Emily Sohn is a freelance journalist in Minneapolis, who covers mostly health, science, environment and adventure for both kids and grown-ups. Among other publications, her work has appeared in U.S. News & World Report, the Los Angeles Times, Smithsonian, Backpacker and Science News for Kids, and she is a contributing writer for Discovery News. Assignments have taken Emily to exotic locations around the globe, including Cuba, Fiji and the Peruvian Amazon. Cynthia Martin has worked in comics and animation since 1983. Her credits include Star Wars, Spider-Man, and Wonder Woman for Marvel Comics and DC Comics, in addition to work as a storyboard artist for Sony Children's Entertainment and the Krislin Company. Cynthia's recent projects include an extensive series of graphic novels for Capstone Press and two issues of Blue Beetle for DC Comics. She also illustrated the book Alley of Shadows, published by Stone Arch Books.
I'm in love - or, better yet, my son is in love! We've had the
opportunity to review graphic science books on all sorts of topics
that are fun and easy to read. Comic book style science sounds
really fluffy doesn't it? Believe it or not, the Max Axiom series
is full of "real" science that goes deep enough to be appropriate
for any upper elementary/early middle school child. My son is a
less-than-zealous textbook reader. (Picture eyes glazing over and
giant yawns.) After reading - or being read to - from a textbook,
he recalls very little of the information. Over the years, I've
turned science into hands-on unit studies and supplemented with
lots of library books, which has worked quite well. During one of
these unit study times, I came across Max Axiom and wanted to know
more. I found that Capstone Press offers many, many Max Axiom
books, and boy were my son and I excited! Twenty-four books total
cover the areas of biology/botany, chemistry, physical and earth
science. In each book, Max Axiom (a scientist with super powers),
goes on an adventure to learn all about the topic at hand. He can
shrink to the size of bacteria and whiz through the human body, or
go back in time to learn more about a famous scientist of the past.
All of this in a 32 page comic book! (When I say comic book, don't
think of flimsy pages, these are "real" books.) http:
//thecurriculumchoice.com/2011/07/max-axiom-graphic-science-books/--
"Curriculum Choice blog"
Join Super Scientist Max Axiom in adventures covering various
science concepts in kid-friendly "graphic novel" format. These
books are sure to appeal to middle level kids and teachers with
their easy-to-follow story lines and clear explanations of science
concepts. Each book includes additional facts, a glossary, book and
internet suggestions, and an index. Recommended.-- "Pennsylvania
School Librarians Association"
The novel graphic format utilized in the Max Axiom, Super Scientist
series is attractive and engaging. The bright, colorful pictures
will appeal to children and keep them reading about science. These
books could be used effectively in or out of a school setting. Each
book focuses on a single theme, but the subject is covered in a
manner that cuts across scientific disciplines. The book on sound,
for example, covers the physics of sound waves, the anatomy of the
larynx and ear, echoes, sonar, and hearing loss. The flow from
topic to topic is natural, and the books are cohesive. Capstone
Press, the publisher, claims that the books are "designed to help
below-level readers access text." The scientific terminology, which
is reasonably extensive for this age level, is clearly defined. The
glossary and index help. The books also include generally well-done
detailed diagrams to clarify some of the more difficult topics. The
only shortcoming of these titles is that some of the simplified
explanations result in misleading or erroneous information. The
book on electricity, for example, defines electrical charge as a
form of energy and states that volts are a measure of force. Also,
a reader might be confused by the idea that current is measured in
amps, but "electricity" is measured in "watts." And a child is
likely to come away from the book thinking that electrons move
through wires at the speed of flight and are converted into energy
in resistors. (The book doesn't actually say these things, but the
explanations presented might easily lead to such misconceptions.)
The books on forces and motion and on sound do not include the same
degree of oversimplification. All of the books cite recommended
readings and Internet sites for readers who wish to learn more. The
publisher's materials indicate that quizzes are available to
accompany the books. Overall, these books are useful, particularly
for students who are highly visual, who find reading to be
challenging, or who are not naturally curious about science.--
"Science Books & Films"
There are lots of engaging resources available for teaching science
to young kids, but one of the best is strangely little known: a
terrific and highly entertaining series of science-themed graphic
novels from Capstone Press, featuring a super scientist by the name
of Max Axiom. Max Axiom, the story goes, was hiking one day when he
was struck by megacharged lightning. The accident gave him the
ability to shrink to the size of the atom, while his magic lab coat
enables him to travel through space and time. These super powers
mean that when he is, for instance, investigating viruses, he can
stand on a human knee and watch as a scrape becomes infected. He
can travel down inside a plant to show the role of chloroplasts in
photosynthesis. Each book in the series features an adventure
focused on one science theme, such as Cell Life, Chemical
Reactions, or Electricity. Information is presented clearly and
engagingly, and each book also features a glossary, suggestions for
further reading, and pre-screened internet links. There are more
than 15 books in the series altogether. Unfortunately, the Brooklyn
Public Library and New York Public Library each only carry one of
these well-designed books, but you can purchase four for the price
of three on Amazon. http:
//www.examiner.com/homeschooling-in-new-york/max-axiom-graphic-novels-make-learning-science-fun--
"Examiner.com"
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