By Preston Frazier / August 13, 2020

STEMspired books that encourage

“Books are the quietest and most constant of friends; they are the most accessible and wisest of counselors, and the most patient of teachers.”
– Charles W. Eliot

I am a huge fan of books. Self-help books. Funny books. Sports biography books. History books. Cookbooks (hey, I like food 😊). You name it, and I’ll probably read it. You probably think I’m joking, but I’ve been known to pick up even a dictionary and read that too!

The fact of the matter is, I absolutely LOVE books.

I think my affection for reading stems from my time as a child when I spent countless hours at the library exploring the rows upon rows upon rows of books. My mom would drop me off, and I would literally stay there for most of the day.

I also love STEM. I love seeing children of all ages learn through science, technology, engineering, and math. There’s nothing better than seeing a child’s eyes light up when they have that “aha!” moment and solve a problem.

It only makes sense then that I would want to share some popular STEM books with you, right?

I can see your head nodding up and down in approval.

So, let’s jump into it! I want to share with you some of our favorite STEM books that will be sure to be a big hit in your classroom with your AMAZING students.

Read These Pitsco Favorites

One book we would recommend is How to Code a Sandcastle by Josh Funk. This book tells the story of Pearl as she struggles to build the perfect sandcastle. After multiple attempts, she ultimately decides to use coding to help her get the job done. This book is great because it introduces real-world coding and problem-solving concepts.

At the end of the day, that is exactly what coding is! Coding is just a means to solving a problem. I would suggest after reading this book to teach your students some basic coding concepts such as loops and functions. Our Code Cube™ would be a great complement to this exciting read!

Another favorite of ours is the STEMspired book What Do You Do with an Idea? by Kobi Yamada. This book is special because it shows the power of an idea and encourages the reader to bring new ideas into the world regardless of what others might think.

We all know creativity and innovation are needed. Entrepreneurship is needed as well. I LOVE this book for those reasons! You could read this book to the class and then let your students create, innovate, and present their ideas (either virtually or in person).

Have your students answer these important questions as they create their ideas:

  • What problem does my idea solve?
  • How does my idea help others?
  • How can I bring my idea to more people?
  • What is holding me back from creating new ideas?

You’ll be surprised at what your students will come up with!

If you knew me, you would soon realize I am an avid baseball fan. I enjoy everything about America’s pastime. So, when you can tie baseball and STEM into a book, you have my full attention. That is what you get with Randy Riley’s Really Big Hit by Chris Van Dusen. In this book lies the story of Randy Riley, who manages to save his town by applying STEM to solve a serious problem.

Do you see a common trend among the three books I shared? They all involve problem-solving and critical thinking in some form or fashion, which is exactly what STEM is about.

Pretty cool, huh?

Stay booked with more STEM reads and connected activities with Carly and Adam! Here’s a few readings with connected activities to start turning the page:

And, be sure to check out “Our Favorite Back to School Read Aloud STEM Challenges.”

We Need Your Favorites

While these books are filled with STEMspiration on every page, I understand these aren’t the only books out there in the world. There are so many others! Especially in a time when people seem to be reading more, this is the perfect time to share ideas and favorites with each other. After all, we are in this crazy time together, right?!

We’d love for you to share your best STEM books and why they are your favorites in the comments below.

Stay safe, be well, and continue to do what you’re doing. YOU are doing a great job!

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TOPICS: IN THE CLASSROOM, BEYOND THE CLASSROOM, IDEAS & INSPIRATION, Teacher Resources, STEM, Resources, Engineering, Coding, Activities, STEAM

Preston Frazier

Written by Preston Frazier

Hi all! I’m one of Pitsco’s education advisors and have the pleasure of serving the Midwest. I travel quite a bit visiting with teachers and presenting at workshops whenever I have the opportunity to do so. I’m an alum of the University of Missouri and Pittsburg State University and a supporter of our Big Brothers Big Sisters local chapter. I love traveling, going to sporting events, and hanging out with my wife and daughter whenever possible.