We use water, electricity, and the internet every day--but how do they actually work? And what’s the plan to keep them running for years to come? This nonfiction science graphic novel takes readers on a journey from how the most essential systems were developed to how they are implemented in our world today and how they will be used in the future.

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented?

For every utility we use each day, there’s a hidden history--a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past--and reveals how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today.

Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science and what needs to be done now to change the future.

Turn back the clock with History Comics! In this volume, take a visit to Ellis Island and learn America's immigration story.

Many Americans know someone who can trace their ancestry through Ellis Island. In addition to being part of the world-famous Statue of Liberty National Monument, this modest-sized piece of land once housed the main immigration processing center for the U.S., documenting upwards of 12 million people between 1892 and 1954! Over the generations, Ellis Island has taken on an almost mythic status as a beacon of hope to those seeking freedom and refuge from persecution. But how did it all get started?

Our past is only the beginning with History Comics, a riveting nonfiction graphic novel series from First Second!

Strap in! Science Comics: Human Spaceflight is a new volume in First Second's STEM graphic novel series!

Once humans figured out how to launch rockets into orbit, the Space Race between the US and USSR began! Who will be the first to fly outside of Earth’s atmosphere, walk on the moon, or build a working lab in orbit? Follow the story of how the race to the moon became international teamwork in orbit, and find out how to travel at 17,500 mph, take a shower with no water, and go to the bathroom when there’s no gravity. When it comes to human spaceflight, the sky is not the limit!

Leave no brick unturned in John Kerschbaum's Science Comics: Skyscrapers, the latest volume in First Second’s action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers!

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, robots, and more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

In this volume, join a pair of superheroes as they uncover the secrets of skyscrapers, from the great Egyptians pyramids to the world’s tallest building. Read along and learn how skyscrapers are a bold combination of applied physics, ingenuity, and a lot of hard work!

Born in Connecticut in 1811, Harriet Beecher Stowe was an abolitionist, author, and playwright. Slavery was a major industry in the American South, and Stowe worked with the Underground Railroad to help escaped slaves head north towards freedom. The publication of her book, Uncle Tom’s Cabin, a scathing anti-slavery novel, fanned the flames that started the Civil War. The book’s emotional portrayal of the impact of slavery captured the nation’s attention. A best-seller in its time, Uncle Tom’s Cabin sealed Harriet Beecher Stowe’s reputations as one of the most influential anti-slavery voices in US history.

Best known for his screen prints of soup cans and movie stars, this shy young boy from Pittsburgh shot to fame with his radical ideas of what “art” could be. Working in the aptly named “Factory,” Warhol’s paintings, movies, and eccentric lifestyle blurred the lines between pop culture and art, ushering in the Pop Art movement and, with it, a national obsession. Who Was Andy Warhol? tells the story of an enigmatic man who grew into a cultural icon.

On August 15, 1969, a music festival called "Woodstock" transformed one small dairy farm in upstate New York into a gathering place for over 400,000 young music fans. Concert-goers, called "hippies," traveled from all over the country to see their favorite musicians perform. Famous artists like The Grateful Dead played day and night in a celebration of peace, love, and happiness. Although Woodstock lasted only three days, the spirit of the festival has defined a generation and become a symbol of the "hippie life."

American Association of University Women Award for Juvenile Literature 2016 Nominee.

Travel back to the time when the mighty dinosaurs ruled the earth.

The Age of Dinosaurs began about 250 million years ago. In the beginning they were quite small but over time they evolved into the varied and fascinating creatures that captivate our imaginations today. What we know about dinosaurs is evolving, too! We've learned that some dinosaurs were good parents, that dinosaurs could grow new teeth when old ones fell out, and that most dinosaurs walked on two legs. We've even discovered that birds are modern relatives of dinosaurs!

Hear ye, hear ye! Get ready to learn all about the most powerful court in the United States.

Ever since it was established in 1789, the United States Supreme Court has had a major impact on the lives of all Americans. Some of its landmark decisions have helped end segregation, protected a person’s privacy, and allowed people to marry whomever they love. 
 
Best-selling author, former executive editor of The New York Times, and self-confessed political junkie, Jill Abramson has written a detailed and fascinating book that explains how the highest court in the United States works, who gets to serve on it, which cases have had the greatest impact on the country, and why the US justice system is so vital to democracy.

With 80 black-and-white illustrations and an engaging 16-page photo insert, readers will be excited to read this addition to this New York Times Best-Selling series.

Learn about the phenomenon of a solar eclipse just in time for the Great American Eclipse that will take place on April 8, 2024 in this title in the Who HQ Now series featuring newsmakers and trending topics.<br /><br />Just in time for the third North American total solar eclipse of the twenty-first century, this book explains how to safely observe solar eclipses, how long eclipses last, and why they result in a blackout period during the day. Young armchair astronomers and astronauts will be inspired by the wonders of outer space and what exists beyond our atmosphere as they learn more about the moon, the sun, and our earth. What really happens during a solar eclipse and how does it affect the energy in our atmosphere? You'll find the most up-to-date eclipse information in this exciting new book.

