What the heck is a polymer? What do sneakers, toothbrushes, toys, and even space technology have in common? They're all made with polymers! Join the curious Story Monster and his fun-loving polymer guides, Pauly and Penny, on a colorful comic-style adventure that makes polymer science fun, easy to understand, and full of surprises. Bursting with fascinating facts, real-world connections, and hands-on discoveries, Polymers Among Us sparks curiosity, inspires big imaginations, and reveals the amazing science hiding in everyday life-while encouraging tomorrow's scientists, engineers, and innovators. 5 Stars Reviewed by Karen Tolentino for Readers' Favorite Polymers Among Us by Conrad J. Storad is a good educational resource for kids to learn about polymers. The story starts with a curious little Story Monster who overhears whispered voices in the woods, nudging it to learn about "the Polymers." That sends our little protagonist to follow the rainbow shapes hovering over the ground, leading to Akron, Ohio. Each shape disappears as he passes through it. Akron is also known as the real-life Rubber City. On his way, he meets his cousins, Pauly Polymer and Penny Polymer, who can stretch, flatten, and snap back into different shapes. They show off the flexibility that makes polymers remarkable. As he passes the Towpath Trail, he discovers an entire extended family of plastics and rubbers: the PVC-loving Vinny, the bottle-and-window specialist Ethyl, the military-grade Kev, the food-wrapper Zippy, and the old-timer Grampy Gum from the Latex side. After a fun encounter with them, the curious little Story Monster continues his journey to the Rubber Capital of the World in his new form. Conrad J. Storad, a veteran science writer for young readers, uses personification skillfully. He turns chemistry into a family of quirky cousins, transforming an abstract subject into something tangible and memorable. The shapeshifting monster gives artist Jeff Yesh plenty of room to play, popping objects and forms between tires, a superhero, a Mars Rover, and more with real visual wit. The Science Fun Fact sidebars are the book's real backbone, delivering concrete, well-researched details. The University of Akron's polymer PhD program, NASA's Apollo-era spring tires, and thermal degradation are facts sprinkled with playful elements to make them exciting for children to learn. I particularly love the closing activity section: hands-on paper-chain monomers, a poly-vocabulary match activity, a spot-the-polymer scavenger hunt, and a lot more. It turns this book into a reusable classroom resource rather than a single read-through. Finally, it concludes with a cliffhanger ending, promising a return to finish Grampy Gum's story, suggesting a series. For classrooms, libraries, and curious young engineers in the making, Polymers Among Us delivers real science with genuine charm.
