50 Best Fictional STEM & Science Books for Kids
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I’m excited to share the best fictional STEM and science books for kids ages 4 to 12. (STEM means science, technology, engineering, art, and math.) The stories on today’s list will make STEM enticing to preschool, elementary, and middle school readers. (If it isn’t already.)
Whether or not your kids are interested in STEM, see what develops after reading one of the books on this list. Maybe an interest will grow? Try these fun STEM activities or read these scientific method stories!
I’ve divided this into three sections: picture books, beginning chapter books, and middle grade books.
STEM & Science Books
SHOP this entire list of books.
STEM & Science Picture Books
Vivi Loves Science by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes, illustrated by Joelle Murray
SCIENCE
Vivi loves science and being curious. When her class gets to go the ocean for a field trip, she learns many new, wonderful things about tide pools.
Libby Loves Science by Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes, illustrated by Joelle Murray
SCIENCE
Libby loves science and experiments with recipes and experiments at school. Chemistry reminds her of cooking. At the science fair, she and her classmates need to attract more people to the booth to show that science is fun, but their experiments don’t win them the prize of an ice cream party. Their teacher reminds them that it’s about trying, not winning.
Mae and Gerty and the Matter with Matter written by Elaine Vickers, illustrated by Erica Salcedo
MATTER
I loved this clever introduction to matter and science using the baby sister’s antics and first word, “madda.” When little sister Gerty shouts “Madda” while popping Mae’s bubbles, Dad praises her for getting all three states of matter: solid, liquid, and gas. Frustrated at all the attention Gerty is getting, older sister Gerty decides she can ask questions, make messes, and try stuff out with her little sister. So they do!
The Princess and the Petri Dish by Sue Fliess, illustrated Petros Bouloubasis
SCIENTIFIC METHOD
A STEM loving princess named Pippa uses the scientific method to improve the taste of green peas. She’s successful at first but must use her skills again to solve the overgrowing pea plants which shows the kingdom that she’s the best scientist in the land.
When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox by Jamie L. B. Deenihan, illustrated by Lorraine Rocha
ENGINEERING
The boy wanted a dollhouse, but grandpa gives him a toolbox. He realizes that he can use his toolbox to build a house for a bird, help a neighbor with her mailbox, and build exactly what he wanted originally — a dollhouse. This is a special story that defies gender stereotypes, encourages creative engineering, and shows a loving relationship between grandparent and child.
The Twist-a-Roo written by Kathleen Doherty, illustrated by Kristyna Litten
STEAM
In a charming STEAM story filled with wordplay and GORGEOUS illustrations, Badger discovers a twist-a-roo, aka. a kaleidoscope. Even though Badger’s forest friends urge Badger to store food for the winter, Badger keeps playing. What will happen when Badger’s food storage runs out, and it’s snowy outside? A group of friends share their food with Badger, and Badger chases away their winter blues with the zippy-zappy fancy light show. You’ll be reading this delightful story again and again — there is so much to love!
Mazie’s Amazing Machines written by Sheryl Haft, illustrated by Jeremy Holmes
SIMPLE MACHINES / ENGINEERING
Mazie loves engineering. She solves problems with her inventions–like feeding her dog Doodle and helping her dad lift a tire. She imagines, draws, builds with simple machines like ramps and pulleys. Mostly everyone loves engineering as much as Maize…which can both cause problems and solve them! I love the comic panel illustrations.
Princesses Can Fix It! by Tracy Marchini, illustrated by Julia Christians
MAKERS
A darling girl empowerment story where the princesses show their dad that they are capable and don’t need to be stuck in limiting gender roles. When the king has issues with alligators, the princesses know they can fix it. And, even though the king dismisses them, their brother the prince encourages them, and the princesses try and try until they find a solution!
