S.T.E.M. Learning Through Comics with Flash Facts from DC Kids Comics ...

 

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We received a free copy of Flash Facts to read and review. Opinions are our own.

Getting kids to learn about Science can be tricky but I think that DC Kids Comics has a fantastic learning tool in their new, and first ever STEM themed book called Flash Facts. The book is even curated by a Neuroscientist, Mayim Bialik, PHD! You may recognize that name if you have been watching The big Bang theory but if you are a child of the 80’s like me then you first met Mayim in the sitcom Blossom. I was not a fan of Beaches or I would have known who she was even earlier as she portrayed the young Bette Midler in that movie. But, acting aside Mayim is a straight up scientist and mom raising two boys. She’s even an author in her own right. A multi-faceted person for sure and she does a great job curating this collection of ten different comic stories that each delve into a different science field that is exciting and informative for kids.

In this book we get to see Cyborg and Beast Boy talking about Virtual Reality as they take on the roles of Batman and Superman skiing down Spaghetti and sauce covered hills. Batman and Plastic Man discuss 3D printing and even create a fireproof Bat Suit! Supergirl explores our neighborhood in the cosmos and Green Lantern explains how electricity is generated and brought to our homes. You can even try your hand at forensics with Barry Allen, The Flash, as you attempt to solve a jewelry heist!

I gave this book to Andy to read and was excited to see that he not only enjoyed the book but was able to retain many of the Flash Facts inside. There are some big time concepts for kids to learn inside the book but as disguised at comics which is a great way to get kids interested in the high concept ideas. Plus, each story is a quick read and before you know it you are on to another story by another creative team so if one story doesn’t speak to your child another one may. There are ten in all and they cover the gamut of scientific concepts. The comics also feature heroes like The Flash and Supergirl like I mentioned but also villains like Poison Ivy, who is a botanist and Weather Wizard, who controls weather. The book took me about an hour to read cover to cover and for Andy he can read one story at a time before he’s on to doing something else, but he dog-earred the book and he will be back to read more.

Flash Facts
Edited by Mayim Bialik, PHD

Have you ever wondered what’s at the bottom of the sea? Why polar ice melts? Or which tools forensic scientists use to solve a crime?

Well, DC has great news! All these answers and more will be revealed in Flash Facts, a lighthearted middle grade graphic novel anthology set to debut February 2, 2021.

Geared toward readers ages 8-12, this collection of short stories is curated by award-winning actress and author Mayim Bialik and aligns with Next Generation Science Standards, providing a helpful bridge between the S.T.E.M. (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) lessons taught inside the classroom and how these principles affect our everyday lives.

Under Bialik’s oversight, the short stories demonstrating various S.T.E.M. principles will star Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman, and more DC Super Heroes and will be written and drawn by some of the most popular writers and artists in middle grade and comics publishing, including New York Times bestselling author Michael Northrop (TombQuest, Dear Justice League), Dustin Hansen (Microsaurs, My Video Game Ate My Homework), Cecil Castellucci (Batgirl), Kirk Scroggs (Snoop Troop, The Secret Spiral of Swamp Kid), Corinna Bechko, Sholly Fisch, Amanda Deibert, Vita Ayala, and Amy Chu, among others. This graphic novel anthology is a perfect combination of science, comics and superheroes. Parents and teachers can feel at ease knowing these stories were guided by educational experts to ensure scientific accuracy and that the content is leveled for the intended age group. There is also a fun selection of science experiments featured at the back of the book that kids and families can do together!

About Mayim Bialik, PHD
Mayim Bialik is best known for portraying Bette Midler’s character as a child in Beaches as well as for her subsequent lead role as Blossom Russo in the early- 1990s NBC television sitcom Blossom. Bialik most recently appeared regularly on the #1 comedy in America, CBS’s The Big Bang Theory, playing neurobiologist Amy Farrah Fowler, a role for which she has been a four-time Emmy nominee and two-time Critics’ Choice Award winner. She will star in an upcoming multicamera sitcom, Call Me Kat, airing on Fox in fall 2020.

Bialik earned a BS in neuroscience and Hebrew and Jewish studies from UCLA in 2000, and a PhD in neuroscience, also from UCLA, in 2007. Her book about attachment parenting, Beyond the Sling, was published in March 2012 (Simon and Schuster). Her vegan cookbook, Mayim’s Vegan Table, was published by Da Capo Press in the spring of 2014. Bialik also has two New York Times bestsellers with Girling Up: How to Be Strong, Smart and Spectacular (Philomel Books, 2017) and Boying Up: How to Be Brave, Bold and Brilliant (Philomel Books 2018).

About DC’s Middle Grade Graphic Novels
DC’s middle grade graphic novels introduce DC’s most iconic Super Heroes to a new generation of fans with stories told by some of the most successful authors from the middle grade publishing space. The middle grade titles are standalone stories, not part of DC’s ongoing continuity, and completely accessible to new readers who have no previous knowledge of DC characters.