For more than 100 years, people have been captivated by the disastrous sinking of the Titanic that claimed over 1,500 lives. Now young readers can find out why the great ship went down and how it was discovered seventy-five years later.

Put on your dancing shoes and move to the music.

Rock and roll sprang from a combination of African-American genres, Western swing, and country music that exploded in post World War II America. Jim O'Connor explains what constitutes rock music, follows its history and sub-genres through famous musicians and groups, and shows how rock became so much more than just a style of music influencing fashion, language, and lifestyle.

This entry in the New York Times best-selling series contains eighty illustrations and sixteen pages of black and white photographs.

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and many more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

In Trees: Kings of the Forest we follow an acorn as it learns about its future as Earth's largest, longest-living plant. Starting with the seed's germination, we learn about each stage until the tree's maturation, different types of trees, and the roles trees take on in our ecosystem.

Have you herd? There's a new volume in First Second's STEM graphic novel series: Science Comics: Elephants!

Did you know elephants are the world's largest land animals? Male African elephants can reach ten feet tall and weigh up to 16,500 pounds! These endangered animals are beloved for their massive ears, thick skin, and flexible trunks, as well as their remarkable intelligence and empathy. And despite their size, the more you get to know them, the more you'll realize humans and elephants have a lot in common!

Hop to it with Science Comics: Frogs, a new volume of First Second's fan-favorite nonfiction graphic novel series!

With their signature sounds, athletic tongues, and bulging eyes, there’s a lot to love about frogs! But did you know that they soak up air and even liquid through their skin? Or that they use their eyes to swallow food? From tiny tadpoles in water to boisterous bullfrogs on land, the life cycle of these amphibious acrobats is one of the coolest examples of metamorphosis around. So pull up a lily pad and dive in, because the frog facts in this book will truly give you something to croak about!

With Science Comics, you can explore the depths of the ocean, the farthest reaches of space, and everything in between! These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects.

In this volume, get up close and personal with Earth's nearest neighbors—Venus with its acid rainstorms, Saturn and its rings of ice, and the heart of it all, the Sun. Humans have always been fascinated by outer space and we’re learning more about our solar system every day. Did you know that our Solar System was born from a cloud of cosmic dust? That Jupiter’s red spot is really a raging storm? Join Sara, Jill, and their space-faring pets on a quest to learn more about the wonders of our Solar System—and beyond!

Step out of your element with Science Comics: The Periodic Table of Elements, the latest volume of First Second's nonfiction graphic novel series!

A book of fun chemistry experiments has fallen into the wrong hands. Only Mel can use her knowledge of the periodic table to put an end to a maniacal madman's evil schemes.

The periodic table helps us quickly understand the 118 elements, those tiny substances that make up everything in the world. By using the periodic table, we can recognize how these building blocks behave, find trends and patterns in the universe, and make predictions about elements that haven’t been discovered yet. Join us in learning about the periodic table, and maybe the next big discovery will be yours!

Get a charge out of Electricity, a new edition to the Science Comics series!

Giant monsters are on the warpath, and it’s Menlo the mech’s job to protect the city! But when this metal marvel is shut down by an unlucky lightning strike, a resourceful engineer and his high-energy niece will have to find a way to plug in and power up to save everyone from certain doom!

From simple circuits to giant grids, fossil fuel power plants to wind farms, electricity keeps the world running. In Science Comics: Electricity, you’ll discover where electricity comes from, why lightning suddenly strikes, and how we’ve harnessed it all to turn the lights on in your room. Ready for action? Get energized with electricity!

Calling all stargazers, this addition to the New York Times bestselling series is sure to be the perfect book for you!

From the #1 New York Times Best-Selling Who Was? series comes Where Is?, a series that tells the stories of world-famous landmarks and natural wonders and features a fold-out map!

Ancient people from many different cultures--Greek, Roman, Mezo-American, Arab--all looked up and imagined pictures in the sky by "drawing" a line from one star to another, like a connect-the-dots puzzle. These star pictures--constellations--represented myths and legends from the various cultures that still fascinate us today.

Author of the tremendously popular Where Is Our Solar System? Stephanie Sabol relates many of the most popular constellation stories and explains what stars actually are: how they formed, why they die, and how they're grouped into constellation families.

Blast off! Discover the history of rockets and their impact on the future with Anne and Jerzy Drozd in this volume of Science Comics, the action-packed nonfiction graphic novel series for middle-grade readers!

Every volume of Science Comics offers a complete introduction to a particular topic—dinosaurs, coral reefs, the solar system, volcanoes, bats, flying machines, and many more. These gorgeously illustrated graphic novels offer wildly entertaining views of their subjects. Whether you're a fourth grader doing a natural science unit at school or a thirty-year-old with a secret passion for airplanes, these books are for you!

This volume: In Rockets we explore the 2,000 years that rockets have been in existence. We dive into Newton's Laws of Motion—learning all about gravity, force, acceleration, and the history of rockets made in the past and rockets to be made in the future!