Best STEM Books
A list of best STEM books chosen by STEM educators, co-sponsored by NSTA and CBC since 2017. Click here to see the downloadable lists.
A Computer Called Katherine
By: Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by:
Veronica Miller Jamison
Veronica Miller Jamison
ISBN: 9780316435178
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
A Dream of Flight
By: Jef Polivka and Rob Polivka
Illustrated by:
Rob Polivka
Rob Polivka
ISBN: 9780374306618
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
All in a Drop
By: Lori Alexander
Illustrated by:
Vivien Mildenberger
Vivien Mildenberger
ISBN: 9781328884206
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Buzzing with Questions the Inquisitive Mind of Charles Henry Turner
By: Janice N. Harrington
Illustrated by:
Theodore Taylor III
Theodore Taylor III
ISBN: 9781629795584
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography
Crayon Man
By: Natascha Biebow
Illustrated by:
Steven Salerno
Steven Salerno
ISBN: 9781328866844
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography
First Dinosaur
By: Ian Lendler
Illustrated by:
C.M. Butzer
C.M. Butzer
ISBN: 9781534427006
Nonfiction, 7-12 History
From an Idea to Lego
By: Lowey Bundy Sichol
Illustrated by:
C.S. Jennings
C.S. Jennings
ISBN: 9781328954930
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Full of Beans Henry Ford Grows a Car
By: Peggy Thomas
Illustrated by:
Edwin Fotheringham
Edwin Fotheringham
ISBN: 9781629796390
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography
Guitar Genius
By: Kim Tomsic
Illustrated by:
Brett Helquist
Brett Helquist
ISBN: 9781452159195
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
How to Become and Accidental Genius
By: Elizabeth MacLeod & Frieda Wishinsky
Illustrated by:
Jenn Playford
Jenn Playford
ISBN: 9781459816763
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Instructions Not Included
By: Tami Lewis Brown, Debbie Loren Dunn
Illustrated by:
Chelsea Beck
Chelsea Beck
ISBN: 9781368011051
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Karl’s New Beak
By: Lela Nargi
Illustrated by:
Harriet Popham
Harriet Popham
ISBN: 9781684460267
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Prairie Boy
By: Barb Rosenstock
Illustrated by:
Christopher Silas Neal
Christopher Silas Neal
ISBN: 9781629794402
nonfiction, 7-12, Biography
Samuel Morse, That’s Who!
By: Tracy Nelson Maurer
Illustrated by:
El Primo Ramón
El Primo Ramón
ISBN: 9781627791304
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
Save the Crash-test Dummies
By: Jennifer Swanson
Illustrated by:
TeMika Grooms
TeMika Grooms
ISBN: 9781682630228
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
The House That Cleaned Itself
By: Laura Dershewitz and Susan Romberg
Illustrated by:
Meghann Rader
Meghann Rader
ISBN: 9781943147656
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Titan and the Wild Boars
By: Susan Hood & Pathana Sornhiran
Illustrated by:
Dow Phumiruk
Dow Phumiruk
ISBN: 9780062907721
Nonfiction, 4-6, Action / Adventure
Ada Lovelace (The First Names Series)
By: Ben Jeapes
Illustrated by:
Nick Ward
Nick Ward
ISBN: 9781419740756
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Galileo! Galileo!
By: Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan
Illustrated by:
Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan
Holly Trechter and Jane Donovan
ISBN: 9781939360083
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Gnu and Shrew
By: Danny Schnitzlein
Illustrated by:
Anca Sandu
Anca Sandu
ISBN: 9781682631461
Fiction, 4-6, Action / Adventure
Machines in Motion
By: Tom Jackson
Illustrated by:
Chris Mould
Chris Mould
ISBN: 9781547603374
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Marie’s Ocean
By: Josie James
Illustrated by:
Josie James
Josie James
ISBN: 9781250214737
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Mission to the Bottom of the Sea
By: Jan Leyssens
Illustrated by:
Joachim Sneyers
Joachim Sneyers
ISBN: 9781605375311
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Numbers in Motion
By: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrated by:
Yevgenia Nayberg
Yevgenia Nayberg
ISBN: 9781939547637
Nonfiction, 7-12, Math
Smelly Kelly and His Super Senses
By: Beth Anderson
Illustrated by:
Jenn Harney
Jenn Harney
ISBN: 9781684373994
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Spaceman (Adaptation for Young Readers)
By: Mike Massimino
ISBN: 9780593120866
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
Who Gives a Poop?
