Science, technology, engineering, and math—better known as STEM—are the bedrock of education and a growing field with secure futures and good-paying jobs. Many parents are looking for ways to encourage their kids to enjoy STEM, and one of the best ways to get kids interested in STEM fields is to make STEM part of their daily reading time, not just a specific class at school. In this article, we’ll take a look at ten STEM books that kids will want to read to help develop a passion for the STEM field. Our recommendations can help you find the right STEM book for everyone from your toddler straight through to older kids for lifelong STEM enthusiasm.
The List of the Best STEM Books for Kids
With STEM so important to your child’s future, it’s important to get them started young. It’s never too early to start learning about STEM.
- What Can I Be? STEM Careers from A to Z by Tiffani Teachey. This book for early readers introduces young readers to the idea of careers in the STEM field and helps kids to develop an appreciation for the many ways they can devote their lives to STEM. This book covers STEM fields that many kids may already know about but also a wide variety of STEM careers that might be completely new to them, helping them develop a broad appreciation of the many ways STEM fits into daily life.
- Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky. Young readers in kindergarten or elementary school will be thrilled by the stories of real-life scientists who made a lasting impact on science and the world. This book introduces kids to 50 women who helped shape the story of science.
- National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Space by Catherine Hughes and David Aguilar. Your preschooler, kindergartener, or early elementary student will be thrilled to learn about the secrets of the universe in this book of astronomy, complete with rich illustrations and easy-to-understand text.
- Math Curse by J. Scieszka and Lane Smith. This book helps kids to discover their inner mathematician by embedding lessons in equations and other math concepts in a narrative about a girl cursed to see math problems everywhere she looks. By engaging kids with a compelling story, Math Curse takes the intimidation factor out of math and makes problem-solving fun for kids and parents alike.
- The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay. This book for older children takes a deep dive into how our high-tech world works, with detailed illustrations designed to show how everything from Wi-Fi to windmills operates. With humorous text and compelling pictures, this book will help the mechanically inclined child develop a passion for learning how things work.
- Mistakes That Worked: 40 Familiar Inventions & How They Came to Be by Charlotte Foltz Jones. For middle-grade readers aged 8-12, this book is sure to delight with a wide range of entertaining tales of mix-ups, accidents, and failed experiments that helped produce some of the world’s best-loved and most familiar products. This book is also a thoughtful reflection on the importance of learning from our mistakes, and that mistakes aren’t always a bad thing. The book also emphasizes the creative and fun aspect of science.
- STEM Starters for Kids Geology Activity Book by Jenny Jacoby and Vicky Barker. Young readers with an interest in rocks will delight in this geological activity book that will help them to discover the many types of rock that make up our world. Going deeper, the book will help kids develop an appreciation of geological time and discover their inner geologist.
- Awesome Science Experiments for Kids: 100+ Fun STEM/STEAM Projects and Why They Work by Crystal Chatterton. For the active child in their first years of school, this book will outline more than one hundred science experiments they can conduct themselves. This hands-on approach to STEM learning is sure to get your child excited about STEM and eager to learn about the theories and principles behind the experiments. And who doesn’t love a good foam explosion? Most kids will cheer their way through this engaging set of experiments.
- Exploring Nature Activity Book for Kids: 50 Creative Projects to Spark Curiosity in the Outdoors by Kim Andrews. Get your young learners out of the house with fifty outdoor projects that will get your kid excited about the natural world. This book contains not just science lessons but also demonstrates the connection between STEM and the humanities with art and writing projects to supplement outdoor science adventures.
- Awesome Engineering Activities for Kids: 50+ Exciting STEAM Projects to Design and Build by Christina Schul. Help your little ones become enthusiastic about engineering with these kid-appropriate hands-on experiments and activities to show kids the basic principles behind engineering. Who doesn’t love building a marshmallow tower to see how high it will go? These simple projects will show young learners basic engineering principles in an age-appropriate way.
Wrapping Up about STEM Books for Kids
Once your kids get older and enter into serious STEM studies in school, they’ll likely need a little boost with their STEM homework. Online homework experts from a service like MyAssignmentLab.com can make a major difference. When you pay someone to do assignments for you, you can benefit from an expert’s understanding of your homework problems, showing you exactly the right way to approach even the hardest homework in science, technology, engineering and math.