DK Children’s snaps up new adventure series exploring moments in science history
DK Children’s will publish four titles to launch its new Science Stories series. Project Penicillin by science writer, presenter and educator Isabel Thomas and Moon Landing by science author Stephen Krensky will be published in March 2026.
Publisher Andrew Macintyre acquired world rights for four titles. A further two titles, First Flight and Bone Wars, will follow in August 2026.
Aimed at readers aged nine and over, the series explores scientific moments as "narrative adventures". "Project Penicillin is the gripping story of Alexander Fleming and the brilliant scientists who turned his miracle mould into a life-saving medicine, against the backdrop of two World Wars," the synopsis says. "Moon Landing takes readers on the legendary Apollo 11 mission. First Flight looks at the true story of how the Wright brothers invented the aeroplane and launched the age of flight. Bone Wars delves into the fierce, real-life rivalry between the two brilliant palaeontologists – Edward Drinker Cope and Othniel Marsh – whose competition fuelled the discovery of countless dinosaur species."
Thomas said: "Science is a deeply human endeavour – a quest for understanding with plenty of false starts, wrong turns and surprises along the way. This process of exploration and discovery can be invisible to young people if they only encounter science as sets of facts and figures. So I jumped at the chance to tell the full and fascinating story of the people behind the world’s first truly effective antibiotic, and the extraordinary international teamwork that turned a chance observation into a miracle medicine that has saved millions of lives."
Krensky added: "At a time when we are planning to both return to the Moon and move on to Mars, it is important to remember the challenges and achievements surrounding our first trip to the Moon in 1969. This book puts the reader right alongside the astronauts as they experience that journey minute by minute and step by step."
Senior editor for DK Children’s Jenny Sich said: "There are so many awe-inspiring stories from the history of science and this series brings them to life in a way that children can really relate to. By using fiction to describe iconic events our authors ensure readers will feel part of the action. It has been such a thrill to work on the first two books in the series with Isabel, Stephen and the talented illustrators. They’ve taken the facts and used just the right amount of imagination to make retellings that are gripping, immediate and impactful for young readers."
