Two Degrees

In this middle-grade novel, Alan Gratz follows three groups of children facing immediate climate disasters caused by rising global temperatures. Akira Kristiansen flees a massive wildfire in the Sierra Nevada mountains, where ancient sequoias are burning. In Manitoba, Owen and George attempt to survive a polar bear attack after the melting sea ice drives hungry predators into human settlements. Meanwhile, Natalie Walters navigates a devastating hurricane and rising floodwaters in Miami. The narrative links these events through the atmospheric science of one degree Celsius of warming, projecting the physical consequences of reaching a two-degree threshold.

Middle-grade readers and educators use this book to understand the intersection of meteorology and human infrastructure. It appeals to those interested in survival stories and environmental science. Readers gain a technical perspective on how shifting weather patterns create localized crises. The book provides a framework for discussing carbon footprints and atmospheric changes without relying on abstract data, instead showing the practical reality of ecological disruption on specific geographic regions and wildlife populations.