Zombies and Forces and Motion

by Mark Weakland, Gervasio Flocco (Illustrator)

Overview

In cartoon format, uses zombies to explain the science of forces and motion.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781429673358
Publisher:	Capstone
Publication date:	07/01/2011
Series:	Monster Science Series
Pages:	32
Sales rank:	440,553
Product dimensions:	6.70(w) x 8.80(h) x 0.20(d)
Lexile:	GN740L (what's this?)
Age Range:	8 - 12 Years

About the Author

Mark Weakland wears many hats. As an author, he's written books for teachers, including Super Core!: Turbocharging Your Basal Reading Program with More Reading, Writing, and Word Work, published by the International Reading Association. His book topics for children include sports, bacteria, comets, and poetry. Mark's also a reading specialist. He teaches kindergarten children, third graders, parents, and teachers. As a musician and songwriter, Mark sings, plays percussion, and strums the guitar. Many of his songs, including "I Sure Love Pancakes" and "The Dooflicky Machine," have won national awards and contests. Mark lives in Western Pennsylvania.

Gervasio began studies in 1993 under teacher Horacio Lalia, a well-known comic artist in Argentina and Italy. After studying four years with him, Gervasio founded an independent label called La Productora (along with many colleagues and friends). They put out 16 books, and their material was published in Spain, USA, France, and Brazil.

Editorial Reviews

This wacky new series of graphic novels is geared to reluctant readers; it uses graphic books to teach science content like energy, cells, adaptation, matter, force, and motion. The information and graphics will keep readers engaged, and the word bubbles, sized panels, and layouts are easy to follow. The illustrations provide good content, making it easier for Second Language learners. The series will make a good addition to your collection, as well as providing good sources for research activities in science. Recommended.

Library Media Connection

http://www.booklistonline.com/Classroom-Connections-Forces-and-Motion-Leeper-Angela/pid=6378753 Told in a graphic-novel format using comics (and comical) panels, this physics-zombie mash-up examines Newton’s three laws of motion. For instance, the momentum of two teenagers’ heavy, fast car will allow them to outpace an attacking zombie – unless the zombie has a greater acceleration. Other zombie dilemmas involve force, mass, inertia, and other physics-related topics.

"Forces & Motion" Book Links

After bringing us such titles as Aliens and Energy (2012), Ghosts and Atoms (2012), and Werewolves and States of Matter (2012), the Monster Science series returns from the dead with its special blend of graphic-novel art, conversational text, and goofy monster sight gags. Vampires and Light is an obvious good fit, and throughout lessons on Sir Isaac Newton’s experiments, light speed, lenses, and eyes, various vamps dodge beams of deadly sunlight and fail to appear in mirrors. Many of the illustrations don’t make hay of the vampire premise, but others nail it, as when infrared light is demonstrated by showing Dracula scoping out prey with night-vision goggles. Zombies and Electricity mostly uses its undead cast as dopey stand-ins for lessons on atoms, currents, magnets, and more. For example, to illustrate positive and negative charges, a rotting businessman and a dead cheerleader take either side of a seesaw while holding plus and minus cards. Zombies are electrocuted on nearly every page, and it’s no wonder – “Flesh,” Weakland writes, “is a good conductor of electricity.” The busy pages and lack of clarifying elements like bullet points and graphs make this fun series best for those who learn by following story lines or conversations.

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