The World of Food Chains with Max Axiom, Super Scientist

by Liam O'Donnell, Cynthia Martin (Illustrator)

Overview

Follows the adventures of Max Axiom as he explains the science behind food chains. Written in graphic-novel format.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781515746423
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	06/01/2016
Series:	Graphic Science Series
Edition description:	Revised ed.
Pages:	32
Product dimensions:	6.50(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.70(d)
Age Range:	8 - 14 Years

About the Author

Liam O'Donnell was born in Northern Ireland and grew up in Canada.  He's lived in Toronto, Canada and is the author of several graphic novels, including the Max Finder Mystery series of you-solve-it comics.  He's never met a pirate and not sure if he ever wants to.  When he's not writing stories, he loves playing video games and going camping, but not at the same time.

Table of Contents

Connecting our world — Producers and consumers — Webs and pyramids — Human impact.

Editorial Reviews

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.)

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

Max Axiom is a scientist with superpowers. He uses these powers to travel the world, learn as much about science as possible, and then share that knowledge with others. The book joins Max at an open-air market as he eats an apple for quick energy before a bicycle ride. He explains that all food contains energy, and thus begins a description of energy flow through the food chain. The presentation is rather simple, with a bit of text in a comic-book-style format, but is still effective at explaining the basic components of a food chain and how they are related. There is a logical progression through the four sections of the book (“Connecting Our World,” “Producers and Consumers,” “Webs and Pyramids,” and “Human Impact”) and a useful glossary at the back. The last chapter makes suggestions for lessening the human impact on the food chain, while emphasizing our part in it. There is a definite bias in this section against chemical agriculture, which would have been best tempered with at least some recognition that not all use of chemicals in food production is bad. Still, I don’t think that this bias affects the overall quality of the presentation. The book is probably most appropriate for middle schoolers. Recommened, One Star.

Science Books and Films