Engaging STEM Stories

3/23/2020

Calling all young scientists and engineers! Here's a selection of terrific upcoming STEM books that everyone should check out.

Some of these titles are already out in the world, and the rest are coming VERY soon -- we urge you, if you are able, to order or pre-order from your local independent bookstore or Bookshop.Org, as these small businesses need our support during this difficult time.

Click on the book jackets for links and more info!

TRACKING PYTHONS
by Kate Messner
Millbrook - March 3, 2020

Burmese pythons are native to Southeast Asia, so when one showed up dead along the side of a Florida highway in 1979, scientists wondered where it came from. No one knew the snakes had launched a full-scale invasion. Pet pythons that escaped or were released by their owners started breeding in the wild, and these enormous predators began eating every animal in their path. Delve into the science of pythons and their role as invasive predators.

ROVER THROWS A PARTY
by Kristin L Gray & Scott Magoon
Knopf - March 31, 2020

In 2013, NASA programmed their Curiosity rover to hum "Happy Birthday to You" in honor of its first year on Mars. Inspired by this anecdote, this is the tale of a lonely rover and his party, accompanied by fascinating Mars rover facts that help explain the real science behind the story. This fun birthday tale provides an accessible, kid-friendly look at one of NASA's coolest programs.

LIBBY LOVES SCIENCE by Kimberly Derting, Shelli R Johannes & Joelle Murray - Greenwillow - June 9, 2020

Libby and her friends volunteer to run the science booth at their school fair and have some great ideas, but Libby does not always follow directions precisely. Includes a worksheet for each experiment mentioned!

SOLVE THIS: FORENSICS
by Kate Messner & Anne Ruppert
NatGeo - March 19, 2020

C.S.I. meets National Geographic in this forensics-filled adventure. Examine the evidence and consider the suspects to put your crime-solving skills to the test.

Calling all budding sleuths! Solve your way through each entertaining, imaginary G-rated mystery to explore the forensic science of investigating and analyzing evidence. You'll study smudges on a computer keyboard, dust for fingerprints, examine bite marks on a discarded snack, analyze toxicology tests on blood samples, and much, much more. Piece together the clues to see if you can solve each case.

MACHINES THAT THINK!
by Don Brown - Abrams
April 28, 2020

The BIG IDEAS series is a funny and accessible Graphic Novel series about science and history... Machines That Think! explores machines from ancient history to today that perform a multitude of tasks, from making mind-numbing calculations to working on assembly lines. Included are fascinating looks at the world’s earliest calculators, the birth of computer programming, and the arrival of smartphones. Contributors discussed include Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi, Ada Lovelace, and Bill Gates. From the abacus to artificial intelligence, machines through the ages have pushed the boundaries of human capability and creativity.

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