The most recommended volcano books

Who picked these books? Meet our 22 experts.

22 authors created a book list connected to volcanos, and here are their favorite volcano books.
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Book cover of Volcanoes: In America's National Parks

James R. Zimbelman Author Of The Volcanoes of Mars

From my list on amazing volcanoes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a senior geologist emeritus (retired in 2020) whose research focused on volcanic features on Mars, Venus, and the Moon, particularly very long lava flows. I enjoy studying features on Earth in order to improve our understanding of similar features on other planets (also including the study of sand dunes). I worked for more than 32 years at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., which allowed me to do scientific research while also presenting the wonder of planetary geology to public audiences throughout the U.S. and in several countries across the world.

James' book list on amazing volcanoes

James R. Zimbelman Why did James love this book?

This is where I would start for an introduction to the geologic story behind some of the best-known volcanoes in the USA. It is a very readable, well-written text describing volcanoes within several national parks and monuments.

I particularly enjoy the many photos (most taken by the authors) plus the maps that are included within each chapter. The opening chapters provide essential background information for the reader to appreciate the geologic stories that follow. A "must read" for anyone who likes volcanoes.

By Barbara Decker, Robert Decker,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Volcanoes as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Erupting volcanoes like Kilauea in Hawaii, and sleeping volcanoes like Mount Rainier in Washington State are the core features of 31 of the National Parks and Monuments in the United States. In addition, ancient fires that once fed a chain of volcanoes al


Book cover of Ashfall

Christopher Joubert Author Of Briskwood Blood Rain

From my list on apocalyptic events and surviving in confinement.

Why am I passionate about this?

Apocalyptic novels have always been a favorite genre of mine. It’s interesting seeing the lengths that people will go through to survive when all factors are stacked against them. The list of novels below is some of the many great reads that opened my eyes to this genre. The characters in these novels are oftentimes faced with challenges that seem impossible to the reader but are left feeling so fulfilled after seeing a character complete the difficult tasks. I hope you enjoy the books on this list as much as I have!

Christopher's book list on apocalyptic events and surviving in confinement

Christopher Joubert Why did Christopher love this book?

This is one of the novels I read in high school that stuck with me. Mike Mullin’s Ashfall is a story about a supervolcano that erupts and causes unimaginable terror and chaos for a vast amount of the population. The unfortunate event that takes place in this novel opened my eyes to the power of Mother Nature. My own novel centers around an apocalyptic rain event; Ashfall is comparable to my own book in a way that shows how quickly Mother Nature can become deadly when angered.

By Mike Mullin,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Ashfall as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Many visitors to Yellowstone National Park don't realize that the boiling hot springs and spraying geysers are caused by an underlying supervolcano, so large that the caldera can only be seen by plane or satellite. And by some scientific measurements, it could be overdue for an eruption. For Alex, being left alone for the weekend means having the freedom to play computer games and hang out with his friends without hassle from his mother. Then the Yellowstone supervolcano erupts, plunging his hometown into a nightmare of darkness, ash, and violence. Alex begins a harrowing trek to seach for his family…


Book cover of Under The Volcano

John Andrew Fredrick Author Of The King Of Good Intentions Part Three

From my list on reads if your rock ‘n’ roll party days are over.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a perfect of exemplar of an author whose party days are decidedly not over, but I’m doubtless at the age/stage where I’m bloody contemplating at least paring down my intakes plural. Not that I’m still at it like a Sophomore or anything but I’m hanging in there. I get a great, tingly buzz (you had to have seen this coming!) recommending great books to keen readers. I live in a library—essentially—and friends who visit for a beer or a spliff most often leave with a book I’ve given them. Now you lot are gonna ask me to lend you some scratch! Now you’ve gone and done it, John! Haha.

John's book list on reads if your rock ‘n’ roll party days are over

John Andrew Fredrick Why did John love this book?

Lowry is the best stylist in the history of the English Language bar two other classic writers—Jonathan Swift and Samuel Johnson. 

