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Science Comics
Series · 17
books · 2016-2023

Books in series

Volcanoes book cover
#3

Volcanoes

Fire and Life

2016

Get ready to explore the depths of the ocean, the farthest reaches of space, and everything in between! Volcanic eruptions, vampire bats, feathered velociraptors, and more await you in Science Comics. In a not-so-distant future our world is as cold as a frozen burrito. But can humanity save itself by harnessing a power that dwells inside the Earth? Explode into the world of geology in Volcanoes: Fire and Life! A lot of magic happens under the Earth's crust. Thanks to magma vents, shifting continental plates, and volcanic eruptions, we know that our planet is alive and in motion. Alongside Aurora, a young explorer, you'll learn that volcanoes are just one of the massively powerful forces at work on our planet. From catastrophic destruction to the creation of new land masses, volcanoes have made their mark on our amazing Earth.
Flying Machines book cover
#5

Flying Machines

How the Wright Brothers Soared

2017

Take to the skies with Flying Machines! Follow the famous aviators from their bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, to the fields of North Carolina where they were to make their famous flights. In an era of dirigibles and hot air balloons, the Wright Brothers were among the first innovators of heavier than air flight. But in the hotly competitive international race toward flight, Orville and Wilbur were up against a lot more than bad weather. Mechanical failures, lack of information, and even other aviators complicated the Wright Brothers’ journey. Though they weren’t as wealthy as their European counterparts, their impressive achievements demanded attention on the international stage. Thanks to their carefully recorded experiments and a healthy dash of bravery, the Wright Brothers’ flying machines took off.
Dogs book cover
#7

Dogs

From Predator to Protector

2017

How well do you know our favorite furry companion? Did they really descend from wolves? What's the difference between a Chihuahua and a Saint Bernard? And just how smart are they? Join one friendly mutt on a journey to discover the secret origin of dogs, how genetics and evolution shape species, and where in the world his favorite ball bounced off to. Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty year old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!
Solar System book cover
#12

Solar System

Our Place in Space

2018

With Science Comics, you can explore the depths of the ocean, the farthest reaches of space, and everything in between! These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. In this volume, get up close and personal with Earth's nearest neighbors―Venus with its acid rainstorms, Saturn and its rings of ice, and the heart of it all, the Sun. Humans have always been fascinated by outer space and we’re learning more about our solar system every day. Did you know that our Solar System was born from a cloud of cosmic dust? That Jupiter’s red spot is really a raging storm? Join Sara, Jill, and their space-faring pets on a quest to learn more about the wonders of our Solar System―and beyond!
The Brain book cover
#13

The Brain

The Ultimate Thinking Machine

2018

Fahama cayó presa del Dr. Cerebellum y su asistente zombie, y su única salvación es hacerlo hablar incansablemente sobre el cerebro. Incapaz de resistirse, el científico loco le explicará a su rehén todo sobre las neuronas, cuáles son las partes del cerebro y sus funciones, cómo opera la memoria, cómo se conforma la personalidad, qué pasa con los sentidos y cuál es la historia de nuestras ideas sobre este indispensable y complejo órgano, entre muchas otras cosas. Lleno de humor y chistes “malos”, El cerebro es una introducción completa al sistema nervioso central en un formato accesible y divertido. El cerebro es parte de la nueva colección Cómics de Ciencia del sello Historias Gráficas. Cada libro tiene un tema principal que sirve como hilo conductor para hablar sobre diversas disciplinas científicas, y su formato ayuda a que la lectura sea ágil sin perder precisión. Fahama fell prey to Dr. Cerebellum and his zombie assistant, and his only salvation is to make him speak tirelessly about the brain. Unable to resist, the mad scientist will explain to his hostage everything about neurons, what are the parts of the brain and their functions, how memory operates, how personality conforms, what happens to the senses and what is the history of our ideas about this indispensable and complex organ, among many other things. Full of humor and "bad" jokes, The Brain is a complete introduction to the central nervous system in an accessible and fun format. The brain is part of the new Science Comics collection from the Graphic Stories label. Each book has a main theme that serves as a common thread to talk about various scientific disciplines, and its format helps make reading agile without losing precision.
Polar Bears book cover
#14

Polar Bears

Survival on the Ice

2018

Head out to the Arctic and learn about polar bears in this volume of Science Comics, Survival on the Ice, an action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers! Do you have what it takes to live in one of the harshest places in the world? What if you had just a couple years to gain the knowledge you'll need to survive on your own? Join two curious polar bear cubs as they play, hunt, and navigate life in the Arctic. With each season, they learn polar bear biology and behavior, as well as strategies and skills that will help them thrive in a landscape that is rapidly changing beyond their control. Living with super insulated bodies in a world that's melting? For polar bears, keeping cool is the name of the game! Get ready to explore the depths of the ocean, the farthest reaches of space, and everything in between! These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, Science Comics is for you!
Wild Weather book cover
#15

