Janine Johnston

This was probably the most disappointing of the Jim Ottaviani books I've read. Probably because it focused less on the physics (for that read Feynman) but more on the politics of the Manhattan Project. I thought the story wasn't very compelling by the end when it focuses on Oppenheimer's hearings to revoke his security clearance.

I would not recommend reading this book if you're not very familiar with the Manhattan Project and the scientists involved, because it would otherwise be hard to follow. There isn't a lot of background included, and the book kind of just assumes you know what the project was about.… (mais)

For over a century, audiences have been mesmerized by magicians who appear to levitate their beautiful assistants. This graphic novel tells the story of how this trick began and spread all over the world. The narrator, an inventor living in the time of the depression, details to his coworkers the tale of brilliant ideas, deception, trickery, and theft of intellectual property as the best levitation methods were stolen, perfected, and, in some cases, ruined. The pages of this graphic novel feel as though they are from a newspaper. The detailed images are all black and white and appear to have been drawn with a pencil and contain very thin lines. After the story, the readers are presented with real advertisements from the time these tricks were first performed, a detailed sketch of how the levitation apparatus was built into the stage, and a written explanation about how his story compares to the way things really happened. The reader will be compelled to read on and find out which characters are able to perfect this trick and claim it as their own. This book is recommended for young adults who enjoy graphic novels, magic, and/or science.… (mais)