The Top 10 Best STEM Books For Kids
This month started off with schools, libraries, makerspaces and homes across the country stopping and dropping to celebrate Read Across America Week (and of course, Dr. Seuss’ birthday). Parents, teachers and students alike had the opportunity to drop everything and read their favorite stories all week long with their students. This special week was established with the goal of investing kids in literacy and motivating them to get excited about reading both in school and at home.
Less than a month later, parents, teachers and students are now stopping and staying home while the role of engaging students in literacy has taken on a different look. Parents are unexpectedly taking on the role of reading, math, science, history and gym teachers all while trying to work at home. Teachers are facilitating read alouds over video and students have most likely already gone through every book in their home library. WhyMaker wants to support teachers and families while you make this transition to teaching STEM online.
That’s why we have been sharing our #DesignChallengeDaily posts on all of our social media channels everyday. We also want to make sure our kids keep reading, so we have put together this list of our favorite best STEM books that are available on Amazon right now to keep your students excited and engaged with reading and learning about science and technology at home!
You can also get them on your Kindle or Kindle App for immediate delivery. Check out info about Kindle memberships here!
"A non-fiction picturebook that tells the story of a team of forgotten women innovators, Jean Jennings Bartik, Kay McNulty Mauchly, and Betty Snyder Holberton, who hacked the first electronic computers to win the war and change the world."
The Crayon Man
"Celebrating the inventor of the Crayola crayon! This gloriously illustrated picture book biography tells the inspiring story of Edwin Binney, the inventor of one of the world's most beloved toys. A perfect fit among favorites like The Day the Crayons Quit and Balloons Over Broadway."
All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World
"For fans of the Who Was series, this lively, accessible, and full-color chapter book biography shows how a self-taught scientist was the first to observe the microbial life in and around us. By building his own microscope, Antony van Leeuwenhoek advanced humanity’s understanding of our oft-invisible world around us."
How to Become an Accidental Genius
"How to Become an Accidental Genius is full of inspiring tales of famous and lesser-known inventors who have changed the world...The book focuses on inventors from North America but includes stories from around the world. Organized into eleven chapters that highlight the qualities inventors have in common, the book also features profiles of inventive kids and teenagers."
Saving the Tasmanian Devil: How Science is Helping the World’s Largest Marsupial Carnivore Survive
"In this addition to the critically acclaimed Scientist in the Field series, Dorothy Patent follows the scientists trying to put a stop to a gruesome disease before it’s too late. Tasmanian devils are dying at an alarming rate from a type of tumor that appears to be contagious. What scientists are learning while researching the Tasmanian devil has potential to affect all animals, and even humans, as they learn more about how to prevent and hopefully eradicate certain genetic diseases."
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague (Amazing Scientists)
"After touring a German submarine in the early 1940s, young Raye set her sights on becoming an engineer. Little did she know sexism and racial inequality would challenge that dream every step of the way, even keeping her greatest career accomplishment a secret for decades. Through it all, the gifted mathematician persisted―finally gaining her well-deserved title in history: a pioneer who changed the course of ship design forever."
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge
"It was the first trip across an engineering marvel that had taken nearly fourteen years to construct. The woman's husband was the chief engineer, and he knew all about the dangerous new technique involved. The woman insisted she learn as well. When he fell ill mid-construction, her knowledge came in handy. She supervised every aspect of the project while he was bedridden, and she continued to learn about things only men were supposed to know: math,
science, engineering. Women weren't supposed to be engineers. But this woman insisted she could do it all, and her hard work helped to create one of the most iconic landmarks in the world. This is the story of Emily Roebling, the secret engineer behind the Brooklyn Bridge, from author-illustrator Rachel Dougherty."
The House That Cleaned Itself: The True Story of Frances Gabe’s (Mostly) Marvelous Invention
"Like most of us, Frances Gabe detested housework -- she found cleaning a "nerve-twangling bore". Unlike most of us, she invented a contraption to free herself from this tedious task forever: a self-cleaning house! Gabe's wacky, wonderful home included almost 70 new patented inventions, from a soap-spraying sprinkler in the ceiling to a kitchen cabinet that washed, dried, and stored dishes all in one place. Though Gabe's invention didn't catch on, her determination and clever thinking remind us that we don't have to accept the world as it is; we can improve it using our minds and our own two hands."
Born Just Right
"From tween advocate for limb difference and founder of Project Unicorn Jordan Reeves and her mom, Jen, comes an inspiring memoir about how every kid is perfect just the way they are. Her most famous invention, aptly called Project Unicorn, is a special prosthetic (that shoots glitter!) made with the help of a 3-D printer. A real-life superhero, Jordan is changing the world with her foundation, Born Just Right, which advocates and celebrates kids with differences, and helps them live their best possible life—just like Jordan is today!"
From an Idea to LEGO: The Building Bricks Behind the World’s Largest Toy Company
"Today, LEGO is one of the biggest toy companies in the world, but a long time ago, a Danish carpenter, Ole Kirk Christiansen, started with just an idea. Find out more about LEGO’s origins, those famous bricks, and their other inventive toys and movie ventures in this illustrated nonfiction book!"
*This list was adapted from the NSTA Best STEM Books of 2020.