Eclipse by Andy Rash
TIME / ECLIPSE
Written in a countdown, parallel structure with three different verb tenses starting with future, then present, and then past, a boy plans to see an eclipse using time words like month, days, hour minutes, and then, they arrive at the spot to see the Sun disappear behind the Moon. Then, the boy and his father return home and try to remember the eclipse they saw. Kids will love the amazing digital illustrations.
How to Seesaws Go Up and Down? A Book About Simple Machines by Jennifer Shand, illustrated by Srimalie Bassani
SCIENCE: SIMPLE MACHINES
The author asks readers a question like –“Why can you almost always ride faster on a bigger bike than a smaller bike?” and adds a silly hypothesis like, “Is it because bigger bikes have secret rocket boosters?” Read more about the wheel and axel and how a big wheel gets a bigger tire turn. The author shows everyday, common objects that kids can recognize for their examples like the flag on a flagpole, a seesaw in a park, a truck going up a mountain or a screw in a piece of wood. The explanations are easy to understand in spot-on kid language. I recommend this book to introduce kids to science concepts, particularly for elementary classrooms learning about simple machines.
Jo Bright and the Seven Bots by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Meg Hunt
ROBOTICS
In this updated science fiction Sleeping Beauty, clever Jo loves building Bots from scratch. But the jealous queen wants to be the best bot builder — better than Jo. Rhyming, jaunty text depicts Jo befriending a dragon and fixing an enchanted dragon. They capture the queen and the mirror-bot makes Jo the new queen. It’s an engaging, girl-power STEM story that readers will love.
Robot Repairs by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Magali Mansilla
TECHNOLOGY / ENGINEERING
Continuing the STEAM series is another story about Max and Suzy, this time about problem solving an old robot who needs fixing. The friends work together to figure out which pieces are arms and legs, attach the head, and put in new batteries. Kids will find this story interesting!
The Backyard Build by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Magali Mansilla
ENGINEERING
Max, Suzy, and their neighbor Miss Gizmo make a plan and build a swing. Then they choose more materials and make a seesaw and a slide. The story models coming up with a plan and executing it but doesn’t go into the details of building any of these playtoys.
The Picnic Problem by Jonathan Litton, illustrated by Magali Mansilla
MATH: SHAPES, COUNTING, ADDING
From the STEAM stories series comes a new story focused on math. Max and Suzy get a letter from Miss Add-It-Up that sends them to the park to solve a math-related treasure hunt of clues. For example, “Which kite has the longest tail? Ignore the strings, so you don’t fail.” Max and Suzy compare tails of the differently shaped kites. The circle kite ends up being the winner and having their next clue. There’s a ton of fun math problems that kids can solve with the main characters as you read the story. I love that this story is actually a relatable adventure story that integrates math into it.
Creep, Leap, Crunch! A Food Chain Story written by Jody Jensen Shaffer, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal
The first half of this book is a cumulative food chain story that starts with the sun and the plants. Each page adds on a predator who eats the prey— the mouse eats the cricket, the snake eats the mouse, all the way up to a brown bear eating the fox. Then, the cricket hops away from the mouse, and the fox sneaks around the black bear, and none of the animals get eaten. Back matter explains more about the forest and the animals. This is a perfect STEM read aloud introduction to food chains and forest biomes.
Matter: Physical Science for Kids by Andi Diehn, illustrated by Hui Li
SCIENCE: MATTER
Matter made understandable for kids — I love it! You are made of matter. “Matter is anything that takes up space and can be weighted. / How do you weigh things? / With a scale!” The next page asks how much you, your dog, a tree, and our shoes weigh. What about air? The book gives more info and a simple balloon experiment to show about air. I like that after the air, the book talks about juice to introduce liquids. The content of this entire book, including what isn’t matter at the end, is all an excellent introduction.
