The Incredible Plate Tectonics

The Incredible Plate Tectonics by Kamani K.M. Lee and Adam Wallenta

Reader's Response
This text is not your typical science textbook. This text explores geological phenomena such as tsunamis and Pangea through the use of a comic style of writing. It has a great educational focus but was engaging and approached the content in an enjoyable way. Its story line is amusing and it strays far away from the typical boring textbook. The adventures of the characters are captivating as they experience the various layers and movements of the earth. The illustrations paired with the text  are an excellent complement to the topics discussed in this book. The story line begins 200 million years ago and takes the reader through several adventures before landing them in Hawaii as well as inside of the earth.

Teacher's Response
The fictional approach to what can often be a very dry and dense topic makes this content fun. It has also proven great to get students thinking about science while also reading an adventurous story line. Whatsmore, some of my students become disengaged when reading is brought into the conversation, however with this book, reading comes back on the table. The copious amounts of pictures are great for students with lower Lexile scores or for students who are still learning English. Although this book is not content heavy, it is still engaging and will connect students even more with what they are learning in the classroom.
Evaluator's Response
This book is slightly on the younger side for audiences. It may prove more entertaining for younger students and its connections to content are relatively light or, on the other end of the spectrum, obvious. In addition, the fact that this text is in comic form lends itself less to literacy and more for entertainment and the enjoyment of illustrations. It is a great supplement to a more literacy focused lesson.
Literacy Coach's Response
I chose this book because I have struggled to incorporate literacy into my science classroom in an engaging manner. Most of the scientific texts I have used, although relevant, have been extremely dry and difficult for my students to read. This text, although not particularly rigorous, has proven to be engaging. It also offers up copious amounts of visual representations as well a myriad of opportunities for students to feel as though they grasp the content and know what's going on as they read. The content we discuss in class is much more rigorous so this text serves as an entertaining confidence booster for most students while also acting as a path to deeper understanding for others.