The amount of alcohol consumed in this brutally beautiful novel is staggering to say the least. Its zesty darkness and, er, volcanic poetry is a stone-cold trip. If you don’t remember (or never tasted) mescal or that time you had too many margaritas, Lowry’s masterpiece will do you well. 

By Malcolm Lowry,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Under The Volcano as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.


Book cover of Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883

James R. Zimbelman Author Of The Volcanoes of Mars

From my list on amazing volcanoes.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a senior geologist emeritus (retired in 2020) whose research focused on volcanic features on Mars, Venus, and the Moon, particularly very long lava flows. I enjoy studying features on Earth in order to improve our understanding of similar features on other planets (also including the study of sand dunes). I worked for more than 32 years at the National Air and Space Museum of the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C., which allowed me to do scientific research while also presenting the wonder of planetary geology to public audiences throughout the U.S. and in several countries across the world.

James' book list on amazing volcanoes

James R. Zimbelman Why did James love this book?

Welcome to an account of an enormous volcanic eruption!

Winchester takes the reader through the real-life activities that preceded and followed one of the largest recorded volcanic eruptions in written history. Ten chapters skillfully interweave tales of people who were directly impacted by the 1883 eruption of Krakatoa. While many people have heard that Krakatoa was the site of a large eruption, most of them may not realize that the monster tsunamis produced by that explosion were the deadliest aspect of the eruption.

It is captivating reading, even for those not as hooked on volcanoes as I am.

By Simon Winchester,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Krakatoa as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Bracingly apocalyptic stuff: atmospheric, chock-full of information and with a constantly escalating sense of pace and tension' Sunday Telegraph

Simon Winchester's brilliant chronicle of the destruction of the Indonesian island of Krakatoa in 1883 charts the birth of our modern world. He tells the story of the unrecognized genius who beat Darwin to the discovery of evolution; of Samuel Morse, his code and how rubber allowed the world to talk; of Alfred Wegener, the crack-pot German explorer and father of geology. In breathtaking detail he describes how one island and its inhabitants were blasted out of existence and how colonial…


Book cover of Volcano: The Eruption and Healing of Mount St Helens

Mary M. Cerullo Author Of Volcano: Where Fire and Water Meet

From my list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I turned 13, I decided to become an oceanographer. To prepare for my future career, I majored in geology and biology in college. I mapped ancient volcanic outcrops around Boston, explored a deep mine and dug for minerals on a geology tour of the southeastern United States, and sampled sand from a tropical beach on a tiny island in the Bahamas. I discovered that geologists have fun! A geology field trip to Kilauea in Hawaii inspired me to examine how volcanoes, on land and beneath the sea, impact our oceans. After that, a week in Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, further cemented my love of rocks and volcanoes.  

Mary's book list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean

Mary M. Cerullo Why did Mary love this book?

I remember the date of May 18, 1980, when the eruption of Mount St. Helens was heard worldwide—thanks to news media, some of whom were on the scene. An earthquake triggered an eruption that tore a gaping hole in the side of the mountain, turning 230 square miles of Washington state into a moonscape. As in the news stories, the dramatic photos in this book documented the devastation.

After the news coverage ended, another saga began within months. I was struck by the side-by-side images of just-after eruption photos juxtaposed with images of sparkling lakes and green pastures. It amazed me how quickly survivors and colonizers populated the gray and lifeless landscape, thanks to fireweed fungi, mosquito larvae, red-tailed maggots, and gophers. 

By Patricia Lauber,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Volcano as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

In this extraordinary photographic essay, Patricia Lauber details the Mount St. Helens eruption and the years following in Volcano: Eruption and Healing of Mt. St. Helen's.

Through this clear accurate account, readers of all ages will share the awe of the scientists who witnessed both the power of the volcano and the resiliency of life.


Book cover of Pete the Cat and the Supercool Science Fair

Evonne Blanchard Author Of Amelia, the Moochins and the Sapphire Palace

From Evonne's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Cat servant Bookworm Hiker Dream chaser

Evonne's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Evonne Blanchard Why did Evonne love this book?

I loved this book because, as a parent, I’m always looking for ways to get kids excited about science and to think of science in a fun and accessible way. This is where this book excels.

