STEM Friday

January 5, 2024January 4, 2024

One Tiny Bubble

One Tiny Bubble: The Story of Our Last Universal Common Ancestor
by Karen Krossing (Author) and Dawn Lo (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Meet LUCA–our Last Universal Common Ancestor, the itty-bitty organism that every unique life-form on Earth can be traced back to. This sprinkle-sized blob was formed from the dust of exploded stars, water, and a lot of heat. LUCA was a single cell that split into two, and these cells multiplied into more organisms that grew and changed. Over the billions of years that followed, the descendants of LUCA evolved into bacteria, mushrooms, sharks, fir trees, lions–and humans! All the extraordinary life on Earth began with LUCA, through a miraculous process that could also occur on other planets.

Snippet:
LUCA was a squishy blob with no legs or arms.
No eyes or mouth.
Tinier than a cupcake sprinkle,
it triggered mighty changes on our planet.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

December 15, 2023December 14, 2023

Wheels Make the World Go Round

Wheels Make the World Go Round: Simple Machines for Kids
by Andi Diehn (Author) and Micah Rauch (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Learn how wheels work along with axles and how they use mechanical advantage to make it easier to move heavy objects from one place to another.

Snippet:
If you were designing a wheelbarrow,
how would you make it move
so you could easily push it?

Skis?
Stilts?
Springs?

BONUS! Download the Teacher’s Guide

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

December 8, 2023December 7, 2023

Superpowered Animals

Superpowered Animals: Meet the World’s Strongest, Smartest, and Swiftest Creatures
by Soledad Romero Mariño (Author) and Sonia Pulido (Illustrator)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Learn fascinating facts about 22 of the most incredible animals on Earth.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

December 1, 2023November 30, 2023

Engineering in Plain Sight

Engineering in Plain Sight: An Illustrated Field Guide to the Constructed Environment
by Grady Hillhouse (Author)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: In his book trailer the author introduces the book and show snippets from several chapters.

Snippet:
Table of contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Electrical Grid
Chapter 2: Communications
Chapter 3: Roadways
Chapter 4: Bridges and Tunnels
Chapter 5: Railways
Chapter 6: Dams, Levees, and Coastal Structures
Chapter 7: Municipal Water and Wastewater
Chapter 8: Construction Glossary

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 17, 2023November 16, 2023

Asking Questions

My new Focus on STEM column, Asking Questions, is in the free November Quick Tips for Schools and Libraries newsletter from Booklist.

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

November 3, 2023November 2, 2023

Drones in Action (Military Machines)

Drones in Action (Military Machines)
by Mari Bolte (Author)
@ Amazon* | Bookshop*

Booktalk: Explore the seas and skies with drones, some of the US military’s most innovative machines. Readers will discover the types of missions drones undertake and how they help soldiers stay one step ahead on the battlefield.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

October 27, 2023October 26, 2023

Super Space Weekend: Adventures in Astronomy

Super Space Weekend: Adventures in Astronomy (Science Adventure Club)
by Gaëlle Alméras (Author) and David Warriner (Translator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: It’s a beautiful evening when Squeak, Orni, and Castor head out for a weekend of camping. But Squeak has a surprise: he’s hosting them all in his observatory, high at the top of a tree. Readers of this graphic novel for kids 7+ will join the three friends as they explore the night sky, our solar system, and how our universe was created.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

October 20, 2023October 19, 2023

How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up

How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up
by Ruth Spiro (Author) and Teresa Martinez (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: An in-the-know narrator instructs perceptive kid readers in the fine art of explaining coding to a grown-up. Both children and their adults learn the basics of coding, including hardware, software, algorithms, and debugging.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

October 13, 2023October 12, 2023

Nature’s Yucky in the Sea

Nature’s Yucky in the Sea: Gross Stuff that Helps Ocean Animals Survive
by Lee Ann Landstrom (Author), Karen I. Shragg (Author), and Rachel Rogge (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: Discover creepy behaviors and disgusting facts about sixteen creatures of the ocean, including lightning whelks, sharknose gobies, and donkey dung sea cucumbers.

Snippet: Did you know…
that Donkey Dung Sea Cucumbers,
those knobby, squishy, sea star cousins,
squirt their guts out of their butt
when afraid?

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)

October 6, 2023October 5, 2023

Night Owl Night

Night Owl Night
by Susan Edwards Richmond (Author) and Maribel Lechuga (Illustrator)
@ Amazon | Bookshop

Booktalk: Sova’s mother is a scientist who studies birds and their migratory patterns. Each night she goes into the woods to conduct research, and finally Sova is old enough to join her. Securing headlamps, Sova and her mother head into the woods to capture, measure, and release saw-whet owls. Through the quiet night, Sova learns about the patience, persistence, and excitement that comes with conservation efforts and scientific research.

Snippet:

It’s STEM Friday! (STEM is Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics)