When my daughter was little, we loved spending summer break reading books together. While she preferred mysteries, the science teacher in me loves to steer her in the direction of STEM books. Here are some of our all-time favorites so far. All of these are appropriate for the classroom or home use.
Including STEM Book in Your Classroom Library
Introducing STEM concepts early is crucial for developing critical thinking and problem-solving skills in students. Exposure to STEM in elementary school lays the foundation for future learning and sparks curiosity in young minds. Books in a classroom library can provide valuable access to these concepts, offering diverse and engaging choices that cater to different interests. By integrating STEM books into daily reading, teachers can inspire students to explore, ask questions, and discover the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and math. These books make learning interactive and enjoyable, fostering a lifelong love for STEM subjects.
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Early Elementary STEM Books
STEM books are a wonderful way to help young students in early elementary school imagine different worlds and explore new ideas. These books make science, technology, engineering, and math come alive with fun stories and colorful illustrations. They let children see themselves as curious scientists, inventive engineers, and tech-savvy problem solvers. By reading these engaging tales, students can dream big and picture themselves taking on exciting STEM adventures. Here are some top recommendations for early elementary STEM books that will spark imagination and inspire a love for learning.
Crash! Boom! A Math Tale
Follow Elephant who is trying to build the tallest tower. This book is great for developing counting skills and discussing the concept of engineering with your youngest students. Also, this is a great way to begin to explore the relationship between math an engineering.
Elephant explains the iterative nature of engineering while incorporating math concepts like counting, estimating and measuring. Your students love following the adorable Elephant through the problem-solving journey.
The Most Magnificent Thing
This is the story of a young girl who decides that she is going to make the most magnificent thing. Despite the fact that she always makes things, she fails over and over again to make the MOST magnificent thing. This book is a great introduction to the engineering design process and a fantastic way to discuss perseverance.
Explore ideas about struggle and perseverance as you watch a girl in her pursuit of creating the most magnificent thing.
Doll-E 1.0
Charlotte is a pro at all things tech. Then, she receives a doll as a gift. When she figures out that the doll has a hidden battery pack and a world of possibilities opens up. This book integrates tech and engineering in an exciting adventure.
Charlotte and her dog love tinkering with wires and gadgets. But then, she receives a doll as a gift. Despite her disappointment, she explores and find a battery pack in the back of the doll and finds a whole new appreciation for the doll.
Boxitects
Meg dazzles her teachers and friends with her ability to design things out of cardboard boxes. Unfortunately, she’s used to working alone. Then, she’s paired up with someone else and she is less than thrilled. This book explores the challenges that come with collaboration and makes for an excellent SEL/engineering integration lesson.
Who hasn't worked as a boxitect (cardboard box architect) at one point? Follow Meg through her journey as she explores the challenges that come with shifting from a solo builder to a member of a building team.
Izzy Gizmo
Izzy is an inventor/engineer who often creates contraptions that don’t quite work as planned. Then, she finds a crow with a broken wing and is determined to help out. While this book is great for kindergarten through second grade, it would be great for your first-grade class to pair with 1-LS1-1, then standard that introduces students to the concept of structure and function.
Izzy takes on the task of helping a crow with a broken wing. Even though she loves being an inventor her inventions often malfunction. Can she help the crow?
This is the story of the Mars rover’s adventure on Mars from the perspective of the rover. It is a beautifully illustrated book and is great for your students who are interested in space.
Upper Elementary STEM Books
For upper elementary students, STEM books provide an exciting way to dive deeper into science, technology, engineering, and math. These books blend fascinating facts with captivating stories, making complex topics easier to understand and enjoy. They encourage students to think critically, solve problems, and see the world through a scientific lens. With a mix of real-life stories, inventive characters, and thought-provoking scenarios, these books help students develop a strong interest in STEM subjects. Here are some top recommendations for upper elementary STEM books that will both educate and entertain.
Inventions that Could Have Change the World, But Didn’t
This book tells the story of inventions that would have been revolutionary, but for one reason or another, they didn’t work out. This is a funny, intriguing and engaging story that shows that things don’t always go as planned.
Explore ideas that could have been big, but just didn't work out. This book normalizes failure and fosters creativity.
Inga’s Amazing Ideas
This book takes place in 1888. Inga, an 11-year old orphan, is chosen to work as a mother’s helper for a family that lives in a blacksmith shop. Though Inga is supposed to be helping to maintain the household, she has other ideas. This book is the second book in the Floyd County Chronicle Series so there are more books if your readers love this as much as we did.
This story explore science and engineering concepts while following Inga, and orphan girl. It provides the opportunity to look at inventing and problem solving through the perspective of a pre-teen while also exploring the realities of life during the 1800's.
Girls Who Code Series
My daughter loves coding and mysteries, so the first book in the Girls Who Code book series was a favorite of hers. This series tracks the story of girls in a school coding club and their adventures in coding.
Lucy is super excited about her school's new coding club. Then she's asked to work with a group of girls she hardly knows. It's not until she starts getting weirdly coded messages that she realizes how much she needs the whole team.
Hidden Figures: Young Readers Edition
This is an amazing story, and an obvious choice… but I just couldn’t leave it off of my list. You likely already know this story of four African-American mathematicians who worked for NASA. This is the same story but written to make it more accessible for younger audiences to understand. While this book is recommended for students in grades 3-7, I would say that it is probably best for students in grades 5 and up, unless you have students who are up for a challenge.
If you loved the movie, but your students aren't ready for the full novel, this version makes the story accessible. I love this book because it shows the relationship between math and science through the true story of African American women at NASA.
Jack and the Geniuses
This series was written, in part, by Bill Nye the Science Guy, so you know it will be engaging and adventurous. Jack lives with his foster siblings, Ava and Matt, who are absolute geniuses. The trio ends up working in a lab, traveling to a science competition in Antartica, and getting involved in the mystery of a missing scientist. These books are best for students in 4th-7th grade.
What could be better than a series written by Bill Nye? This series is just as engaging and exciting as you would expect.
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