By: Heather L. Montgomery
Illustrated by:
Iris Gottlieb
Iris Gottlieb
ISBN: 9781547603473
Nonfiction, 7-12, Health
Wood, Wire, Wings
By: Kirsten Larson
Illustrated by:
Tracy Subisak
Tracy Subisak
ISBN: 9781629799384
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Work It, Girl
By: Caroline Moss
Illustrated by:
Sinem Erkas
Sinem Erkas
ISBN: 9780711245150
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
The Polio Pioneer
By: Linda Elovitz Marshall
Illustrated by:
Lisa Anchin
Lisa Anchin
ISBN: 9780525646518
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Amara and the Bats
By: Emma Reynolds
Illustrated by:
Emma Reynolds
Emma Reynolds
ISBN: 9781534469013
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
Artificial Intelligence (STEAM & Me Series)
By: Dinah Williams
ISBN: 9781946260871
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
Bicycle
By: Lori Haskins Houran
Illustrated by:
Aaron Cushley
Aaron Cushley
ISBN: 9781635923940
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
Bones Unearthed (Creepy and True #3)
By: Kerrie Logan Hollihan
ISBN: 9781419755354
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Building Zaha
By: Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Illustrated by:
Victoria Tentler-Krylov
Victoria Tentler-Krylov
ISBN: 9781338282832
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Classified
By: Traci Sorell
Illustrated by:
Natasha Donovan
Natasha Donovan
ISBN: 9781541579149
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Code Breaker, Spy Hunter
By: Laurie Wallmark
Illustrated by:
Brooke Smart
Brooke Smart
ISBN: 9781419739637
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Cougar Crossing
By: Meeg Pincus
Illustrated by:
Alexander Vidal
Alexander Vidal
ISBN: 9781534461857
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
Eat Bugs!
By: Laura D'Asaro, Rose Wang, and Heather Alexander
Illustrated by:
Vanessa Flores
Vanessa Flores
ISBN: 9780593096178
Fiction, 7-12, Science
Einstein
By: Torben Kuhlmann
Illustrated by:
Torben Kuhlmann
Torben Kuhlmann
ISBN: 9780735844445
Fiction, 7-12, Animals
From Here to There
By: Vivian Kirkfield
Illustrated by:
Gilbert Ford
Gilbert Ford
ISBN: 9781328560919
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Glasses
By: Lori Haskins Houran
Illustrated by:
John Joven
John Joven
ISBN: 9781635924251
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
The Great Stink
By: Colleen Paeff
Illustrated by:
Nancy Carpenter
Nancy Carpenter
ISBN: 9781534449299
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Lady Bird Johnson, That’s Who!
By: Tracy Nelson Maurer
Illustrated by:
Ginnie Hsu
Ginnie Hsu
ISBN: 9781250240361
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
The Leaf Detective
By: Heather Lang
Illustrated by:
Jana Christy
Jana Christy
ISBN: 9781684371778
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
A Life Electric
By: Azadeh Westergaard
Illustrated by:
Júlia Sardà
Júlia Sardà
ISBN: 9780593114605
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Light Bulb
By: Kathleen Weidner Zoehfeld
Illustrated by:
Stephanie Dehennin
Stephanie Dehennin
ISBN: 9781635923964
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
Look, Grandma! Ni, Elisi!
By: Art Coulson
Illustrated by:
Madelyn Goodnight
Madelyn Goodnight
ISBN: 9781623542030
Fiction, 4-6, Math
Luna’s Yum Yum Dim Sum
By: Natasha Yim
Illustrated by:
Violet Kim
Violet Kim
ISBN: 9781623541309
Fiction, 4-6, Math
Maxine Greatest Garden Ever
By: Ruth Spiro
Illustrated by:
Holly Hatam
Holly Hatam
ISBN: 9780399186301
Fiction, 4-6, Science
Mimic Makers
By: Kristen Nordstrom
Illustrated by:
Paul Boston
Paul Boston
ISBN: 9781580899475
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Molly and the Mathematical Mysteries
By: Eugenia Cheng
Illustrated by:
Aleksandra Artymowska
Aleksandra Artymowska
ISBN: 9781536217100
Nonfiction, 7-12, How-to / Activity
Race to the Bottom of the Earth
By: Rebecca E. F. Barone
ISBN: 9781250257802
Nonfiction, 7-12, Action / Adventure
Secrets of the Sea
By: Evan Griffith
Illustrated by:
Joanie Stone
Joanie Stone
ISBN: 9780358244325
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
The Stuff Between the Stars
By: Sandra Nickel
Illustrated by:
Aimée Sicuro
Aimée Sicuro
ISBN: 9781419736261
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Thank You, Dr. Salk!