Power Up: Your Incredible, Spectacular, Supercharged Body by Seth Fishman, illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
SCIENCE: BODY
This book feels like a motivational speech! I’m positive it will motivate your kids to be more curious about their powerful bodies! Use this book as an introduction to studying the body or energy –it’s sure to captivate students at school and kids at home. “That little finger has enough energy to light up one of the biggest cities in the world for an entire day. That’s power for four million refrigerators, seven million TVs, eighteen hundred schools, and about twelve thousand stoplights.” Isn’t that so wild!? I think the illustrations with a main character of color are spectacular.
Let’s Investigate with Nate: The Water Cycle by PBS host Nate Ball illustrated by Wes Hargis
SCIENCE: WATER
This is Ms. Frizzle and The Magic School Bus with a male main character. Like The Magic School Bus, Nate takes the kids who are talking with cartoon bubble on adventures to learn more about the science. It’s informative; I just wish it were more original.
Matter (Hands-On Science) by Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago
CHEMISTRY
This picture book is a fantastic introduction to chemistry with clear text and illustrations. Simple, interactive experiments show children hands-on examples of the states of matter from solid to gas to liquid that kids can do at home as their read and in real life. For example, “put” the sugar into juice and watch it dissolve. Next, place the juice in the freezer and close the door, aka. turn the page. While you wait, you can predict what will happen by tapping on the picture showing what you think might happen to the juice in the freezer. You’ll turn the page to see…it’s solid ice! Isn’t that brilliant and interactive!?
STEM Beginning Chapter Books for Kids Ages 6 – 8
Ready to get your beginning readers interested in science, technology, engineering, and math? While you can read nonfiction books, these fiction stories integrate those topics. Read about a girl who loves rocks, genius inventors, and math-loving detectives.
Nick and Nack Build a Birdhouse by Brandon Budzi, illustrated by Adam Record
Highlights Puzzle Readers Level 1
ENGINEERING
Clever Nick and Nack eat a lot of ice pops then use their popsicle sticks to build a birdhouse. Help them find the materials they need by searching for hidden objects. Sure to inspire budding engineers, this interactive early reader will be a new favorite. I’m so impressed with this series because it’s first and foremost an interesting story with a diverse main character, the interactive hidden pictures are delightful, and the integration to STEM concepts really hit the mark. Learn how to build your own birdhouse with directions at the end.
Sydney & Simon Full STEAM Ahead! by Paul A. Reynolds, illustrated by Peter H. Reynolds
SCIENCE, ART, TECHNOLOGY
See many possibilities there are for using STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) in your homeschool or classrooms. Sydney and Simon are twins (like the author and illustrator) working on their flower show project. Throughout the book, they work together questioning, predicting, and experimenting as well as using art, music, and technology to make their booth the best it can be. Not only did I like the creative story, but I also loved the beautiful, colorful artwork.
Happy Paws: Layla and the Bots by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama
ENGINEERING
Layla wants to help her amusement park owner friend keep the park open. She investigates the problem then figures out a solution…people want to bring their dogs. She brainstorms ideas and invents new rides that help solve the problem. An entertaining, STEM-focused story.
Danger on the Reef by Jake Maddox
SCIENCE
What an exciting adventure with great pacing. Jasmine and Arjun are siblings with scientist parents who are helping explore and clean up a coral reef. Arjun misbehaves while diving, putting himself and his sister in danger from a shark. It’s up to Jasmine to save his life and help him do better. In addition to a great adventure, you’ll also learn about ocean pollution and coral reefs.
Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts
ENGINEERING
Rosie’s Aunt Rose and her WWII friends, the Raucous Riveters, need Rosie’s help. Their friend June broke both her arms and she needs an invention so she can paint in the upcoming art contest. Can Rosie and friends invent something to help June paint with her casts? After one disaster after another, including at the art contest, Rosie continues to persevere and problem-solve to find a solution that will work.
Jada Jones Rock Star by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Vanessa Brantley Newton
SCIENCE (GEOLOGY)
Jada’s starts the school year hoping to find new friends, hopefully ones that love rocks as much as she does. She misses her best friend but feels excited when her class studies geology. Unfortunately, one bossy girl in Jada’s group project makes fun of Jada’s interest in rocks. Sound like real life? This is a well-written STEM-related story that shows the challenges of getting along with others and staying true to yourself. Plus, you’ll like that the main character (of color) is a big science nerd!
Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship by Cynthia Platt, illustrated by Rea Zhai
SCIENCE
Parker loves science and hopes she and her team will win a medal in the science competition. The lovely friendship and STEM book engages readers in a relatable story about Parker’s new friendships as well as using the scientific method for invention, robots, & egg drops.
Ellie, Engineer by Jackson Pearce
ENGINEERING
This is a well-written STEM adventure that makes engineering seem enticing and creative! After a disastrous “french braid machine” tangles her best friend’s hair, Ellie, who already identifies herself as an engineer, plans to make her BFF a new birthday present — a dog house, getting help from a neighbor boy and a group of girls from school who are bitter rivals up until Ellie helps them work together.
Frank Einstein and the Antimatter Motor by Jon Scieszka, illustrated by Brian Biggs
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING
Frank is a genius inventor. When lightning sparks his robots, Klink and Klank, into life, he’s got built-in lab partners. Until Frank’s enemy steals them. Humor, technology, and science make this an appealing series.
Mad Scientist Academy: The Dinosaur Disaster by Matthew McElligott
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Unusual characters attend this school where their wacky science teacher has built an interactive, robotic dinosaur exhibit that accidentally come to life. If your kids love science, off-beat graphic novels, they’ll love this series that mixes science and technology with fantasy in a most entertaining way.
Ada Lace is On the Case by Emily Calandrelli with Tamson Weston, illustrated by Renee Kurilla
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Ada moves to a new neighborhood. She observes everything that happens out her window. After she makes friends with a neighbor girl, they notice a distraught neighbor whose dog is missing and determine to solve who took it. Together, with another neighbor boy, they use science and technology to solve the mystery of the missing dog.
Franny K. Stein by Jim Benton
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING
I adore Franny! She’s a non-social, wacky scientist kid who is always messing up her science experiments or getting into some sort of trouble. This series is totally hilarious.
Goldie Blox Ruins Rules the School (Goldie Blox #1) by Stacy McAnulty
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING
Goldie’s unique school where she can be her quirky, inventor self is officially closing because she blew off the second story. Now she must attend a “high-performing” school with other kids who aren’t as out-of-the-box as Goldie. However, when she enlists her new classmates to help her reopen her old school, amazing transformations occur for both Goldie and her new friends.
Zoey and Sassafras Dragons and Marshmallows #1 by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay
SCIENCE
Kids love these entertaining and well-written stories that have the coolest mix of science and magic, a diverse main character, and fantastic illustrations. Zoey, like her mom, can see magical creatures and is tasked to care for any injured creatures that might need help. In this story, she uses her science skills (including research and the scientific method) to figure out how to care for a sick baby dragon.
EngiNerds by Jarret Lerner
ENGINEERING, TECHNOLOGY
You got to love a book that glorifies the nerds! (At least I do!!) This book is awesome. It’s about a group of kids, one of whom secretly makes robots for each person in their group of EngiNerds. Of course, this all goes wrong making for a funny, fast-paced adventure your kids won’t be able to put down.
The Case of the Terrible T. Rex – Doyle and Fossey Science Detectives by Michele Torrey and Barbara Johansen Newman
SCIENCE
The main character kids are scientists who, in this case, are researching mysteries using the scientific method. Is there really a werewolf? This science detective series include science experiments and information for readers at home.
Olga and the Smelly Thing From Nowhere by Elise Gravel
SCIENCE
If you LOVE kooky books, this book fits the bill. Olga finds the most unusual, unknown creature whom she names “MEH” after the sound it makes. She uses her deductive reasoning to figure out what it is (something new!) and what it likes to eat (olives)! But what will she do when Meh disappears? Things I love about this book: 1) the illustrations — they rock! 2) the narrator’s voice — it’s believable and funny 3) the plot — especially the mean girls who aren’t so mean after all.
