Jim McClain's Solution Squad

This is a great book! It makes a perfect gift for the middle school child or grandchild. I have given three as gifts. I also highly recommend this book to homeschool parents. There are so many layers to the stories that it is magical.

Author Jim McClain has made math fun! I'm a parent, and I can give you horror stories of "helping" the kiddo with her math assignments. This graphic novel introduced kids (and adults) to concepts in math with clarity that is greatly appreciated, and a creative approach that I have never seen before. I've had the pleasure of attending a Panel at Indiana Comic Con last year. Listening to Mr. McClain, I saw that he has a genuine love of the discipline that is artfully expressed with Solution Squad. If you or your kids struggle with math, or if you want to look at the concepts it in a new, fun way, this book is an excellent choice for you or your kids! Lastly, to the comic fans, this the feel of many great all-ages series, it is truly enjoyable to read for that alone.

Super heroesMath-themed super heroesDevious and driven super villains (several of which are rather sympathetic)Characters as diverse as a walk down any big city street. Male, female, body types, and ethnicities abound.Strong female characters leading the team.Strong male characters actively participating in the team efforts.Clever puzzles for the team to solve to foil the super villians' plots.(Hidden lessons contained in the story, so the reader can learn to think their way through complicated problems.)More guest artists than you can shake a handful of sticks at. Beautiful page after page of characters that live in a world where their powers and purposes meld into the fine details of the setting. Have you ever met a super team that purposely can change their uniform colors to match the schools they are visiting colors?The author has poured thought and effort and planning into this book, delivering a multi-layered approach to both story-telling and teaching that is impressive and well worth owning.

This book is so inspiring as the author created it after seeing a need in his classroom. I have three kids - ages 7, 9, and 11 who all grabbed this book out of my hands to read as soon as it arrived. We were able to have meaningful conversations about math concepts - absolute value, prime numbers, codes, and more - in a fun and engaging way. I am a social studies teacher who sees much success in using comics in the classroom as a literacy tool - using it for math shows the unlimited potential for this medium. This book is full of imaginative and action-packed stories, even an entire entry in traditional text, that can stand alone even without the math. The superhero team is intentionally diverse and they teach about team work on their journey as well. I found myself laughing through the puns and was continually impressed by the historical (and cited!) references as well. This book is great for home, school, and library. The author also includes sample lesson plans, an online source, and connections to common core standards. The stated intended grades are 4-8, but this book can be used for all levels - even in college ed courses to teach about exciting and engaging pedagogy. The book even begins with several pages of instruction on how to read a comic - this is something that is often overlooked when not familiar with the medium of comics. This is an amazing resource that can be purchased and implemented the very next day in the classroom. If you are a comics fan, you will recognize many of the names involved in this project - including Gene Ha!

I have a life-long phobia of math, so I've generally avoided the subject at all costs. However as a parent, I'm trying to give my kids a fighting chance at not hating the subject, and becoming proficient with it. In walks this amazing book! My ten year old (also not a math fan, but loves comics) LOVES it! The artwork is spectacular, the stories are genius - My daughter doesn't even realize that she is learning about "math" as she reads through the stories that provoke her to ask questions and solve the problems the characters are facing in the book. This is truly something special! It should be in every classroom and library.

Ordered through Kickstarter, so got a chance to watch the whole process, and it's obvious how much expertise and personal love went into this comic. Many of concepts are easy enough for my 11 year old to begin to grasp, and my 8 year old loves the comics themselves for the story. The artwork is beautiful, the characters fun, and the mathematical concepts a brilliant addition to the book. Don't bypass this one if you're looking for a fun way to sneak in a few math lessons with your teens comic book time. :)

I read the first story line, "Primer" to fourth graders - and they helped to solve the riddle with the Prime Number Sieve. They were totally engaged and interested in solving the clues and catching the "bad guy." But SHHHHHHH .... they were doing MATH too! :) Even the teacher, who is not a big fan of comics, was engaged and enjoying the read aloud (lesson-in-disguise).

This is honestly the best educational comic I know of. Kids love it because it's highly entertaining -- they'll definitely read through multiple times. The math is woven throughout the stories and embedded in the characters themselves. Make math fun for the kids in your life -- be part of the Solution!