The Sierra Nevada, California – Akira – It’s a beautiful day, and Akira is doing her most favourite thing in the world, riding her horse Dodger in the mountains around her home with her dad. She saw the smoke on their ride, but Dad dismisses it as nothing to worry about. Akira knows the climate is changing and seeing smoke is not good, but Dad is a climate change denier, and she doesn’t want to spoil the beautiful day.

It’s not long before she wishes she forced the issue and called it in. She spends hours fleeing flames with her Dad, then strangers, and then on her own with her best friend, Dodger. Using skills learnt from Dad and Dodger’s instincts, can she continue to evade the ever growing wildfire?

Churchill, Manitoba – Owen – Owen loves nothing more than a microphone in his hand on board one of his family tundra buggy’s full of tourists. They have come to see the polar bears who are waiting for the ice to freeze over once again so they can get back into their natural hunting season.

When not working for his family tourism guide business, Owen hangs out with his best mate George. They know how to stay safe on the snow and ice that surrounds their small town, and are well aware of the dangers of polar bears. Despite having made the trip many times before to an ice-fishing cabin, this time everything goes wrong. Helping keep each other alive, the friends face not one, but two very hungry polar bears.

Miami, Florida – Natalie – the warnings are clear. There is a hurricane on its way. Natalie helps her mum board up their home’s windows and prepare for the terrible weather. Hurricane’s are becoming even more frequent than ever, but this one defies even the worst expectations. Boarding up the windows don’t matter when an entire wall of the house is ripped away.

Natalie is separated from her mother by walls of water, debris and wind. Struggling from one shelter to another as the water rises up buildings, Natalie is determined to survive. She helps others and strangers help her, time after time in the onslaught of the worst hurricane to hit Miami. Will she survive? What about her mother and home?

Another stunning and thought provoking read by Alan Gratz. We all are aware of Climate Change and how the entire planet is affected. We all must do our part, no matter how small to help the planet. Alan Gratz wondered how he could help and began researching for this book.

Although aware that Climate Change is causing wildfires, droughts, heatwaves, flooding and flora and fauna extinctions around the world, Gratz has based Two Degrees in North America. A wildfire, habitat loss and hurricanes are more prevalent in real life every day our planet’s temperature rises and Gratz has three main characters, each within and trying to survive their own climate disaster.

As often in Gratz novels, the events or characters are connected in some way, and this is particularly pertinent in Two Degrees. We must all connect in order to save our planet and ultimately everybody on it by keeping the temperature rise under Two Degrees.

Having a climate denier character is a great way to learn about tackling that, especially if it’s someone close to you. Other characters put others first before their own needs, which then brings people together in the afterwards of a disaster.

The issue of wealthy over underprivileged is highlighted as those most in need do not often benefit from emergency care and supplies first.

One of my favourite books by this incredibly popular author. A brilliant, gripping, heart wrenching read, along with being a fantastic way to learn about climate change, and how it can affect anyone, anywhere.

Author – Alan Gratz

Age – 10+

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(2023, Action, Climate Change, Hurricane, Wildfires, Habitat loss, Hungry Polar Bears, Ice, Miami, Florida, Manitoba, Sierra Nevada, California, Canada, Tourism, Emergency, Climate Deniers, Danger, Animals, Horses, Helping Strangers, Family, Friendship, Connections, Environmental Science, Courage)