Science No Fair: Project Droid by Nancy Krulik and Amanda Burwasser, illustrated by Mike Moran
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Imagine going to school with your so-called cousin Java who is really a robot in disguise. That’s Logan’s life. But his inventor mother insists Logan keep Java’s secret. Unfortunately, the Silverspoon twins pair up with Java for the science fair. Logan’s worried Java’s secret won’t be safe for long.
The Case of the Claymore Diamond Math Inspectors by Daniel Kenney and Emily Boever
MATH
Viva math! These friends love math and are proud of it — in fact, they’re sure they can use their math skills to solve crimes. This first mystery is about a jewelry store robbery. And they do solve it by finding clues that the police miss, freeing an innocent man. This is a delightful easy chapter book series.
The Computer Code Mystery by Justin Taylor, illustrated by Lindsay Hornsby
TECHNOLOGY
Celia and Anna use science, art, technology, engineering, and math (STEAM) to solve mysteries. They’re on the case when their video game is hacked.
Albert Hopper Science Hero by John Himmelman
GEOLOGY
Albert Hopper and his niece and nephew use his wormlike ship to dig into the center of the earth…but the ship gets stuck! The story contains lots of science, particularly geology vocabulary, which makes me think it will be too hard for many beginning readers. Nevertheless, it’s an exciting science adventure with engaging black and green illustrations.
Best STEM Science Middle Grade Books for Kids Ages 8 – 12
You’ll notice that I’ve indicated the major STEM themes within each story. (I’m considering inventors to be engineers if you’re wondering.)
I hope this list helps you find the best STEM and science books for your kids to read next.
Elements of Genius: Nikki Tesla and the Ferret-Proof Death Ray by Jess Keating
SCIENCE, TECH, ENGINEERING, MATH
Inventor Nikki Tesla joins a new school called the Genius Academy where she’s not the only genius and she’s supposed to start working well with others. (That will be hard!) When Nikki’s death ray is stolen from a locked safe, she and her classmates must collaborate to find it using all their STEM skills and hopefully, save the world. They follow clues around the world, thwart plots to divide their group, and capture the bad guy before he can use the death ray. Not only does this engrossing story feature smart kids who love STEM but the action and themes of friendship and growing up resonated and entertained me.
Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret by Trudi Trueit
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
This is National Geographic’s first fictional book series with full-color illustrations that hits the spot with an exciting mix of science, technology, adventure, and mystery. Newly accepted into the prestigious Explorer Academy for science and exploration, Cruz realizes that someone is trying to kill him; someone who doesn’t want him finding out about his mother’s mysterious research and untimely death. There’s tons of cool tech, amazing friendships, plot twists, plus an intriguing premise.
Explorer Academy Vela: The Sailor Cipher written by Trudi Trueit, illustrated by Kadijah Khatib
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
In this new series, we follow Sailor’s adventures on a new and improved boat called Vela. But just as she’s about to start classes, Sailor learns that her sister is missing and it might be due to her work for a secret organization. Despite worrying about her sister, Sailor needs to go undercover to find the mole in the secret organization, keep attending classes, and keep her powers of animal communication a secret. Action, intrigue, and adventure — plus great illustrations and writing make this a stand-out first book of a new must-read series.
Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
REALISTIC / STEM
An exquisite book that celebrates music, STEM, making friends, and growing into yourself. Emmy’s eager to start a new school and make friends but she’s thwarted by rudeness at every turn. A daughter of professional musicians, Emmy decides to accept that even though her entire life is music and she lives for music, she’ll never be a musician herself. So for an elective, she takes computer programming instead of music. A girl in her programming class named Abigail is friendly but only during class. Which makes Emmy feel both good for that little attention but angry at being kept a secret. As Emmy’s family adjusts to San Francisco, Emmy figures out her place in the world, especially as it relates to her growing love for programming.