By: Dean Robbins
Illustrated by:
Mike Dutton
Mike Dutton
ISBN: 9780374313913
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Uma Wimple Charts Her House
By: Reif Larsen and Ben Gibson
ISBN: 9780593181188
Fiction, 4-6, Concepts
What Is Nintendo?
By: Gina Shaw and Who HQ
Illustrated by:
Andrew Thomson
Andrew Thomson
ISBN: 9780593093795
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Wonder Women of Science
By: Tiera Fletcher and Ginger Rue
Illustrated by:
Sally Wern Comport
Sally Wern Comport
ISBN: 9781536207347
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Bear Builds a House
By: Maxwell Eaton, III
Illustrated by:
Maxwell Eaton, III
Maxwell Eaton, III
ISBN: 9780823447145
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
Lion Lights
By: Richard Turere and Shelly Pollock
Illustrated by:
Sonia Possentini
Sonia Possentini
ISBN: 9780884488859
Nonfiction, 7-12, Background / Culture
Show and Tell! Great Graphs and Smart Charts
By: Stuart J. Murphy
Illustrated by:
Teresa Bellón
Teresa Bellón
ISBN: 9781580898232
Nonfiction, 7-12, Math
Superpower?
By: Elaine Kachala
Illustrated by:
Belle Wuthrich
Belle Wuthrich
ISBN: 9781459828278
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Action!
By: Meghan McCarthy
Illustrated by:
Meghan McCarthy
Meghan McCarthy
ISBN: 9781534452305
Nonfiction, 4-6, Music / Art
The Amazing World of Video Game Development
By: Denis Galanin
Illustrated by:
Denis Galanin
Denis Galanin
ISBN: 9781641707497
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
Blast Off!
By: Suzanne Slade
Illustrated by:
Sally Wern Comport
Sally Wern Comport
ISBN: 9781684372416
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Blips on a Screen
By: Kate Hannigan
Illustrated by:
Zachariah Ohora
Zachariah Ohora
ISBN: 9780593306710
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Concrete
By: Larissa Theule
Illustrated by:
Steve Light
Steve Light
ISBN: 9781536212501
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
Edward Lorenz and the Chaotic Butterflies
By: Robert Black
Illustrated by:
Christopher Tice
Christopher Tice
ISBN: 9780880927857
Nonfiction, Teen, Biography / Memoir
How Science Saved the Eiffel Tower
By: Emma Bland Smith
Illustrated by:
Lia Visirin
Lia Visirin
ISBN: 9781684464784
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science
How to Hear the Universe
By: Patricia Valdez
Illustrated by:
Sara Palacios
Sara Palacios
ISBN: 9781984894595
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Imhotep of Ancient Kemet
By: Ekiuwa Aire
Illustrated by:
Anastasia Kyrpenko and Simbarashe Langton Vera
Anastasia Kyrpenko and Simbarashe Langton Vera
ISBN: 9781777117993
Nonfiction, 4-6, History
In Our Garden
By: Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrated by:
Melissa Crowton
Melissa Crowton
ISBN: 9781984812100
Fiction, 4-6, Science
The Mystery of the Monarchs
By: Barb Rosenstock
Illustrated by:
Erika Meza
Erika Meza
ISBN: 9781984829566
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science
No Boundaries
By: Gabby Salazar and Clare Fieseler
ISBN: 9781426371769
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Penny, the Engineering Tail of the Fourth Little Pig
By: Kimberly Derting and Shelli R. Johannes
Illustrated by:
Hannah Marks
Hannah Marks
ISBN: 9781684464814
Fiction, 4-6, Science
Sleuth & Solve
By: Ana Gallo
Illustrated by:
Victor Escandell
Victor Escandell
ISBN: 9781797214559
Fiction, 7-12, Science
Something Great
By: Jeanette Bradley
Illustrated by:
Jeanette Bradley
Jeanette Bradley
ISBN: 9781646141715
Fiction, 7-12, Concepts
What Is Math?
