A fantastic, easy to digest introduction to the periodic table. Just the right amount of density, with captivating visuals and an interesting story line to keep kids interested. This is such a great way for kids to ingest this material outside of a textbook.

This could be used as a great resource for science classes and in the home to learn aid learning in a fun way. It makes science a bit more fun, not that this substitutes the usual text books, but is instead a great addition to them. It will be a useful resource in schools and at home. Here’s why:

The book has a story throughout it, but done in a way that also encourages learning of the periodic table and has the necessary facts throughout. It also has a little about exam anxieties and how they can be overcome too. It helps show science in a positive light and would be an asset to classrooms. It could be used as a useful tool to assist learners engage and especially those who struggle in their learning using more traditional methods.

In the home it can be used as an adventurous story that has trepidation in its fun, engaging plot and whilst readers can be enjoying this, they will naturally be soaking up the factual elements too.

Rated 4 1/2 stars on the blog

LOVED the clear explanations of chemistry concepts, the gorgeous and engagin illustrations, and the examples that were actually relevant to the target audience. It all makes the topic easier to understand.

Some of it still read like a textbook, but the illustrations and story line helped cover for that. I also appreciated (as a teacher and parent) that it showed a positive and productive way to overcome test anxiety AND make learning fun.

Chemistry can be a difficult subject to master and can also be difficult to teach. Science Comics: The Periodic Table of elements transforms learning into an immersive D&D game. Chad blends an adventure with learning and it will grab students attention. Chad also sneaks in how it feels to have test anxiety and how to cope with it.

Mel is preparing her test on the periodic table. She’s studied hard, but she always gets so anxious during tests and freezes up. That night she dreams she has gone to a land where an evil wizard is threatening to destroy it and she must venture through a castle in the shape of the periodic table of the elements, making it past all the elemental monsters with her knowledge of what she’s studied. Hydrogen is a friendly companion for her as they make their way through all of the table’s sections to stop the evil wizard, but Hydrogen is relying on Mel’s knowledge of the elements’ weaknesses to get them through. Can Mel get them through or will she freeze up?

The author did their best to make this interesting and gave this a very creative premise, but parts of it still read a bit like a textbook. It’s a little hard to avoid these info dumps when explaining things like valence electrons and radiation in a short amount of pages. It is definitely the most creative book on the elements and period table I’ve come across, and does a thorough job of explaining all the different groups and their characteristics so middle school and high school intro to Chemistry teachers could use this instead of the textbook. I like that the book also tackles test anxiety along the way as I haven’t seen that addressed very much in middle grade literature.

Notes on content: Elemental monsters look like rocks and just get melted or tied up or things like that.

I received an ARC of this title from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Brought to you by OBS reviewer Andra

I so enjoy reading the Science Comics! And reading The Periodic Table of Elements is no exception. Informative, colorful, and an engaging way to get information about the periodic table across with comics – a fun way to learn (or re-learn in my case).

Mel is worried about an upcoming exam on the periodic table as she seems to freeze up when writing exams – regardless of how much they know about the subject. I love a couple of the bubble thoughts as Mel falls asleep:

“I wish that I could be as brave and confident in the face of a test as I am in the face of an iron or bronze monster. But it’s always going to be the same result. No matter how much I study, I’ll mess it up…”

I certainly feel that many students feel the same way. All it takes is confidence.

So now Mel is asleep and enters a dream world – the Land of the Elements – a magical land where the elements come alive before one’s very eyes! Turns out that Mel must protect an important book. So the journey begins with Hydrogen and Mel. Mel walks the reader through the periodic table according to the elemental groupings all while evading Elemancer – who wants a book Hydrogen is holding on to!

The book gives a brief introduction as to how the periodic table was originally constructed. And as the journey continues, Mel and Hydrogen travel through the periodic table groups, defeating each monster element and ultimately saving the world. This journey gives Mel the confidence she needs to take her exam the next morning.

The graphics were colorful and the characters (Elemancer and Hydrogen specifically) were just as I would imagine them to be. The storyline would definitely be engaging for a middle school learner.

If you or a child you know is struggling with learning the periodic table, I suggest picking up this book and having a read. They will enjoy the journey of learning about the periodic table.

This was the first Science Comics book I have ever read and now I look forward to exploring more books in the series. This book was filled with great information about the periodic table of elements and provided great illustrations and examples, especially for some of the harder concepts. I learned new stories and better ways to explain concepts! While the overall story structure wasn’t my favorite, I think it would appeal more to younger readers. I would highly recommend this for elementary and middle school readers and for classroom libraries.

Graphic Non-Fiction
I received an electronic ARC from First Second Books through NetGalley.
The latest in this series on various scientific topics. This time readers learn about all portions of the Periodic Table from the two main characters. Mel suffers from test anxiety and ends up in a strange dream the night before a big test. She enters a land and meets Hydrogen. Together, they have to defeat the Elemancer and save this world. To do so, they travel through the Periodic Table groups and defeat the monster elements. Mel finally gains confidence in herself after listening to Hydrogen's belief in her. They do defeat the Elemancer and Mel wakes up to tackle her own fears and nerves.
I appreciate the informative text woven in this story. The visuals bring the Periodic Table into focus and make it easier to understand.