Science Factopia! Follow the Trail of 400 STEM-tastic Facts written by Rose Davidson, illustrated by Andy Smith
This engaging nonfiction book is filled with information and eye-catching, colorful illustrated designs.
Dragon Vs. Unicorns: Kate the Chemist by Dr. Kate Biberdorf with Hillary Homzie
SCIENCE, SCIENTIFIC METHOD
Exciting from the first page (a fire breathing science experiment!!), this awesome new STEM chapter book series is hard to put down. There’s lots happening in Kate’s busy life every day but no matter if she’s dealing with science, the school play, or friends, she’s a determined problem solver. When she tries to figure out who is sabotaging the school musical, it’s going to take all her skills to find the culprit.
The Multiplying Mysteries of Mount Ten by Krista Van Dolzer
MATH
When Esther and her stepdad accidentally arrive at math camp, not art camp, they’re forced to stay due to a major storm. Then both her roommate and stepdad go missing and she receives clues about mythological monsters, one of whom might be a murderer. Delightful.
The Monarchs of Winghaven written by Naila Moreira
SCIENCE & CONSERVATION
In this gentle story about a nature-loving scientist girl named Sammie, Sammie loves observing the field she calls “Winghaven” and recording the flora and fauna she notices in her nature journal. But she doesn’t love it when a boy named Bram imposes on HER spot and gives her suggestions for improving her drawings. Even so, Bram’s photography of nature and friendliness wins Sammie over. Together, they start a summer study of the monarchs who live at Winghaven, inspired by a grad student they meet at Winghaven. When a shady deal involving the mayor and a developer would mean the destruction of the ecosystem for development, Bram and Sammie must figure out how to save and protect the land.
Control Freaks written by J.E. Thomas
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Doug’s thrilled about his school’s STEAMS competition. Well, all except for the S for sports and his misfit teammates. But he hopes that with this competition, he can prove himself to be nominated for the summer camp of his dreams: GadgetCon. Unfortunately, Doug’s dad, who is back in his life after a long absence, doesn’t think too highly of science and is pushing Doug into sports. Plus, his horrible new stepbrother is forcing Doug to do his homework for him. Talk about a tricky situation. Told from multiple points of view, this is the relatable coming-of-age story of a tech-loving boy with a complicated home and school life written by an author-educator who clearly understands middle schoolers.
Jack and the Geniuses at the Bottom of the World by Bill Nye and Gregory Mone
SCIENCE, TECHNOLOGY
Jack and his genius siblings, Ava and Matt, are orphans who start working for a scientist-inventor named Dr. Witherspoon. The three kids accompany their inventor boss to the Arctic for a science competition where they discover that one of the researchers has gone missing. Is it because she’s made the biggest discovery of her life and another scientist is jealous? This is a fun, science-filled STEM adventure great for kids who love mysteries and technology. (And did you notice it’s co-written by Bill Nye, the Science Guy? How cool is that?)
Nick and Tesla’s High-Voltage Danger Lab by Science Bob Pflugfleder and Steve Hockensmith
SCIENCE, ENGINEERING
Siblings, Nick and Tesla, are shipped off to live with their mad-scientist Uncle Newt for the summer while their parents are . . . doing something with soybeans in Uzbekistan? The duo discover that something very suspicious is happening at the old mansion down the street. They get to the bottom of the mystery using inventions and doing experiments. Plus, there are directions for you to do them at home, too. You’ll love this fast-paced, pro-science STEM series.
The Friendship Code #1 Girls Who Code by Stacia Deutsch
TECHNOLOGY
Lucy joins coding club so she can make an app for her uncle to remember his medications. But the class is moving TOO slow. Then, a mysterious letter arrives on her locker with instructions in code. The subsequent messages in code put her back in touch with old friends and help her build a new friendship. But who is sending her messages? Whoever it is, they’re teaching Lucy and her friends about input/output, conditionals, loops, and variables. To solve the mystery, the girls decide to write their own code . . . This series is off to a great start with an intriguing mystery, friendship dilemmas, and tangible coding knowledge. I’m impressed.