I also adore cats, especially Pete the Cat! This is a tremendously fun and engaging read. The book’s illustrations are zany, highly colorful, and simply a joy to view time and time again. Little ones are introduced to basic scientific ideas.

They also learned a great lesson about teamwork and overcoming obstacles during their big experiment. Pete and his friends might feel blue (hint, hint) about their problem, but they quickly learn to embrace it. There is a sparkly surprise at the end of their project. Can you readers guess what that is?

By James Dean, Kimberly Dean,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Pete the Cat and the Supercool Science Fair as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Pete and his friends have a blast at the school science fair! This exciting 8x8 storybook includes over 30 groovy stickers.

In Pete the Cat's Supercool Science Fair from New York Times bestselling author-illustrator team Kimberly and James Dean, Pete the Cat and his friends are excited to build the coolest volcano ever for their school's science fair.

After a few unexpected mishaps, the team is finally ready. Yet after seeing their other classmates'creations, they can't help but wonder: is their volcano good enough to win first place?

Thankfully, Pete has a sparkly surprise up his sleeve!


Book cover of The Birthgrave

David Wellington Author Of Paradise-1

From my list on genre mashups in science fiction and fantasy.

Why am I passionate about this?

Science fiction and Fantasy have always been about exploring new ideas in novel ways—right from the beginning, Mary Shelley saw the story of Frankenstein as a chance to explore ideas of liberation and equality that, at the time, were too uncomfortable for mainstream stories. Since then many writers have found success by mashing up sf with other literary genres to discover the boundaries—and the gray areas—between them. In my latest book I explore the deep connection between horror (the fear of the unknown) and sf (the drive toward wonder). Some of my most cherished books have similarly charted these murky borderlands.

David's book list on genre mashups in science fiction and fantasy

David Wellington Why did David love this book?

I absolutely cannot spoil what might be the greatest twist in genre lit, so you’re just going to have to take my word on this one.

Lee was a master of character-driven plots and this one starts with an oldie but goodie trope: the character who wakes up with amnesia and has to explore a whole world to find herself. Our heroine has no name and no face—she always wears a mask—but the mystery of why she does so will keep your turning page after page.

If the title alone doesn’t make you want to read this book, you need to ask what happened to your sense of wonder. Don’t worry, though, because this novel will bring it back from the dead.

By Tanith Lee,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Birthgrave as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A mysterious woman awakens in the heart of a dormant volcano. She comes forth into a brutal ancient world transformed by genocidal pestilence, fierce beauty, and cultural devastation. She has no memory of herself, and she could be anyone-mortal woman, demoness lover, last living heir to a long-gone race, or a goddess of destruction. Compelled by the terrifying Karrakaz to search for the mysterious Jade that is the answer to her secret self, she embarks on a journey of timeless wonder.

Rediscover this realm of brilliant cruel beauty and seductive immortal ruins, of savage war and grand conquest, of falling…


Book cover of Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives

Mary M. Cerullo Author Of Volcano: Where Fire and Water Meet

From my list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I turned 13, I decided to become an oceanographer. To prepare for my future career, I majored in geology and biology in college. I mapped ancient volcanic outcrops around Boston, explored a deep mine and dug for minerals on a geology tour of the southeastern United States, and sampled sand from a tropical beach on a tiny island in the Bahamas. I discovered that geologists have fun! A geology field trip to Kilauea in Hawaii inspired me to examine how volcanoes, on land and beneath the sea, impact our oceans. After that, a week in Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, further cemented my love of rocks and volcanoes.  

Mary's book list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean

Mary M. Cerullo Why did Mary love this book?

If you could choose, would you want to view a gently erupting volcano where you could outwalk the lava flowing to the sea? Or would you go for an earth-shaking explosion that releases boiling lava, choking ash, and burning gases?

In this book, you can take your pick! I loved the variety of volcanoes she explored, as well as the mission of many scientists to better predict eruptions to protect those who live near volcanoes.

By Elizabeth Rusch, Tom Uhlman (photographer),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Eruption! Volcanoes and the Science of Saving Lives as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 10, 11, and 12.

What is this book about?

