Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Books
A Brief History of Life on Earth
by Clémence Dupont (Author / Illustrator)
Booktalk: The story of life on earth unfolds era by era in this concertina book that takes readers from 4.6 billion years ago to the present day. When the book is fully open, the timeline is as long as a triceratops! (That’s 26 feet / 8 meters.)
Snippet:
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Otters, Snails and Tadpole Tails: Poems from the Wetlands
by Eric Ode (Author) and Ruth Harper (Illustrator)
Booktalk: An homage to all things wetland. From raccoons to muskrats, frogs to heron, it’s a celebration of biodiversity, art, poetry, and healthy ecosystems.
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Soar High, Dragonfly
by Sheri M. Bestor (Author) and Jonny Lambert (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Dragonflies are some the world’s most beautiful (and fascinating!) insects — and one many children can find right in their backyards! This scientific look at a dragonfly’s life-cycle includes informative sidebars that let children learn even more about these amazing insects.
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It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
The Everyday Journeys of Ordinary Things
by Libby Deutsch (Author) and Valpuri Kerttula (Illustrator)
Booktalk: Young children are full of questions about how the world works; the processes and machinations behind the scenes. Why does a light come on when you flick a switch? How can cheese from the supermarket have come out of a cow? What happens when you send a text? Where does your poo go when you flush?(!) All very good questions, and all explained–along with many more–with flowing illustrations and chunks of text from the early beginnings to the very end.
Snippet:
See the book trailer.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Explorer Academy: The Nebula Secret
by Trudi Trueit (Author)
Booktalk: Cruz leaves his tranquil home in Hawaii to join 23 talented kids from around the globe to train at the Explorer Academy with the world’s leading scientists to become the next generation of great explorers. But for Cruz, there’s more at stake. No sooner has he arrived at the Academy than he discovers that his family has a mysterious past with the organization that could jeopardize his future. In the midst of codebreaking and cool classes, new friends and augmented reality expeditions, Cruz must tackle the biggest question of all: Who is out to get him, and why?
Snippet: It wasn’t a swish, like a fish or turtle passing. It was a good pull. And it could mean only one thing: shark! Cruz tried to slide to the left side of his board, away from the shark, but it had a firm hold on his ankle. He was being dragged down, away from the surface.
Don’t panic! KICK!
Cruz clung to his surfboard, the only thing that would keep him afloat, and kicked with all his might. If he could manage to turn around, he could use the board to bop the shark on the nose and break loose. As he struggled, a million thoughts raced through his head.
Stupid! Sharks feed at dusk. You should have gone in when Dad called. You’re not supposed to drown. Stupid!
He was swallowing water. He couldn’t breathe.
No. No! NO!
The words pounded in rhythm to his heart.
He would not die this way.
With his lungs burning and his energy waning, Cruz twisted his body in one last effort to strike a blow. He lashed out and his fist hit something smooth and hard. Bubbles swarmed around him. He saw a yellow snake. No! A tube. This was no shark. It was a person!
See the book trailer.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Solve This!: Wild and Wacky Challenges for the Genius Engineer in You
by Joan Marie Galat (Author)
Booktalk: From the first wheel to the International Space Station, the miracles of engineering are all around us. Think cars, bridges, skyscrapers, and yes — even bubble wrap! Engineers dream up new ideas and bring them to life while figuring out creative solutions to problems they encounter along the way. But how do they do it? Find out as YOU take the challenges in this book! Then see how different National Geographic explorers tackled the challenge. (Psst! There’s often more than one solution!)
Snippet:
The Situation:
Your friend left a library book at your house, but you can’t return it because you’re quarantined with the flu. Fortunately, you live next door to one another and your bedroom windows are across a mere 15-foot (5-m) expanse. How can you deliver the goods without leaving your room?
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
The Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
by Valerie Bodden (Author)
Booktalk: A historical account–including eyewitness quotes–of the devastating 2010 explosion on the Deepwater Horizon oil rig and the resulting oil spill’s harmful environmental impact, ending with how the disaster’s victims are memorialized today.
Snippet:
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
The Squirrel Manifesto
by Ric Edelman (Author), Jean Edelman (Author), and Dave Zaboski (Illustrator)
Booktalk: A modern-day fable in the spirit of The Ant and the Grasshopper that teaches kids–and their parents–the value of spending money, saving for the future, and giving to charity.
Snippet:
If we save just a little
a couple nuts at a time,
it leads to what matters:
Squirrel Peace of Mind.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
Sea Bear: A Journey for Survival
by Lindsay Moore (Author / Illustrator)
Booktalk: A solitary polar bear travels across the sea ice in pursuit of food. As the ice melts and food becomes scarce, she is forced to swim for days. Finally, storm-tossed and exhausted, she finds shelter on land, where she gives birth to cubs and waits for the sea to freeze again. Includes backmatter about Arctic animals, climate change, and sea ice.
Snippet:
Polar bears are patient beasts,
as patient as glaciers.
We know how to hope and how to wait.
I learned to be patient long ago
from my polar bear mother–
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.
My new Focus on STEM column: Math Magic is in the February Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter.
Booktalk: Make math fun and approachable with these pattern- and comparison-based projects.
Snippet: With only 28 days, February is the shortest month of the year–and halfway through it comes Valentine’s Day. After you teach the littlest ones to fold that red paper in half (using symmetry and scissors) to make a valentine, add a few more mathematics tricks to your repertoire. With these new books, activities, and tricks, mathematics can also be math-magic!?
Click here to see the six #kidlit math books and ten mathematics tricks in Math Magic.
It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)
Copyright © 2019 Anastasia Suen All Rights Reserved.