things she had to deal with. Veronica’s great relationship with her parents, especially her father, also stresses the importance of adults in kid’s lives. I rooted for this brave little girl every step of the way and while kids are cheering her on, they’ll learn as well.