“At 11:35 p.m., as Radio Armero played cheerful music, a towering wave of mud and rocks bulldozed through the village, roaring like a squadron of fighter jets.” Twenty-three thousand people died in the 1985 eruption of Colombia’s Nevado del Ruiz. Today, more than one billion people worldwide live in volcanic danger zones. In this riveting nonfiction book—filled with spectacular photographs and sidebars—Rusch reveals the perilous, adrenaline-fueled, life-saving work of an international volcano crisis team (VDAP) and the sleeping giants they study, from Colombia to the Philippines, from Chile to Indonesia.


Book cover of Old Rock (Is Not Boring)

Lisa Wheeler Author Of People Don't Bite People

From my list on picture books that are even better read aloud.

Why am I passionate about this?

I'm an award-winning children's book author who loves everything about kid's books--including the smell! With over 50 books on bookstore shelves-- which have been read aloud hundreds of times all over the world-- I feel that I've become an expert on the subject.

Lisa's book list on picture books that are even better read aloud

Lisa Wheeler Why did Lisa love this book?

Old Rock's friends think that he has a boring life. Yes, he's been sitting in the same spot for many, many years. But Old Rock tells them about the time he flew (out of a volcano!) and the dinosaurs he met and the time he lived inside a glacier. Seems Old Rock's life has not only been long, but very exciting! With the various characters in the book, there's fun dialogue begging to be read aloud. Your budding geologist, paleontologists, and historians will love to hear you read this book aloud.

By Deb Pilutti,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Old Rock (Is Not Boring) as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

A Kirkus Best Book of 2020

A Parents Magazine Best Book of 2020


Quirky charm infuses this tale of Old Rock's life story, which is much more exciting than you'd expect.

Old Rock has been sitting in the same spot in the pine forest for as long as anyone can remember. Spotted Beetle, Tall Pine, and Hummingbird think just sitting there must be boring, but they are in for a wonderful surprise.

Fabulous tales of adventurous travel, exotic scenery, entertaining neighbors, and more from Old Rock's life prove it has been anything but boring.

Great storytellers come in all shapes,…


Book cover of Into the Volcano: A Volcano Researcher at Work

Mary M. Cerullo Author Of Volcano: Where Fire and Water Meet

From my list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I turned 13, I decided to become an oceanographer. To prepare for my future career, I majored in geology and biology in college. I mapped ancient volcanic outcrops around Boston, explored a deep mine and dug for minerals on a geology tour of the southeastern United States, and sampled sand from a tropical beach on a tiny island in the Bahamas. I discovered that geologists have fun! A geology field trip to Kilauea in Hawaii inspired me to examine how volcanoes, on land and beneath the sea, impact our oceans. After that, a week in Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, further cemented my love of rocks and volcanoes.  

Mary's book list on the wonder of volcanoes above below ocean

Mary M. Cerullo Why did Mary love this book?

So many volcanoes! So how would you choose among the 1400+ active volcanoes on the earth’s surface (not to mention that three-quarters of all volcanoes on Earth are on the ocean floor.)

Apparently, the volcanologists duo, Donna O’Meara and her husband Steven, have been trying to hit them all. They are always on call for the next eruption, not just to capture amazing photographs and death-defying experiences but also to try to improve volcano eruption prediction.

I was intrigued by their adventures and photos, but even more, I admired that they spent weeks camping alongside temperamental volcanoes to assess how/if the moon influences volcanic eruptions. Their theory that the moon’s phases and closeness to the Earth could affect volcanic activity could someday help save lives.

By Donna O'Meara,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Into the Volcano as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 8, 9, 10, and 11.

What is this book about?

In a helicopter with no doors, she hovers over a lava lake the size of two football fields --- then lands! She runs through clouds of scalding steam, dodging lava bombs, to photograph glowing hot lava as it pours into the sea. She sets up camp on the edge of a volcano's cone, only to be hit with hurricane-force winds, poisonous gases and acidic ash.Witness a typical day in the life of Donna O'Meara --- volcano researcher, writer and photographer. Donna's photographs and accounts of treacherous journeys get readers up close and personal with some of the world's most dangerous…