Cells at Work

Akane Shimizu

Join the adventures of an anthropomorphic red blood cell and her new friend, a white blood cell. Over the course of the series, the cells handle bacterial and viral invasions, cancer, injuries, and more!

Appeals to

Readers looking for a light fun read that incorporates some good science as well!

Content Notes

Some gore

Creator Identities:

  • Race and/or Nationality: Japanese
Recommended by

Megan Rupe

Evolution: The Story of Life on Earth

Jay Hosler

Kevin Cannon

Bloort, a scientist from an alien race, regales his king and prince with the history of life on Earth. With clear explanations, excellent illustrations, and a dash of humor, Evolution: the Story of Life on earth is a natural selection for school library and public library science collections.

Appeals to

Teen and adult readers looking for a fun and accessible explanation of evolution

  • Race and/or Nationality: 7641
  • Recommended by

    Megan Rupe

    How to Fake a Moon Landing

    Darryl Cunningham

    Learn about the origins and fallacies behind some of the most well-known conspiracy theories like: climate change, the moon landing, vaccines causing autism, and whether evolution is real. These comics are short, kind of like short stories covering each conspiracy theory, but filled with good facts that make it easy to understand just why these theories are wrong, as well as a bibliography in the back.

    Appeals to

    Great for anyone wanting to better understand what leads people to believe conspiracy theories, and for those who want to know more on how to combat the misguided thinking behind them.

    Content Notes

    Though the creator presents these conspiracy theories frankly and with some humor, it can still be upsetting to read about some of the topics discussed.

    Recommended by

    Shannan Prukop

    Rainbow the Koala

    Remy Lai

    Young animal lovers will eat up this narative about a baby koala named Rainbow that teaches them about the life of a koala in the wild and the impacts that bushfires have had on their habitat. The end of the graphic novel included details about the real life event that inspired the book as well as additional information about koalas and where they live.

    Appeals to

    Kids who can't get enough of animal books will love Rainbow the Koala.

    Creator Identities:

    • Race and/or Nationality: Indonesian
    Recommended by

    Tayla Cardillo

    Seen: Rachel Carson

    Birdie Willis

    Rii Abrego

    While not necessarily an ideal choice for a casual reader, this graphic novel is an excellent choice for school libraries because it's geared towards being used as a teaching text. Rachel Carson's story is told clearly and simply, and there are tons of great resources at the back to guide discussion and with further resources to help build lessons.

    Appeals to

    This is a great pick for school librarians looking for more approachable teaching texts, or for tween readers who want to start learning about Rachel Carson with an approachable text.

    Creator Identities:

    • Race and/or Nationality: Latine
    • Sexuality: Queer
    • Gender Identity: Nonbinary
    Recommended by

    Shannan Prukop

    The Science of Surfing

    Kim Dwinell

    Two surf enthastist, Sam and Jade, share their love of the ocean in this nonfiction addition to the Surfside Girl series. In this graphic novel they cover the physics that makes the ocean moves, facts about the creatures that live in the ocean, and lesson on how to surf! Whether you like the ocean for it's sea creatures or it's sick waves, you'll find something to love about this book.

    Appeals to

    All ocean lovers will learn something new from this book packed with facts the deep blue sea.

    Recommended by

    Tayla Cardillo

    Two Heads

    Uta Frith

    Daniel Locke

    In this lively and engaging graphic novel, scientists Uta and Chris Frith take the reader through the research on the human brain and how human brains affect interactions. The writing in this book is excellent--the explanations are delivered well--with illustrations that convey information and humor--and show strong synthesis of the topic while also driving home the point that science is about finding and answering new questions and verifying results.

    Appeals to

    Older teen and adult readers interested in psychology and human interaction will want to dive into this well-researched comic

    Recommended by

    Megan Rupe

    Wonderful Life with the Elements

    Bunpei Yorifuji

    Looking to learn about the periodic table, but struggling through dry texts? Try this comic! Each element has a personality, and the creator ties the study of the elements back to our daily lives as well. There's also a bonus section in the back covering minerals and how they affect the body.

    Appeals to

    While this is obviously handy for students of chemistry trying to find another way to memorize elements, it's also written in such a way that anyone who wants to learn more about the units that make up our world can come away having learned something and had fun doing it.

    Content Notes

    Though it's not graphic, the elements are generally portrayed as male-bodied people with genitalia. It serves more as humor than anything else, but it is present.

    Recommended by

    Shannan Prukop