The Rising Tide of Lava

04/01/2022Gr 2–5—An appealing graphic novel series with nonfiction elements and a Martian hook. Set in 2055, the books star Malcolm, his dad, and his friend Daniela who are spending their summer on Mars. In each book, Malcolm visits a different ecosystem on the planet, imagines what sort of adaptations would be needed for animals to live there, and then draws his ideas. Each page of the story contains Mars facts or science facts, and bolded words in the narrative are defined farther down on the page. Also found throughout the narrative are four full pages of facts and trivia titled The Case for Space, The Science of Science Fiction, The Fundamentals of Art, and Mars Survival Tips. VERDICT With elements of art, animal adaptations, Mars, and space travel, this series could be useful for many different classroom lessons, but may need some hand-selling for general library circulation.