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STEMbooks offer endlessopportunities for engagedlearning. They invite students to see theworld differently and to think in new waysabout what they observe.Teachers can use these books to fosterand model “minds-on” work. Parents,grandparents, and other caregivers caninvolve even the very youngest children inthe process of STEM thinking.We have chosen titles that provoke readers toexamine the “thinking stance” of characters—not simply to look at actions and results.How do we prepare 21st-century kids forchallenges and jobs that we at present cannoteven describe? The Best STEM Books helpby celebrating convergent and divergentthinking, analysis and creativity, persistence,and the sheer joy of figuring things out.Best STEM Books winners explore problemsand possible solutions in the scientific worldand, where applicable, in the lives of theprotagonists. Instead of focusing on specificcontent, the Best STEM Books emphasizereal-world issues that cross disciplinaryboundaries.
WINNING TITLESAstronaut-AquanautCounting BirdsJennifer SwansonNational Geographic KidsHeidi E. StempleIllustrated by Clover RobinThe Quarto Group/Seagrass PressHow Space Science and SeaScience InteractChoose to blast off or take a dive deepinto this intriguing text where readers usedivergent thinking to explore outer space orthe vast ocean.The Idea that Helped SaveOur Feathered FriendsBird enthusiast Frank Chapman is tiredof watching birds being killed for huntingand fashion, so he devises a plan that is stillused today to protect and save our featheredfriends!The Brilliant DeepRebuilding the World's Coral ReefsKate MessnerIllustrated by Matthew ForsytheChronicle BooksSubtle tones and warm, glowingillustrations highlight the passionate andinnovative efforts of Ned Nedimyer and hisenvironmental conservancy and coral reefrestoration project.ChampionCRASH! BOOM! A Math TaleRobie H. HarrisIllustrated by Chris ChattertonCandlewick PressThe persistence shown by Elephant duringseveral revisions of the design lets childrenknow it is ok to have failures as long as youkeep trying. Introduction to mathematicsconcepts.The Comeback Tale of theAmerican Chestnut TreeCuriositySally M WalkerMacmillan Children's Publishing Group /Henry Holt and Co. (BYR)Markus MotumCandlewick PressThe American Chestnut Tree survivesdue to the efforts of researchers andconservationists. This secondary leveltreatment of STEM in forestry is readableand informative.The Story of a Mars RoverFind out the story behind the technologicalwonder of Curiosity, the NASA roveron Mars, that is working to help answerscientists’ questions about the Red Planet.Cyrus Field's Big DreamCountdown2979 Days to the MoonSuzanne SladeIllustrated by Thomas GonzalezPeachtree PublishersAn historical recounting of the push to bethe first country to land a man on the Moon,the book uses beautiful illustrations todescribe the daring vision shared by NASA.The Daring Effort to Lay the FirstTransatlantic Telegraph CableMary Morton CowanBoyds Mills Press/Calkins CreekBe amazed by Cyrus Field’s determinationand persistence in his 10-year effort to laythe first transatlantic telegraph cable linkingNorth America and Europe.
The Disappearing SpoonAnd Other True Tales of Rivalry, Adventure,and the History of the World from thePeriodic Table of the Elements(Young Readers Edition)Sam KeanLittle, Brown Books for Young ReadersKean uses engaging stories of personalitiesand rivalries to explain how the table,standard in any chemistry classroom,describes chemical behavior and predicts theexistence of elements.Doll-E 1.0Shanda McCloskeyLittle, Brown Books for Young ReadersTechy Charlotte loves to tinker but whenshe gets a doll she is puzzled what to dowith it but she figures out how to makeit “work”.The Girl with a Mind for MathThe Story of Raye MontagueJulia Finley MoscaIllustrated by Daniel RieleyThe Innovation PressRaye Montague decides to become anengineer and ends up changing the wayships are designed. The book looks at sexismand racial inequality.Google ItA History of GoogleThe House That Lou BuiltMae RespicioRandom House Children's Books/Wendy Lamb BooksDuring her quest to build a tiny house, Loudiscovers that her problem-solving skills canalso apply to struggles at home.How We Got to NowSix Innovations That Madethe Modern WorldSteven JohnsonPenguin Young Readers/Viking BFYRFrom sand to smartphones and frommicroscopy to sanitation, kids can explorethe world’s most important innovations andhow they impact us today.Inga's Amazing IdeasAnn RubinoCatreeOff the orphan train, Inga isn’t the boy heradoptive parents were looking for. But herinventive spirit helps family and communityin this period novel for elementary readers.Izzy GizmoPip JonesIllustrated by Sara OgilviePeachtree PublishersThis book tells the story of a young inventorwho uses her creativity and problem-solvingskills to help a crow fly again.Anna Crowley ReddingMacmillan Children's Publishing Group/Feiwel & FriendsFrom its start as BackRub, discover thehumble beginnings of Google that havespurred on innovative technological ideasinspired by creators Sergey Brin andLarry Page.Joan Procter, Dragon DoctorThe Woman Who Loved ReptilesPatricia ValdezIllustrated by Felicita SalaRandom House Children's Books/Alfred A. Knopf BFYRDelightful portrayal of Joan Procter’scontributions to reptile research andinnovative work with Komodo Dragons.
Nothing Stopped SophieSpring After SpringCheryl BardoeIllustrated by Barbara McClintockLittle, Brown Books for Young ReadersStephanie Roth SissonMacmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook PressYoung Sophie does not take no for an answerand becomes a successful mathematicianagainst all odds. Her life teaches us greatdetermination.This pictorial Rachel Carson biographyillustrates how Carson’s writings andearly love of nature led to a nationalenvironmental movement.Otis and Will Discover the DeepWhen Sparks FlyBarb RosenstockLittle, Brown Books for Young ReadersKristen FultonIllustrated by Diego FunckSimon & Schuster/Margaret K. McElderry BooksWhile submersibles study the deep oceantoday, find out how two curious scientists,Will Beebe and Otis Barton, bravely tookthe first deep-sea dive in the Bathyspherein 1930.Through lively text and colorful illustrations,this book describes the journey of RobertGoddard, father of US rocketry, and revealshow childhood curiosity paved the way forspace exploration.Salamander RescueThe Wright BrothersThe Story of Unshakable MathematicianSophie GermainThe Record-Setting Dive of theBathysphereIllustrated by Katherine RoyPamela McDowellIllustrated by Kasia CharkoOrca Book PublishersIn this chapter book, children observeand implement solutions of salamandermigration to make positive change for theenvironment.How Rachel Carson Inspired theEnvironmental MovementThe True Story of Robert Goddard, theFather of US RocketryNose-Diving into History (Epic Fails #1)Eric Slader and Ben ThomsonMacmillan Children's Publishing Group/Roaring Brook PressUsing both humor and facts, Orville andWilbur Wright’s mishaps and successes inachieving powered, piloted flight are relatedin this accessible, well-illustrated book.Spin the Golden LightbulbJackie YeagerIllustrated by Gabrielle EspositoAmberjack PublishingA sixth grader competes for a place in afuturistic school for inventors. The fictionalplot provides great discussions of theprocess of innovation in this novel formiddle readers.Full reviews of these books are available online atwww.nsta.org/publications/stembooks
Full reviews of these books will be available in theFebruary 2019 issues of NSTA’s K–12 journals and online atwww.nsta.org/publications/stembooks
Best STEM Books winners explore problems and possible solutions in the scientific world and, where applicable, in the lives of the protagonists. Instead of focusing on specific content, the Best STEM Books emphasize real-world issues that cross disciplinary boundaries. Teachers can use these boo
