Graphic Science 4D Surprising World of Bacteria with Max Axiom, Super Scientist 4D an Augmented Reading Science Experience

“Max Axiom” is a popular series thanks to its graphic novel format and the protagonist, a science superhero, who can use his abilities to investigate topics he finds interesting. These four titles have Max flying with Hurricane Hunters, shrinking down to explore genes and bacteria, and even travelling inside an electrical line. He visits labs, talks with experts out in the field, and chats with his neighbors about subjects like solar power and preparing for storms. The 4D app allows readers to access videos of chromosomes, storm surges, fish ladders, and other related topics from the text. There is also a how-to video for the suggested activity in each book and a quiz. For those without the app, an access code for the companion website offers the same content. VERDICT Solid information in a crowd-pleasing format for middle grades.– “School Library Journal”

Agnieszka Biskup is a writer and editor based in Chicago. She is a former science editor at the Boston Globe as well as a Knight Fellow at MIT, where she studied science journalism. She served as managing editor of the children’s magazine Muse and has written numerous children’s books in addition to many articles for newspapers, magazines, and websites. Her books have received awards from Learning magazine, the Association of Educational Publishers, the Society of School Librarians International, and have been chosen as Junior Library Guild selections. She is also a winner of the 2015 American Institute of Physics Science Writing Award in the Writing for Children category.