Vacation Under the Volcano

Annie's intuitive warnings (Ch.1-4), the sundial-shadow dread moment at noon (Ch.6), and the giant gladiator rescue (Ch.9). The emotional architecture is earned across the whole book. Sits at because this IS the benchmark book.

Comparable to Earthquake in the Early Morning (K10=8, THE SAME BOOK) — Opens an entire ancient civilization in a single sitting (Pompeii August 24 AD 79) with real Roman daily life, vulcanology (eruption mechanism), and Latin etymology. For most 6-8 year-olds this is the first encounter with this era. Sits at because this IS the benchmark entry.

Comparable to Earthquake in the Early Morning (P6=8, THE SAME BOOK) — One of the strongest historical-disaster windows in beginning chapter books. Opens real Pompeian daily life (forum, baths, amphitheater, papyrus scrolls), real vulcanology (Vesuvius eruption mechanism, pumice, ash, magma), and real history (August 24 AD 79). Sits at because this IS the benchmark entry.

Comparable to A Bear Called Paddington — Short illustrated chapters, immediate high-stakes premise (escape Vesuvius eruption before noon), accessible vocabulary and relatable co-protagonists. Strong reading-gateway properties for grades 2-4. Sits at because chapter-book format with illustrations is less format-accessible than full graphic novels.

build a diorama of Pompeii, create a timeline of the eruption hour, research vulcanology, design a "save us" artifact, map Roman Pompeii geography. Sits at 9 because extensive project scaffolding is naturally embedded in the historical-adventure premise; cross-curricular reach rivals full multi-world design projects.

K-1 as read-aloud, grades 2-4 as independent/small-group reader, grade 3 as novel-study text. Serves multiple classroom contexts (read-aloud, guided reading, independent). Sits at because multi-grade reach is strong but narrower than K-5 span.