Spooky Lakes

July 1, 2024
A gallery of wonders and mysteries in 25 lakes worldwide. Spun off from the author's ongoing series of TikTok videos, these visits to a select few of our planet's estimated 304 million lakes feature glimpses of eerie shipwrecks, sudden eruptions of toxic gas, and unexpected residents such as the 10-foot-long bull sharks in Lake Nicaragua--all designed to "give you goose bumps on your arms and chills up your spine." Readers are likely to come away equally impressed by the sheer variety of what's in the lakes she presents, from water-filled ones such as Russia's Lake Baikal and the hot springs of Yellowstone, to lakes of lava and pitch, the seriously radioactive waste in Lake Karachay in the Urals, and Lake Natron in Tanzania, which is so hot and toxic that any hapless creatures falling in "are petrified, dried out, and made crispy." Along with going for the gusto, she explores the distinctive history and geology of each site, backing up her assertions with substantial lists of sources at the end. If her decision to illustrate the entries with painted scenes rather than photographs makes these locales seem a little less real, it does allow her the opportunity to provide cutaway views, as well as stimulating explosions, visible fumes, the occasional clutching hand, and other drama-enhancing details. Human figures are rare but racially diverse. A chilling but thrilling primer for budding limnologists. (author's note, glossary, index) (Informational picture book. 8-10)

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Starred review from January 10, 2025
Grades 3-6 *Starred Review* Inspired by her "Spooky Lakes" TikTok series, Rutherford presents 25 of the world's strangest lakes in this marvelously illustrated compilation. An introduction defines lake and offers quick facts before readers dive into two- to six-page profiles of the peculiar lakes themselves, including Lake Nicaragua, the largest freshwater lake in Central America and the only lake on the planet with sharks; Indonesia's Kawah Ijen, located inside the crater of an active volcano, making it the most acidic lake in the world; and Tanzania's Lake Natron, a red lake that mummifies most creatures unfortunate enough to fall into it. Each profile features basic facts about the lake (continent, location, max depth, and surface area), a small visual identifier of its location on a globe, a scientific account of the lake's formation and development of its unusual qualities, enriching sidebars, and striking, eerie illustrations that showcase the lake's mystery. In some cases, the author includes cross sections to help readers understand the geography of the lake, such as a cross section of Trinidad's Pitch Lake, which shows the source deep beneath the earth's surface that feeds this lake. Although the lakes' spookiness derives from natural, rather than supernatural, phenomena, Rutherford hides tiny ghosts for readers to find among the illustrations. Amazingly quirky and educational.

COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.