Wild Weather

Storms, Meteorology, and Climate

2019

As “snowpocalypse” descends once again, one temperamental weatherman is determined to set the record straight on the myths and misconceptions surrounding the elements. What is the difference between weather and climate? How do weather satellites help us predict the future? Can someone outrun a tornado? Does the rotation of the Earth affect wind currents? And does meteorology have anything to do with meteors? Stormin’ Norman Weatherby is gearing up to answer all your wildest questions! Get ready to explore the depths of the ocean, the farthest reaches of space, and everything in between! These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, Science Comics is for you!
Cars book cover
#16

Cars

Engines That Move You

2019

Przygotuj się do badania głębin oceanów, dalekiego kosmosu i wszystkiego po drodze! Krwiożercze rekiny, skomplikowane roboty, upierzone welociraptory i dużo więcej czeka na ciebie w NAUKOMIKSACH! WRZUĆ WYŻSZY BIEG Z „SAMOCHODAMI”! Najpierw ujarzmiliśmy ogień. Potem wynaleźliśmy koło. W tym momencie ludzkość znalazła się na drodze prowadzącej nieubłaganie do powstania nowego środka lokomocji, który daleko w tyle zostawi nasze stopy, a nawet silne końskie kopyta. Wyrusz z nami na przejażdżkę! Poznaj ekscentrycznych wynalazców majsterkujących w garażach i auta produkowane masowo przez globalne korporacje. Dowiedz się, skąd biorą się samochody i jak działają. Co zobaczymy, gdy zajrzymy pod maskę? W jaki sposób benzyna – lub akumulator elektryczny, a nawet para wodna – wprawiają auto w ruch? Uruchom silnik i przekonaj się, jak samochody wpływają na życie miliardów ludzi i otaczającego nas świata. Brrrum, brrrum!
Skyscrapers book cover
#18

Skyscrapers

The Heights of Engineering

2019

Leave no brick unturned in John Kerschbaum's Science Skyscrapers, the latest volume in First Second’s action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers! Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic―dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you! In this volume, join a pair of superheroes as they uncover the secrets of skyscrapers, from the great Egyptians pyramids to the world’s tallest building. Read along and learn how skyscrapers are a bold combination of applied physics, ingenuity, and a lot of hard work!
Rocks and Minerals book cover
#20

Rocks and Minerals

Geology from Caverns to the Cosmos

2020

Leave no stone unturned with Andy Hirsch's Science Comics: Rocks and Minerals, the latest volume in First Second's action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers! In this volume, join a crystal-crazy fanboy and a famous rock hunter on a geological journey that will take them to the summit of a volcano, deep within the earth, and even into outer space! They'll learn about the unstoppable forces that shape our planet and they might even pick up a gemstone or meteorite along the way. Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more! Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these graphic novels are for you!
The Digestive System book cover
#21

The Digestive System

A Tour Through Your Guts

2021

In Science Comics: The Digestive System, visit the inside of your mouth, stomach, liver, intestines, and other organs that make up the gastrointestinal tract! Your guide to the gut is a friendly bacterium who will take you on a journey beyond imagination. Uncover how food is transformed into nutrients! Explore strange and dangerous glands! Behold the wonders of saliva, mucus, and vomit! Writer Jason Viola and illustrator Andy Ristaino provide a trip to the toilet you will never forget! Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more! Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these graphic novels are for you!
Spiders book cover
#22

Spiders

Worldwide Webs

2021

"Surf the web" with this volume of Science Comics, First Second’s action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series! When a sister and brother agree to help a talking spider find her missing child, they don’t realize that it will take them on a journey across the globe! Along the way they’ll meet spiders who live in every environment imaginable, from their own backyard to the Australian Outback. Although they seem scary at first, once you learn why spiders have gotten such a bad reputation you’ll see that they are actually here to help!
Birds of Prey book cover
#24

Birds of Prey

Terrifying Talons

2022

Spread your wings with Science Comics: Birds of Prey, a new and exciting volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series! Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these graphic novels are for you! In this volume, you'll get up-close and personal with some of the world’s most skilled hunters, from the majestic eagle to the oft-maligned scavenger vulture! Armed with razor-sharp claws, keen eyesight, powerful wings, and killer instincts, these stealthy predators can make a meal of rodents, fish, snakes, lizards, monkeys, and even kangaroos! Discover how these amazing birds who are often at the top of the food chain, play an integral role in many different ecosystems around the world.
Bridges book cover
#25

Bridges

Engineering Masterpieces

2022

Suspend your disbelief with Science Comics: Bridges, a new volume of First Second's STEM graphic novel series! Follow Bea, Archie, Trudy, and Spencer (otherwise known as the BATS!) as they crisscross the globe using every type of bridge: beam, arch, truss, and suspension. From ancient low-slung rope bridges to modern hi-tech towers of steel, they’ll traverse ‘em all. Their journey will take them through history and connect them with new ideas and different cultures. Along the way they'll identify the dangerous forces trying to bring bridges crashing down, and how to defeat them…through engineering!
Science Comics book cover
#28

