Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet

Ages 8 to 11, Grades 3 to 6

Dive into the most mysterious waters around the world (if you dare) in Spooky Lakes, an illustrated nonfiction book from TikTok star and educator Geo Rutherford

From Geo Rutherford—the creator of the hit series Spooky Lake Month (over 65 million likes!)—comes this thrilling nonfiction book that plumbs the depths of 25 unusual lakes around the world.

Backed by extensive research and packed with all-new content—including eerie and eye-popping watercolor illustrations in full color—Spooky Lakes takes readers on an adventure through weird and wild waters.

Some of Earth’s strangest—and creepiest—wonders lie deep below the surface...

There’s Lake Natron, a Tanzanian lake so briny that its waters can mummify any creature that touches its surface; Lake Maracaibo, a Venezuelan tidal bay where a constantly brewing storm sends an average of 28 lightning bolts per second into the water; and at the bottom of Lake Superior, the crew of the USS Kamloops—which mysteriously disappeared in 1921—remains somehow almost perfectly preserved to this day.

Readers will learn not only about the science of hydrology, but why understanding the natural world is crucial to protecting it from pollution and climate change.

Includes a glossary, bibliography, author’s note, and index.

Includes These Spooky Lakes:

Lake Superior (United States and Canada)

Roopkund Lake (India)

Lake Karachay (Russia)

Lake Nicaragua (Nicaragua)

Nyiragongo Lava Lake (Democratic Republic of the Congo)

Toxic Lake (Romania)

Yellowstone Hot Springs (Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, United States)

Kaindy Lake (Kazakhstan)

Cenotes (Mexico)

Jellyfish Lake (Palau)

Kaali Crater Lake (Estonia)

Kawah-Ijen (Indonesia)

Lake Vostok (Antarctica)

Lake Maracaibo (Venezuela)

Lake Nyos (Cameroon)

Pitch Lake (Trinidad)

Spirit Lake (Washington, United States)

Qiandao Lake (China)

Lake Chagan (Kazakhstan)

Underwater Brine Lakes (Gulf of Mexico)

Lake Natron (Tanzania)

Crater Lake (Oregon, United States)

Lake Guatavita (Colombia)

The Shaft (Australia/near Mount Gambier)

Lake Baikal (Russia)

About the Author

Geo Rutherford is an artist and teacher who has spent her entire professional career working in art education. She is an adjunct professor at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee and the visual arts director at Blue Lake Fine Arts Camp. While Geo’s interest in lakes began as a part of her artistic practice, she soon found a captive audience after sharing the information she was learning on TikTok. Her videos explaining the science behind strange ice formations or drifting islands piqued the interest of viewers worldwide, but her channel found its stride when she began posting videos about spooky lakes every October. Today she receives constant messages from teachers and parents thanking her for creating educational content that encourages kids to engage with science.