By: Rebecca Kai Dotlich
Illustrated by:
Sachiko Yoshikawa
Sachiko Yoshikawa
ISBN: 9780316337779
Nonfiction, 4-6, Math
Zhang Heng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector
By: Randel McGee
Illustrated by:
Randel McGee
Randel McGee
ISBN: 9781641701686
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Before Colors
By: Annette Bay Pimentel
Illustrated by:
Madison Safer
Madison Safer
ISBN: 9781419757068
Nonfiction, 7-12, Music / Art
The Brilliant Calculator
By: Jan Lower
Illustrated by:
Susan Reagan
Susan Reagan
ISBN: 9781662680069
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Building a Dream
By: Darshana Khiani
Illustrated by:
Dow Phumiruk
Dow Phumiruk
ISBN: 9780802855473
Nonfiction, 7-12, Sports / Games / Recreation
Ellen Takes Flight
By: Doreen Rappaport
Illustrated by:
Oliver Dominguez
Oliver Dominguez
ISBN: 9780759554948
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Extra Life (Young Readers Adaptation)
By: Steven Johnson
ISBN: 9780593351499
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Friend of Numbers
By: Priya Narayanan
Illustrated by:
Satwik Gade
Satwik Gade
ISBN: 9780802856081
Nonfiction, 7-12, Math
George Washington’s Engineer
By: Darcy Pattison
Illustrated by:
Terry Kole
Terry Kole
ISBN: 9781629442204
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Giraffe Math
By: Stephen Swinburne
Illustrated by:
Geraldo Valério
Geraldo Valério
ISBN: 9780316346771
Nonfiction, 4-6, Math
A Girl Can Build Anything
By: E.E. Charlton-Trujillo, Pat Zietlow Miller
Illustrated by:
Keisha Morris
Keisha Morris
ISBN: 9780593463741
Fiction, 4-6, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism
How to Spacewalk
By: Michael J. Rosen, Kathryn D. Sullivan
Illustrated by:
Michael J. Rosen
Michael J. Rosen
ISBN: 9781536226218
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Jerry Changed the Game!
By: Don Tate
Illustrated by:
Cherise Harris
Cherise Harris
ISBN: 9781665919081
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Josephine and Her Dishwashing Machine
By: Kate Hannigan
Illustrated by:
Sarah Green
Sarah Green
ISBN: 9781635926217
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Moving the Millers’ Minnie Moore Mine Mansion
By: Dave Eggers
Illustrated by:
Júlia Sardà
Júlia Sardà
ISBN: 9781536215885
Nonfiction, 4-6, STEM / STEAM
Never Give Up
By: Debbie Dadey
Illustrated by:
Juliana Oakley
Juliana Oakley
ISBN: 9781728456331
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Plague-Busters!
By: Lindsey Fitzharris, Adrian Teal
Illustrated by:
Adrian Teal
Adrian Teal
ISBN: 9781547606030
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Rooting for Plants
By: Janice N. Harrington
Illustrated by:
Theadore Taylor III
Theadore Taylor III
ISBN: 9781662680199
Nonfiction, 7-12, BIPOC Characters and Creators
Santiago Saw Things Differently
By: Christine Iverson
Illustrated by:
Luciano Lozano
Luciano Lozano
ISBN: 9781536224535
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Sew Sister
By: Elise Matich
Illustrated by:
Elise Matich
Elise Matich
ISBN: 9780884489825
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
Transported
By: Matt Ralphs
Illustrated by:
Rui Ricardo
Rui Ricardo
ISBN: 9798887770208
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
American Wings—Chicago’s Pioneering Black Aviators and the Race for Equality in the Sky
By: Sherri L. Smith and Elizabeth Wein
ISBN: 9780593323984
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Artificial Intelligence
By: Edited by Avery Elizabeth Hurt
ISBN: 9781534509511
Fiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Bounce!