The fantasy adventure structure is immediately understandable and provides some reason to talk about the various groupings of elements; they’re treated as game levels to defeat. Each new one allows for Mel to give a lecture about the characteristics of the elements in each section.

At the same time, she is lectured about having confidence in herself as she goes. That’s an obvious plot and can become a bit repetitive. But the many examples of the various elements and their uses keep the book interesting.

Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements has a great blend of educational content and framing story. Perhaps that’s because Jon Chad has previously created the Science Comics about Volcanoes and The Solar System, so he knows what he’s doing.

I’m so excited for another installment of the super-popular Science Comics series! In this one, all of the elements appear in creature form, and Mel and her pal Hydrogen have to make it past them using Mel’s knowledge of the periodic table to defeat the Elemancer.

I absolutely loved the way the chemistry information was presented with clear explanations, relevant examples, and engaging illustrations. It’s a great intro to chemistry for kids (and a great refresher for adults).

I will say, I really did NOT like the “Mel’s test-taking anxiety and lack of confidence” vs. the Evil Elemancer narrative used for the story - it was so cringey. That said, I can’t wait to have this book in our library - the kids love this series and it’s sure to be a popular addition.

This one is less entertainment/information than straight information because it's chock full of explanations with a little bit of humor and storytelling. The others had a stronger storyline with the science added in.

This would be a great addition to pick up and put down in certain sections in a science classroom and less just because a kid was curious about the periodic table because it's dense.

For readers to fully understand this book, I think they need to have a strong background of the periodic table of elements. It would not be good for an introduction. There is a lot of information to work through in it.

The Science Comics series are a massive hit in our library! The kids cannot get enough, no matter the subject matter. The most recent chapter focuses on the periodic table of elements, and combines the usual graphic panels to make this STEAM book a fantastic read.

I felt like I learned more about chemistry from this graphic novel than I ever did in high school. What a clever and unique graphic novel.

It's the night before a big chemistry test and Mel is stressing herself out. She always freezes during tests despite knowing the materials inside and out. So when she falls asleep, it's no surprise that she is dreaming about the period table. But she never thought she would find herself IN the period table.

Mel awakens in the land of the periodic table where a Elemancer is running amuck and causing chaos. She must team up with Hydrogen to traverse the table and battle the elements to save the land. Can she beat the Elemancer and his testing schemes to save the land from his evil science experiment? Will Mel ace her test? Read on to find out!

I loved this blend of chemistry and dungeons and dragons. There is a Mel in every single class I have ever taught and I love that this book normalizes test anxiety and gives some strategies to help with it.

This middle grade graphic novel follows the story of Mel, a young girl who has been studying the periodic table for an upcoming test. The night before she dreams about an adventure travelling through the periodic table and saving the world from an evil science experiment. This book has some really fun elements (pun intended) while also giving some background information about the periodic table including the history behind it and comparing/contrasting different elements. I could see this being used by middle school science teachers as a way to introduce the subject or for parents of kids who really love science. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book!

Mel has been learning about the periodic table and school but is worried about an upcoming test. When she goes to bed the night before, she dreams about going into an alternate world where she journeys through the periodic table to defeat Elemenacer and save the world from a science experiment gone awry.

This was pretty cute and a nice way to give an overview of the periodic table. It briefly discusses how the periodic table was originally put together. Each different period of the table is highlighted to show how the different elements in it are similar and how they compare to the other elements. This would be a great introduction to the periodic table or way to review before a test (like Mel). Illustrations were cute and added to the story.

This graphic novel does a great job of introducing the Periodic Table of Elements! It includes background information, history, and fun. It's an adventure through a fantasy land where all the elements take on a physical form. With help from his new friend Hydrogen and his knowledge of chemistry, Mel will face the Elemancer to try to save the world!

I would definitely recommend this book for students who love graphic novels and trouble understanding the periodic table. It was filled with great adventure and a lot of information on how the periodic table is arranged and the men behind it! It was cute and fun.

Why wasn´t it on the market when I needed it???? :)
What a great way to explain something that difficult (from a child's point of view)! This book really makes the periodic table easy to understand and fun, too, because the drawings are great! I read this with my kids and we all loved it.
I can´t recommend this book enough, really. What a fantastic help for parents and teachers. Well done!


I want the paper copy now :)

The Science Comics series has another hit on the way. The Periodic Table of Elements is a fun and engaging walk through the elements. The narrative format kept me hooked and made the technical, scientific principles easily understandable. The graphics are well done and create a smooth transition between the adventure style storyline and the informative, “textbook” style pages of information. I liked the inclusion of a protagonist of colour being a strong science student as this form of representation is often missing from the science resources used in the classroom. Even though it’s a graphic novel, this book is very text heavy and probably best suited for upper elementary readers (Gr. 7+) and beyond who are really interested in science. The depth of information in it is impressive, and will be a welcomed addition to our growing collection of science comics.

Thank you to First Second and Net Galley for a free, digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.