In this playful, illustrated look at chemistry and the periodic table, Maya Mourshed combines science with everyday social situations middle schoolers face. Told through inventive stories featuring chemical elements as relatable characters—along with poems and factual background—it’s a clever debut, never mind that the author is a seventh grader.

Mourshed discovered a love of creative writing at age eight—the same year, she writes, that “I stumbled across a periodic table in a library book. It captivated me. I absorbed the glorious chart of all 118 chemical elements that make up our world.” She learned the uses of each element in real life, the relationships between groups of elements, and—in imagining them as characters—wondered, “What would these elements say? What would their personalities be? What would they do every day? Because I love creative writing, I began drafting stories.”

Not only are Mourshed’s human and elemental characters endearing, but they also impart key concepts in chemistry. For example, in The Noble Gas Family (My Imagination. Totally Not Real)” she explains that “Helium is one of the lightest elements…so he can fly. Also, he can emit a bright pink light when activated by heat.” These abilities prove pivotal later when lonely Helium watches the other atom children at chemistry school. A stable gas, he’s unable to make friends because “whenever another atom child tried to bond with Helium to play together, that atom sharply bounced off of Helium’s outer shell.” Yet at a school open house, Helium becomes popular thanks to his bright pink light. In one story, two noble gas atoms Neon and Krypton save a diner from going out of business—and demonstrate how neon signs light up.

Throughout, Mourshed’s lively color illustrations capture strong emotions and simplify complex ideas.

This is a charming, impressive book that will delight STEM students 8-12 years old, but even chemistry-phobic adults will learn a thing or two in these pages.

Also available as an ebook.