By: Sarah Albee
Illustrated by:
Eileen Ryan Ewen
Eileen Ryan Ewen
ISBN: 9781623543792
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Building a Beak—How a Toucan’s Rescue Inspired the World
By: Becca McMurdie
Illustrated by:
Diana Hernández
Diana Hernández
ISBN: 9781645678687
Nonfiction, 4-6, Animals
Calculating Chimpanzees, Brainy Bees, and Other Animals with Mind-Blowing Mathematical Abilities
By: Stephanie Gibeault
Illustrated by:
Jaclyn Sinquett
Jaclyn Sinquett
ISBN: 9781536230017
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
Codebreaker Charlotte
By: Cedar Wang
Illustrated by:
Cedar Wang
Cedar Wang
ISBN: 9781605379999
Fiction, 4-6, Historical Fiction
Else B. in the Sea—The Woman Who Painted the Wonders of the Deep
By: Jeanne W. Harvey
Illustrated by:
Melodie Stacey
Melodie Stacey
ISBN: 9781949480283
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
The Enigma Girls—How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II
By: Candace Fleming
ISBN: 9781338749571
Nonfiction, 7-12, History
Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube
By: Kerry Aradhya
Illustrated by:
Kara Kramer
Kara Kramer
ISBN: 9781682636640
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Evidence! How Dr. John Snow Solved the Mystery of Cholera
By: Deborah Hopkinson
Illustrated by:
Nik Henderson
Nik Henderson
ISBN: 9780593426814
Nonfiction, 7-12, Biography / Memoir
The Fabulous Fannie Farmer—Kitchen Scientist and America’s Cook
By: Emma Bland Smith
Illustrated by:
Susan Reagan
Susan Reagan
ISBN: 9781635926125
Nonfiction, 4-6, Food / Cooking
How Do You Turn Data into Drawings? A Statistics Book about Graphs and Data
By: Clayton Grider
Illustrated by:
Srimalie Bassani
Srimalie Bassani
ISBN: 9781486729708
Nonfiction, 7-12, Math
How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up
By: Ruth Spiro
Illustrated by:
Teresa Martínez
Teresa Martínez
ISBN: 9781623543198
Nonfiction, 4-6, Careers / Hobbies
The Little Green Swing (Little Ruby’s Big Ideas)
By: Brenda Maier
Illustrated by:
Sonia Sánchez
Sonia Sánchez
ISBN: 9781338816198
Fiction, 4-6, Science / Nature
Planning Grandma’s Party—Measurements, Fractions, and Fun
By: Lenka Chytilova/Helena Harastova
Illustrated by:
Xiana Teimoy
Xiana Teimoy
ISBN: 9788000072869
Nonfiction, 7-12, Math
The Shape of Things—How Mapmakers Picture Our World
By: Dean Robbins
Illustrated by:
Matt Tavares
Matt Tavares
ISBN: 9780593479254
Nonfiction, 4-6, History
Skybound! Starring Mary Myers as Carlotta, Daredevil Aeronaut and Scientist
By: Sue Ganz-Schmitt
Illustrated by:
Iacopo Bruno
Iacopo Bruno
ISBN: 9781635928150
Nonfiction, 4-6, Social Activism / Equality / Feminism
Sustainable Structures—15 Eco-Conscious Buildings Around the World
By: Kate McMillan
ISBN: 9780823455669
Nonfiction, 7-12, Art / Performing Arts
Up Periscope! How Engineer Raye Montague Revolutionized Shipbuilding
By: Jennifer Swanson
Illustrated by:
Veronica Miller Jamison
Veronica Miller Jamison
ISBN: 9780316565486
Nonfiction, 4-6, Biography / Memoir
Urban Coyotes
By: Mary Kay Carson
Illustrated by:
Tom Uhlman
Tom Uhlman
ISBN: 9780063271470
Nonfiction, 7-12, Animals
Whirligigs—The Wondrous Windmills of Vollis Simpson’s Imagination
By: Carole Boston Weatherford
Illustrated by:
Edwin Fotheringham
Edwin Fotheringham
ISBN: 9781662680410
Nonfiction, 4-6, Art / Performing Arts
Wildlife Crossings—Protecting Animal Pathways Around the World
By: Catherine Barr
Illustrated by:
Christiane Engel
Christiane Engel
ISBN: 9781536236255
Nonfiction, 4-6, Science / Nature
A Window into the Ocean Twilight Zone
By: Michelle Cusolito
ISBN: 9781623543020
Nonfiction, 7-12, Science / Nature
Yumbo Gumbo
By: Keila V. Dawson
Illustrated by:
Katie Crumpton
Katie Crumpton
ISBN: 9781623543259
Fiction, 4-6, Math
