2022 Finalist: Young Adult Science Book

Ms. Adventure: My Wild Explorations in Science, Lava, and Life, by Jess Phoenix. Timber Press, 2021.

Ms. Adventure follows the travels and escapades of volcanologist and explorer Jess Phoenix as she brings us along on trips to jungles, glaciers, undersea lava flows, and the summit of the world’s largest volcano—contributing to the world of science while helping define who belongs in that world. We’re with her as she gathers flowing lava by hand in Hawai‘i, tangles with horse thieves in Peru, confronts Mexican drug cartel members over a favorite rock hammer, and camps on an active volcano in Ecuador.

We also learn she is not merely an undaunted field scientist, but a fellow in the exclusive Explorers Club, and that she founded a nonprofit that brings together scientists and students who wouldn’t otherwise have such opportunities. Above all, Ms. Adventure is a testament to Phoenix’s belief that curiosity is everyone’s birthright, and that with tenacity and intrepidness, we can all be explorers of the natural world.