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kelleemoye's review against another edition
3.0
Science Comics: Volcanoes by Jon Chad was an interesting combination of science fiction and informational nonfiction. The story takes place in the future where a new ice age has set in and a society is looking for heat. When Aurora discovers a book about volcanoes she cannot stop teaching her siblings and guide about them because she feels like they can save their civilization. It is through Aurora that we learn about volcanoes in a very detailed way. I think the author did a good job combining nonfiction and fiction, and you definitely learn a lot about volcanoes during the story.
listen_learn's review against another edition
3.0
Liked the graphic novel presentation of the scientific information, but not the science-fiction plot. Not a big fan of glorifying emotional explosions, even if does make for a well-crafted pun.
craftylibrarian10's review against another edition
2.0
I'm being generous with the two star rating here, and that's only because the illustrations are well done. This book was just not very good. It's informative, but there are so many better ways to learn about volcanoes than buried inside a story about an ice age in the future. I did not find this graphic novel to make this information more accessible, though I'm guessing that's the point. Graphic novels are not really my thing, but even knowing that, this is just not good by any standard.
emeraldreverie's review against another edition
3.0
I thoroughly enjoy the Science Comics line and this was another fascinating exploration. With a different but fun framing device, the information and the infectious presentation flow naturally. Art is detailed but not overbearing with colors that take advantage of the necessary reds and yellows.
llythia's review against another edition
3.0
The kid liked it, the science was well explained, but the plot left something to be desired.
scostner's review against another edition
3.0
A desolate world covered in ice. Scattered tribes of humans scavenging for fuel to burn for warmth. Dependence on solar power hampered by frequent cloud cover, which also prevents the sun from warming the Earth's surface. It sounds like something out of a post-apocalyptic movie, but it's actually the setting for a new graphic novel from First Second Books in their Science Comics series.
In this installment of the series, Aurora and her siblings are out on a fuel mapping expedition. The mappers explore the barren surface of the earth and look for burnables that can be gathered and hauled back to their tribe. The tribe lives underground and depends on these scavenged items to heat their living space. As they go from building to building the group come across a library. (I know - I cringed just thinking about the fate of those poor books!) Luckily, they have a scanner that digitizes all the books before they are marked for pickup. Aurora spends the night reading one of the books and learns all about volcanoes. The next day she is very excited about the possibility of using geothermal energy to supply heat for the tribe, but her siblings (Luna and Sol) and their leader Pallas don't believe her. How can there be such heat inside the Earth when the surface is frozen? It is up to Aurora to convince them that finding access to that heat is better than spending all their time scavenging for fuel.
The idea of sharing science concepts through a graphic format is not new - look at the Magic School Bus and the Max Axiom books for proof of that. This series follows in that tradition. The "hook" for young readers is the futuristic setting and the life or death consequences that depend on Aurora's knowledge of volcanoes. There is typical sibling banter and squabbling, with her brother's obsession over food causing some humorous moments. Aurora's use of an holographic display to share the images from the book and the I-cycles powered by solar cells offer a glimpse of future tech possibilities. While Rory (her nickname), tries to convince the others that geothermal energy still exists to be found, she shows them diagrams of famous volcanoes throughout history and explains the different types of volcanoes and eruptions as well as their causes.
Whether they are looking for a book on volcanoes, a story about possible future conditions on Earth, or simply enjoy the graphic novel format, young readers will have fun reading about Aurora and her quest to save her tribe.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
In this installment of the series, Aurora and her siblings are out on a fuel mapping expedition. The mappers explore the barren surface of the earth and look for burnables that can be gathered and hauled back to their tribe. The tribe lives underground and depends on these scavenged items to heat their living space. As they go from building to building the group come across a library. (I know - I cringed just thinking about the fate of those poor books!) Luckily, they have a scanner that digitizes all the books before they are marked for pickup. Aurora spends the night reading one of the books and learns all about volcanoes. The next day she is very excited about the possibility of using geothermal energy to supply heat for the tribe, but her siblings (Luna and Sol) and their leader Pallas don't believe her. How can there be such heat inside the Earth when the surface is frozen? It is up to Aurora to convince them that finding access to that heat is better than spending all their time scavenging for fuel.
The idea of sharing science concepts through a graphic format is not new - look at the Magic School Bus and the Max Axiom books for proof of that. This series follows in that tradition. The "hook" for young readers is the futuristic setting and the life or death consequences that depend on Aurora's knowledge of volcanoes. There is typical sibling banter and squabbling, with her brother's obsession over food causing some humorous moments. Aurora's use of an holographic display to share the images from the book and the I-cycles powered by solar cells offer a glimpse of future tech possibilities. While Rory (her nickname), tries to convince the others that geothermal energy still exists to be found, she shows them diagrams of famous volcanoes throughout history and explains the different types of volcanoes and eruptions as well as their causes.
Whether they are looking for a book on volcanoes, a story about possible future conditions on Earth, or simply enjoy the graphic novel format, young readers will have fun reading about Aurora and her quest to save her tribe.
I read an e-book provided by the publisher through NetGalley.
veranasi's review against another edition
4.0
Sure the premise wasn't very scientific, but once the narrative got going it seemed like it would be an exciting book for kids who are interested in volcanoes or science. I don't think it would be appropriate for someone who needed a study aid or simply wasn't interested in science.
calistareads's review against another edition
4.0
A little story told in a way to really get nerdy about volcanoes. There has been something happen to Earth so there is permanent winter. Tribes roam the old world looking for anything to burn. They scan in books into a computer to save knowledge before they burn it. A girl finds a book on Volcanoes and believes if they find one, they can find a way to keep warm.
I was surprised that is was a compelling story. They did it well. It reminds me of this little series we watched in grade school on the card catalog and how to find information. The world sorta ends and there is a little race of humanity trying to survive against this new species. They stumble into a library and somehow the library was frozen in time and she shows them how to look up information to find winning strategies. We loved it as kids.
I can see kids enjoying this story and you learn a whole geek ton of stuff about volcanoes. I knew the basics, but it was a great reminder. Fun and entertaining and learning.
I’m leaving these younger books out to see if any of them interest my niece. She is enjoying reading graphic novels right now and whatever to keep her reading.
I was surprised that is was a compelling story. They did it well. It reminds me of this little series we watched in grade school on the card catalog and how to find information. The world sorta ends and there is a little race of humanity trying to survive against this new species. They stumble into a library and somehow the library was frozen in time and she shows them how to look up information to find winning strategies. We loved it as kids.
I can see kids enjoying this story and you learn a whole geek ton of stuff about volcanoes. I knew the basics, but it was a great reminder. Fun and entertaining and learning.
I’m leaving these younger books out to see if any of them interest my niece. She is enjoying reading graphic novels right now and whatever to keep her reading.
rachelvogus's review against another edition
4.0
I initially felt very hesitant about this book because, while the mix of a fictional setting with non-fictional volcano facts was interesting to me, flipping through it I thought this is TOO many volcano facts. In some special magic I don’t understand tho, this book drew me in. It’s like getting “stuck” at a dinner party with someone who won’t stopped talking about volcanos and at first your apprehensive but the more they talk the more into volcanos you become. I left feeling fascinated and informed.