Tag: MIT Kids

Posted in Early Reader, Fiction, Graphic Novels, Intermediate, Middle Grade

Graphic Novels for all ages and stages!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Sorry, all! I spent a few days getting this roundup together – I am back and posting regularly again!

 

Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, by Jasmine Florentine, (Aug. 2025, MIT Kids Press), $12.99, ISBN: 9781536239584

Ages 7-10

Add a dash of Science Comics with a splash of Maker Comics, and you’ve got Maker Girl and Professor Smarts, a fun new series that uses tinkering powers for good. Set in New Bork City, main characters Chuy Reyes and Yael (Yaya) Levy are 12-year-old best friends who *didn’t* get superpowers when a comet hit their area of the planet a few years ago. It’s okay, though, because Chuy’s brains meets Yaya’s tinkering genius when a villain threatens the town by turning ice cream into slime! The bantering between the two buddies is witty and funny; it’s quick-paced and has enough action to keep kids turning pages. Illustration is cartoony with bold outlines and bold, bright colors. Chuy presents as a brown-skinned Latino boy and Yael and her brother, Yoel, are white-skinned and Jewish. There are two maker project for kids to try (with grownup help): a grappling hook and sorbet! Each project is illustrated and laid out for ease of construction. The story ends on a cliffhanger (naturally!), promising a good second entry to the series. Back matter includes a wealth of resources for anyone interested in “making stuff or knowing stuff”. Fun for STEAM, fun for anytime, this is a good series to add to your collections.

Need display ideas or readalikes? In addition to Science and Maker Comics, Quirk Books’ Nick and Tesla series by “Science Bob” Pflugfelder and Steve Hockensmith is a fun middle grade series that includes STEAM adventure and projects.

 

 

Night Light, by Michael Emberley, (April 2025, Holiday House), $14.99, ISBN: 9780823458165

Ages 4-8

Part of the I Like to Read series of comics, this is a great introductory graphic novel for emerging readers. A parent and child are reading before bed when a blackout strikes. “Too dark!’ the child says, as the flashlight’s batteries die. The parent has an idea: climbing up to the roof with a sack, they pull the stars from the sky to bring to the child’s room, but what will happen to the poor Moon, left in the dark all by themselves? A sparely worded graphic novel with panels and a breathtaking spread, Emberley creates a heartwarming story for emerging readers that’s as perfect for a bedtime read as it is for reading on one’s own. Emberley’s playful characters have appeared in other stories, including I Did It! and Let’s Go! and sport colorful pink-and-green striped pajamas and ear coverings, with colorful red noses. Sharp-eyed readers will notice the book of choice is Emberley’s father’s book, Go Away, Big Green Monster! (another storytime favorite). An excellent addition to beginner-level graphic novels, Night Light has starred reviews from Horn Book and Kirkus.

 

 

Sky & Ty 2: Dinomite!, by Steve Breen, (April 2025, Pixel Ink), $14.99, ISBN: 9781645952176

Ages 6-9

Sky and Ty are back in their second volume of adventures. The cowgirl and T. Rex duo run a delivery service, do a couple of good deeds, learn that money isn’t everything, and Ty discovers a new branch on his family tree. Adorable fun that readers who love Pea, Bee & Jay and Narwhal and Jelly will enjoy. Great for more newly independent readers, the two-color illustrations are bright and boldly outlined and have more text than early graphic novels. Bold fonts make the text easy to read and themes of kindness and friendship will resonate with kids. There are fun facts about cowgirls in the back matter along with some chuckle-worthy riddles. Pulitzer Prize Winner Breen has a winning series with this one.

There’s a free, downloadable Sky & Ty activity kit from Howdy, Partner!, the first book in the series (2024), for you to print out and have ready for readers.

 

 

Casey’s Cases: The Mysterious New Girl, by Kay Healy, (Feb. 2025, Neal Porter Books), $16.99, ISBN: 9780823456505

Ages 7-10

Casey is a quirky kid who sees is mystery in just about anything. No, really: ANYTHING. The 11-year-old is undeterred by Dina, the resident mean girl, and befriends the mysterious new girl, Jan (a case into and of herself). Jan ends up as Casey’s sidekick as Casey embarks on such adventures as the Case of the Missing Hairband, the Case of the Wrapped Presents, the Case of the Lost Fifty Bucks, and many, many more. She bumbles through a crush on classmate AJ and attempts to find (but not really) the family of a missing cat while solving her mini-mysteries with often-silly moments. She’s more Frank Drebin than Nancy Drew and readers will love her for it. Uncomplicated illustrations,  colorful and boldly outlined, make for easy reading for more confident readers.

