The Children’s Book Council Partners with Educators to Present the Best STEM Books
The First Children’s STEM Book List
New York, NY – January 18, 2017 – The Children’s Book Council (CBC) has announced the first-ever educator-vetted Best STEM Books list, a joint project of the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association (ITEEA), the National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), the Society of Elementary Presidential Awardees (SEPA), and the CBC. The Best STEM Books List is the first list to provide recommendations to educators, librarians, parents, and guardians for exceptional trade books with STEM content.
The fully annotated 2017 list is now available on the CBC website. The list will also be published in NSTA Reports and ITEEA’s Children’s Technology and Engineering magazine.
“STEM books encourage the habits of mind which will continue to nurture tomorrow’s innovators and entrepreneurs. So it’s vital that this genre be recognized and publicized,” says selection committee member Juliana Texley of Central Michigan University and Lesley University. “This project was made possible by a unique collaboration of five organizations. Just like in the engineering process, the diverse backgrounds of the participants helped make sure that all aspects of STEM innovation were recognized. We congratulate the publishers and authors, and hope that this award encourages more to come.”
Carrie Launius, Science and STEM Consultant NSTA District XI Director, said of the list, “STEM is in the national spotlight, requiring students to learn in different and innovative ways. Books modeling the process give even the earliest readers opportunities to apply divergent thinking skills. The Best STEM Books list provides readers with many pathways to generate creative ideas by exploring a plethora of solutions.”
Matt Poulter, Membership and Marketing Director for the Children’s Book Council, praised the selected books, saying, “The CBC is proud to partner with these esteemed organizations and to give wider attention to the authors and illustrators who create STEM content.”
The Best STEM Books list of 31 titles was culled from 328 submissions by a team of reviewers appointed by NSTA, ITEEA, SEPA, and ASEE. Titles were evaluated for their presentation of the STEM approach to problem solving, with an emphasis on innovation and divergent thinking. The project was coordinated by the Children’s Book Council over a four-month nomination and voting period.
About the Children’s Book Council (CBC)
The Children’s Book Council is the nonprofit trade association for children’s book publishers in North America. The CBC offers children’s publishers, from smaller independent presses to large international houses, the opportunity to work together on issues of importance to the industry at large, including educational programming, diversity in employment and books, literacy advocacy, and partnerships with other national organizations.
About the Best STEM Books List
Best STEM Books is a joint project of the American Society for Engineering Education, the International Technology and Engineering Educators Association, the National Science Teachers Association, the Society of Elementary Presidential Awardees, and the Children’s Book Council. The list aims to provide recommendations to educators, librarians, parents, and guardians for the best trade books with STEM content. The submission period for the 2018 list will open in June 2017. Find more information on submitting a title at the CBC.
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Media Contact:
Emma Kantor, Publicity and Digital Content Manager
Children’s Book Council and Every Child a Reader
212/966-1990 emma.kantor@cbcbooks.org
