Note: This post may contain affiliate links. You can read my disclosure by clicking here. We were gifted this toy for free for this review.
Flash Facts is a DC Comics Graphic Novel featuring “Ten Terrific Tales about Science and Technology”. Flash Facts was curated and edited by Mayim Bialik, PhD, who is a scientist, actress, and author. There are ten individual stories featuring recognizable DC characters and each story is by different talented writers and illustrators. And, there are experiments and activities at the end of the book – all related to the stories!
DC kindly sent a copy of Flash Facts to us for free to review. When my kids saw the cover of Flash Facts they were immediately excited by the picture of The Flash. Then they opened the book and saw more characters they recognized (like Supergirl, Superman, and Batman) and couldn’t wait to start reading.
The book uses the popular DC characters to explain science and technology, and the result is an awesome new way to get more kids excited about STEM.
This middle grade book is recommended for readers aged 8 to 12. I really like the content and graphic novel format of the stories, but I definitely agree with the recommended age range of 8 to 12 years old – I feel like my kids were a little to young for this book. My kids are 6 and 4 years old, so we have been reading the book in small bits at a time.
What I liked most about Flash Facts is how they take the DC superheroes we all know and love, and use them to explain the natural phenomenon in our world.
Book Overview and Review
The Flash teaches kids all about forensic science in “Fast Tracks”. He explains how it’s like being a detective and how they collect and use evidence. This story was too wordy for my young kids, but I thought it explained the fundamentals of forensic science really well.
Batman introduces kids to 3D printing in “If You Can’t Take the Heat”. I’ve always had a fascination with what can be achieved using 3D printing, so this story was fun for me to read. This story had less words, so it kept my kids attention well.
In “The Facts of Life” Poison Ivy and Swamp Thing explain DNA to her 3 daughters. I related to this story because it’s also about the challenges of trying to teach your own children, something many of us have experienced in the last year.
In “More than Meets the Eye” Cyborg explains virtual reality as he and Beast Boy become Superman and Batman. Anyone who has loved playing a VR game, will appreciate this explanation of how it works.
Green Lantern explains electricity in “Lights Out”. She talks about everything from how electricity works and gets to our houses to the sources of electrical power. I spent many years working in the oil and gas industry, so it was nice to see her including fossil fuels as the current major source of electrical power as well as emerging renewable resources.
“(Sub)atomic” was one of my personal favorite stories because I felt like Atom explained atoms in a really simple, easy to understand and interesting way. Chemistry is one of my favorite subjects, so stories about atoms and particles always sparks my interest.
My daughter’s favorite story was “Home Sweet Space” because it featured both Supergirl and space! My kids have always been fascinated by space, and this story gave an interesting and detailed description and depiction of our solar system.
In “Sea for Yourself” we’re introduced to the wonders and mysteries of the ocean. My kids and I found this story fascinating. The ocean is so largely unexplored and there is still so much for us to learn about it!
In “Weather or Not…” The Flash and Flash Kid tackle the hot and complicated topic of climate change and the melting snow in Antartica. Its an interesting take on the issue, and a great way for kids to learn that they can one day help stop climate change.
“Human Extremes” was a fun story about extreme ways our bodies can adapt with Swamp Kid. My kids and I laughed and learned while reading this silly story written like journal entries. The “Flash Facts” about how the body adapts to become extreme runners, tolerate cold, and holding breath were so interesting.
After the 10 stories there are eight fun activities and experiments included in the book. They are all simple experiments with only a few materials required – that’s just my style! We’ve already tried a few and had a blast with them. In fact, I’ve made one of the experiments my own and I’ll share it in a blog post next week.
What interests you most about this book from this review? Are you planning to get a copy of Flash Facts for your kids?
You can find this book on Amazon, using my affiliate links in this blog post.