Author Kay Healy has printable Casey resources for you to share with your readers! 

 

 

 

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Clouds in Space: Meet Nebula!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis
Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us, by Teresa Robeson/Illustrated by Diāna Renžina, (Aug. 2024, MIT Kids Press), $17.99, ISBN: 9781536225372
Ages 7-9

The secret is out: there are things we can’t see beyond the clouds. But Nebula, our narrator, is here to tell us everything! Nebula means “cloud” in Latin, and she guides us – and a young astronomer featured in the story – through an outer space trip to marvel at the beautiful nebulae scattered across the universe. Stunning digital illustrations incorporate actual photos of nebulae to paint vibrant pictures across the black sky. Renžina adds shapes to Butterfly and Elephant nebulae and allows a kaleidoscope of color to shimmer forth from our guide Nebula’s entire being; Robeson creates non-fiction poetry to describe the incredible beauty of the universe with phrases like “You are grown from scattered stardust, / sprouted in a stellar nursery. / I AM THE STARDUST / AND THE NURSERY”. Back matter includes details about nebulae, with photos of the nebulae featured in the book, and resources for further exploration. A stunning book that works as a storytime selection as easily as it does a non-fiction resource.

Clouds in Space: Nebulae, Stardust, and Us has a starred review from School Library Journal.

Posted in picture books, Preschool Reads

Isabel and the Invisible World: Great for STEM Storytime!

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

Isabel and the Invisible World, by Alan Lightman/Illustrated by Ramona Kaulitzki, (Apr. 2023, MIT Kids Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536223330

Ages 4-6

Isabel only wants one thing for her sixth birthday: something that will let her see “invisible things” that are invisible. Her scientist mother knows the perfect gift for Isabel: a prism, so Isabel can see the colors that make up light. This readable introduction to the science of light is a joy to read; Isabel is a curious young girl with a love of science, and the story conveys that sense of excitement and wonder to readers. The narrative builds the excitement leading up to Isabel’s birthday; Isabel’s mother explains how the prism works in an accessible, interesting way. Digital illustrations are warm and utilize the direction of light throughout the story; triangles show up throughout the spreads, and the rainbow spectrum shows up throughout the book. Isabel and her brother, Julian, are biracial: Mom is blonde and light-skinned; Dad is brown-skinned; Isabel is brown-haired, Julian is blonde; both are light brown-skinned. Back matter includes an explanation of light energy. A fun, readable choice for a STEM storytime or any time!

Hand out prism coloring pages for a post-storytime extension activity. There’s a good one from Science Workshop on TeachersPayTeachers. Try this prism experiment from Rosie Research either during a STEM program or hand out instructions for families to try at home: it’s easy!

Posted in Intermediate, Non-Fiction, picture books

I’m a Neutrino – great for science storytimes

Posted on by Rosemary Kiladitis

I’m a Neutrino: Tiny Particles in a Big Universe, by Dr. Eve M. Vavagiakis/Illustrated by Ilze Lemesis, (March 2022, MIT Kids Press), $18.99, ISBN: 9781536222074

Ages 7-9

If you enjoy Chris Ferrie’s Baby University books, and Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan’s Baby Loves Science board books, you’re going to flip for I’m a Neutrino, a rhyming science tale by a Cornell physicist and her illustrator mother. I’m a Neutrino  introduces burgeoning young scientists to the neutrino: “I am a particle, like electrons and light / I can pass through you without stopping my flight!” The neutrinos, depicted as bright, colorful, spiky-headed little beings, adventure throughout the story, dancing and playing across the cosmos as a diverse group of kids and adults try to unlock their mysteries. The rhyming text informs with a playful tone, and the accompanying illustrations make science exciting and fun while adding new science terms to readers’ vocabularies. A “Know Your Neutrinos” section in the back matter identifies and gives a little more factual information about the neutrinos we encounter in the story.

There isn’t a glossary of new words in this volume, so consider making some flash cards to hand out, to help readers navigate these new words. You can find more about neutrinos at Kiddle and Academic Kids.

This is the first collaboration between Dr. Vavagiakis and MIT Kids and a natural progression for readers who started reading science board books like Chris Ferrie’s and Ruth Spiro and Irene Chan’s series as toddlers and preschoolers. Great for a science storytime, Junior Discovery Club, or STEM class.

Visit Eve Vavagiakis’s webpage for more about her research and mentoring.