The Brain: The Ultimate Thinking Machine (Science Comics Series)

by Tory Woollcott, Alex Graudins (Illustrator)

Overview

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, Fahama has been kidnapped by a mad scientist and his zombie assistant, and they are intent on stealing her brain! She'll need to learn about the brain as fast as possible in order to plan her escape!

How did the brain evolve? How do our senses work in relation to the brain? How do we remember things? What makes you, YOU? Get an inside look at the human brain, the most advanced operating system in the world . . . if you have the nerve!

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781626728011
Publisher:	First Second
Publication date:	10/16/2018
Series:	Science Comics Series
Pages:	128
Sales rank:	103,694
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 8.45(h) x 0.30(d)
Lexile:	GN800L (what's this?)
Age Range:	9 - 12 Years

About the Author

Tory Woollcott is a cartoonist, writer, and literacy educator and advocate who lives in Toronto, Canada, with her husband, Kean Soo, and her minor Internet celebrity dog, Reginald Barkley. Her first graphic novel, Mirror Mind, is a memoir about growing up with dyslexia. She has since written and drawn other autobiographical comics, fairy tales for kids, and a sci-fi audio drama. Tory loves brains and all the fun stuff that comes out of them!

Alex Graudins is a cartoonist and illustrator currently living in Rhode Island. She is a graduate of the School of Visual Arts' cartooning class of 2016. Science Comics: The Brain is her first book, which made it a learning experience in more ways than one!

Editorial Reviews

Praise for the Science Comics series:

"This series—written by a handful of authors—seems determined to offer a useful introduction to anything a curious grade-school student might wonder about. The insight behind these books is a powerful one. So much information about the world around us is actually better conveyed visually, through charts, illustrations, and sequential panels, than purely using words." —New York Times

"Like having a Time Life Science Library in comic books. Which is awesome!" —Popular Science


Praise for Science Comics: The Brain:

"Graudins’ cartoons help break down the academic concepts without being patronizing and, happily, while making learning fun. A particularly well-executed and thought-provoking installment in this reliable nonfiction series." —Booklist, starred review

From the Publisher

10/01/2018
Gr 5–8—Fahama, who wears a headscarf, agrees to help her sister, Nour, sell cookies and winds up learning all about the brain when she is taken hostage after knocking on the door of mad scientist Dr. Cerebrum and his zombie butler. Prior to executing his plan to extract Fahama's brain for science, Dr. Cerebrum gives her a short history of the early days of brain science and how the human brain evolved into the complex organ that it is today. Dr. Cerebrum explains neurons and glial cells, how the different parts of the brain function, and how our senses work in relation to the brain—specifically how the brain receives, organizes, and interprets sensory stimuli. Fahama also learns about language, memory, and the many types of intelligence. Colorful illustrations illuminate the text. The combination of an entertaining story line (note: Fahama does escape), engaging and clear language, and bold, crisp panels makes for a highly effective introduction to the workings of the human brain. VERDICT A strong complementary text for science classes focusing on neuroscience.—Ragan O'Malley, Saint Ann's School, Brooklyn

School Library Journal

2018-08-14

When Fahama is kidnapped, she must figure out how to stop an evil brain from harvesting her own.

Fahama, a brown-skinned hijabi, agrees to help her little sister, Nour, sell her Woodland Adventure cookies door to door, but at the first house she approaches, she falls through a trap door in the porch. A butler who looks like Frankenstein's monster assists Dr. Cerebrum, a brain encased in glass with robotic arms and legs, who plans to remove Fahama's brain for science. When he finishes explaining his aim, Fahama asks more questions to keep him talking instead of sawing. He covers ancient cultures' beliefs about the brain and evolution, but things get complicated quickly with the structure of different kinds of cells, how neurons work, oligodendrocytes and Schwann cells. He explains the nervous system in a fairly straightforward way, offers charts to locate the areas of the brain that control certain functions, and discusses reflexes, memory, and senses in detail. Meanwhile, Nour figures out that her sister has been kidnapped and hatches a plan to save her. The paneled illustrations serve the material best when offering examples; the combination of information overload and visual crowding on the page makes the material explored seem even more intimidating than it already is. With complex sentences, no pronunciation guides, and not much story to carry readers forward, this book asks a lot of young readers.

For precocious children fascinated by science. (glossary) (Graphic nonfiction. 10-12)

Kirkus Reviews