Science Comics

The Periodic Table of Elements: Understanding the Building Blocks of Everything

2023

Step out of your element with Science The Periodic Table of Elements, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series! A book of fun chemistry experiments has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Mel can use her knowledge of the periodic table to put an end to a maniacal madman's evil schemes. The periodic table helps us quickly understand the 118 elements, those tiny substances that make up everything in the world. By using the periodic table, we can recognize how these building blocks behave, find trends and patterns in the universe, and make predictions about elements that haven’t been discovered yet. Join us in learning about the periodic table, and maybe the next big discovery will be yours!
Science Comics book cover
#29

Science Comics

Frogs: Awesome Amphibians

2023

Hop to it with Science Comics: Frogs, a new volume of First Second's fan-favorite nonfiction graphic novel series! With their signature sounds, athletic tongues, and bulging eyes, there’s a lot to love about frogs! But did you know that they soak up air and even liquid through their skin? Or that they use their eyes to swallow food? From tiny tadpoles in water to boisterous bullfrogs on land, the life cycle of these amphibious acrobats is one of the coolest examples of metamorphosis around. So pull up a lily pad and dive in, because the frog facts in this book will truly give you something to croak about!
Science Comics book cover
#31

Science Comics

Electricity: Energy in Action

2023

Get a charge out of Electricity, a new edition to the Science Comics series! Giant monsters are on the warpath, and it’s Menlo the mech’s job to protect the city! But when this metal marvel is shut down by an unlucky lightning strike, a resourceful engineer and his high-energy niece will have to find a way to plug in and power up to save everyone from certain doom! From simple circuits to giant grids, fossil fuel power plants to wind farms, electricity keeps the world running. In Science Comics: Electricity, you’ll discover where electricity comes from, why lightning suddenly strikes, and how we’ve harnessed it all to turn the lights on in your room. Ready for action? Get energized with electricity!

Authors

Liz Prince
Liz Prince
Author · 11 books

I have been a comic artist and a self-publisher since I was in high school in the mid-90's. In 2005 my book Will You Still Love Me If I Wet the Bed? was published by Top Shelf Productions; it won an Ignatz Award for Outstanding Debut. Top Shelf has since published two more of my autobio comic collections, Delayed Replays in 2008, and Alone Forever earlier this year. In September my first full length graphic novel, a memoir about adolescence and gender stereotypes called Tomboy, comes out from Zest Books. I have had comics published in numerous anthologies, drawn stories for the wildly popular Adventure Time series, and I am a columnist for the punk magazine Razorcake. Currently my cat Dracula is sitting on my lap, and his sister Wolfman is giving him the side-eye.

Rosemary Mosco
Rosemary Mosco
Author · 8 books
Rosemary makes books and cartoons that connect people with the natural world. Her Bird and Moon nature comics won the National Cartoonists Society’s award for Best Online Short Form Comic and were the subject of an award-winning museum exhibit. She makes best-selling science books for kids and adults and gives keynotes at birding festivals. She’s written and drawn for The New York Times, Audubon, PBS kids’ Elinor Wonders Why, Ranger Rick, and more. She’s represented by Seth Fishman. Her favorite glacial landform is the esker.
M.K. Reed
M.K. Reed
Author · 6 books
MK Reed is the writer of Americus, The Cute Girl Network, Palefire, and Science Comics: Dinosaurs. She draws a web-comic adaptation of Irish mythology, About a Bull. MK lives with her very tall husband.
Dan Zettwoch
Author · 3 books
Dan Zettwoch is a cartoonist, information designer, and printmaker. In addition to many self-published zines and handcrafted mini-comics, his books include Birdseye Bristoe (Drawn & Quarterly), Amazing Facts & Beyond (Uncivilized Books), and Science Comics: Cars (First Second). His goofball illustrations and jam-packed diagrams have also been seen in the Missouri History Museum, the State Capitol, and in homemade screen prints commemorating local birds, baseball, and gross foods.
Joe Flood
Author · 3 books
Joe Flood is a comic book author and illustrator whose work includes the Cellies series, The Cute Girl Network, the Pirates of the Caribbean series, and Orcs: Forged for War. For the Science Comics series, he collaborated with author MK Reed on Dinosaurs: Fossils and Feathers and wrote and illustrated Sharks: Nature’s Perfect Hunter. He lives with his wife and daughter in New York’s Hudson Valley.
Andy Hirsch
Andy Hirsch
Author · 7 books
Andy Hirsch is a cartoonist living in Dallas, Texas. He is the author and artist of a stack of entries in hit series Science Comics from First Second Books, covering topics from dogs to geology to outer space. His most recent book, Good Boy, follows a mismatched boy and his dog as they overcome obstacles from bar jumps to anxiety dreams in the exciting world of canine sports. His work is consistently selected by the Junior Library Guild and has appeared on the American Library Association's Best Graphic Novels for Children reading list.
Tory Woollcott
Author · 1 books
Tory Woollcott is a Canadian writer and artist based in Toronto.
Tait Howard
Author · 3 books
Tait Howard is an artist and writer from the dreary Pacific Northwest. After graduating from the Savannah College of Art and Design he has illustrated for GE and American Greetings, shown work in galleries across the country, and has worked on a wide variety of comics for companies including Cartoon Network and Adult Swim.
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