Trigger warnings: Death of a grandmother, storms, fire, animal attack, flood
Note that I bought this book and now I own it.

8.5/10, this was an amazing novel from Alan Gratz, the best novel he has written by far and this is after I've read three of his novels up until this point which were Allies, Grenade and refugee all of which I've enjoyed but this author manages to outdo himself with his latest work, the execution is almost perfect so where do I even begin? As usual, the stories in the book were immersive and real and each revolved around the four main characters Owen, George, Akira and Natalie and these characters were unique in their own way and they were disconnected from one another but each of them were unique in its own way. What really impressed me was the realism and detail in the stories, I could really feel them, they were terrifying, but all too real. At least there's a conference at the end, to add a little hope to the story, by making the characters rally for action against climate change. Definitely recommended if you are a fan of Alan Gratz. The only other book I can think of that is similar to this is Global by Eoin Colfer though I can say even that does not compare to Two Degrees. ( )

Students love Alan Gratz. His formulaic writing appeals to middle schooler because they like the structure and the edge of your seat momentum. Once again, there are multiple stories of kids in dire situations.

Akira lives in California with her parents and young sister when a wild fire erupts. Akira and her father are on their Saturday ride when she sees smoke. He father, who doesn't get stressed about much, says that it's fine; fire is good for the forest and they're fine where they are. Needless to say, the fire travels very quickly and kills people and vegetation as it roars across the land. Akira and her father find themselves trapped. The rest of her story follows her as she tries to get her and her horse to safety.

Natalie lives in Miami where the Big One finally arrives. I didn't know this, but Miami hasn't been hit directly by a hurricane since 1926. It's assumed if it were hit directly, it would be catastrophic with many lives lost and almost total devastation of the infrastructure. Here comes Reuben. Natalie and her mother and neighbor don't have the money to evacuate, so they must stay. They prepare the house and themselves for the onslaught. Quickly, the house begins to come apart and Natalie gets separated from her mother and neighbor as she is swept away. I'm terribly afraid of water, so I was very stressed every time Natalie is in the water being swept away. Yes, it happens more than once. You follow Natalie as she tries to survive in the midst of a huge hurricane with wind and flooding. It's harrowing.

Owen and George live in far north Canada where the polar bears live. They end up on their own in the wilderness due to various poor decisions. Polar bears are ruthless; you can't yell or run or play dead. Both boys are injured and trying to get back to town but are stalked by a polar bear. You follow their story as they try to outwit and survive against nature as well.

The theme of the novel is climate change, showing how the changes are creating worse fires and hurricanes while also changing the habitat of animals, causing a change in behavior. Akira's father is the main character who refuses to believe in climate change, yet he relents pushing his opinion on his daughter and allows her to come to her own conclusions. Gratz clearly indicates that only with unity from everyone, can climate change be halte and this union must happen now. ( )

Climate change's impacts are experienced in vivid detail by four young teenagers in California, Manitoba, and Miami. Akira and her family desperately try to flee a fast-moving wildfire. Owen and George find themselves at the mercy of a hungry polar bear in an area where sea ice season is getting shorter and shorter. A storm surge sweeps Natalie away from her mother and neighbor during a powerful hurricane. Chapters are short, quick-paced and suspenseful which will keep young readers on the edges of their seats, while still centering the urgency of climate change. The book also recognizes the helplessness that youth may feel about the planet's future with an epilogue that nicely pulls the characters and their stories together. As Patience tells Natalie, "We don't have to do everything....We just gotta do *something*." A highly relevant read for our time. ( )

I was extremely disappointed by this book. I have read several books by Alan Gratz and this is not in the same league as his other books. I am not sure I would give this to middle grade readers since the writing is very basic. I had to force myself to finish it to see if it improved. It did not. Two Degrees is more appropriate for elementary grade readers. In places the artic storyline is so unbelievable as to be almost comical. It is obvious that Gratz is extremely concerned about climate change. I wish the book had been better. ( )

This is a book that is separated into three stories, and it talks about climate changes! This would be a great book to use when trying to incorporate multiple subjects into 1 class. For example, science into a reading class or reading into a science class. You could also use this story when talking about story maps, and the students could use this book to break down the different parts of a story map. ( )