The Secret Science Alliance and the Copycat Crook by Eleanor DavisA group of unlikely science-geek friends solve a mystery in order to thwart a museum robbery. This is a fantastic (STEM) story.
Secret Coders: Get with the Program by Gene Luen Yang and Mike Holmes
TECHNOLOGY
What’s happening at Hopper’s new school? She and her friends discover something very amazing about the birds — they’re robotic and can be controlled by numbers. Which leads the kids to go up against the scheming, evil janitor. Readers learn some basics of how to use the programming language Logo with sequence, iteration, and selection, and must apply their knowledge to help the characters. Interactive with diverse main characters makes this a very well-done STEM graphic novel.
The Code Busters Club Case 1 The Secret of the Skeleton Key by Penny Warner
MATH
Use your math skills and deductive reasoning along with the main characters as they write and solve codes throughout this adventurous STEM mystery story.
Click’d by Tamara Ireland Stone
TECHNOLOGY
At coding camp, Allie makes an app to help kids can find new friends. When she returns to school, she releases it only to discover it has a major glitch. Relatable and engaging, this is a cool STEM-themed story of a middle school girl’s coding project that has unexpected consequences both positive and negative.
The Wollstonecraft Detective Agency The Case of the Missing Moonstone by Jordan Stratford, illustrated by Kelly Murphy
TECHNOLOGY
I LOVE this fantastically developed historical fiction story for several reasons – the girl-centric history is really interesting (and empowering), the characters are so well-developed, and the plot is a grand adventure! The author imagines a friendship between Ada Byron, genius daughter of Lord Byron and the world’s first computer programmer, and Mary Shelley, the world’s first science-fiction author who almost could have been friends in real life but for about a decade of years. Mary joins Ada to study with Ada’s tutor and the duo form a detective agency. In this first adventure, Mary and Ada learn about another historical figure who invented hypnotism and solve the case of a stolen heirloom.
Spin the Golden Light Bulb by Jackie Yeager
ENGINEERING
You’ll be inspired by 11-year old inventor-hopeful, Kia, and four classmates who live in 2071 and are getting the chance to compete for a spot at the Piedmont Inventor’s Prep School. They’ll have to be creative, work as a team, and use their STEM skills in order to succeed.
Brendan Buckley’s Universe and Everything In It by Sundee T. Frazier
SCIENCE BOOKS
Self-proclaimed scientist, Brendan, decides to use the scientific method to figure out what happened to his mother and grandfather’s relationship. He will discover that science can’t always figure out matters of human emotions, including prejudice.
–>See more books using the scientific method to solve problems.
The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate by Jacqueline Kelly
SCIENCE BOOKS
Set in the late 1800s, 11-year-old Calpurnia loves to observe the natural world. Despite society’s expectations, her grumpy grandpa helps Callie explore her interest in science. This is contrasted with her mother’s push for Callie to be like other girls with cooking and sewing. Callie struggles to find her way through the confusion of her family’s expectations and her own interests.
The Number Devil by Hans Magnus Enzensberger
MATH
Robert hates math. Until he dreams about the Number Devil. In his dreams, Robert discovers the relevance of mathematics which when he awakes, he later applies at school. From square roots to Fibonacci numbers to mathematical theory, Robert dreams of an amazing mathematical adventure.
KEEP READING
I have a new STEM book to share! It’s the first in a series of STEM based chapter books for younger readers. In the first book, Marie and Albert learn about gravity when they discover a secret lab at their school that turns it off! It’s a race to save their classmates from floating away! The adventure covers the topics of gravity, mass and scientist Isaac Newton.
Title: The Secret Laboratory, Gravity Gone! By: Kristen Bottger