Recently, I posted a poll in The {Virtual} Family Book Club at My Little Poppies asking parents to share what their children were interested in reading this summer and the top pick was science and nature books.

Today, I am sharing our family’s favorite books for young scientists.

 15+ Superb Books for Young Scientists

Our family’s favorite science and nature books 

Carefully selected, high-quality read alouds are the spine of our homeschooling. By sharing great books with my children, I am able to cover a variety of subjects. We love to read science and nature books. Here are some of our family’s favorites.

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark

I love when I find high-quality, engaging biographies to share with my children, especially when they feature important women. Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine tells the story of Ada Byron, daughter of poet Lord Byron. From the time she was a little girl, Ada was fascinated with science and mathematics. She was a creative thinker who had to overcome a terrible case of the measles which left her blind and paralyzed for a period of time. She went on to create what is considered to be the first computer algorithm… over 100 years before computers were invented!

 

Ada’s Ideas: The Story of the World’s First Computer Programmer by Fiona Robinson

Award-winning author and illustrator Fiona Robinson will take your children on a fantastic journey through the life and times of Ada Byron Lovelace in this beautifully illustrated book. Ada Lovelace was the daughter of poet Lord Byron and mathematician Anna Isabella Milbanke. Ada’s childhood was fraught with illnesses. Her parents separated when she was young and Ada’s mother pushed her to reject her father and the arts and to embrace mathematics. Still, Ada continued to be fascinated by the arts and mathematics and considered the two to be compatible. Later, through her friendship with inventor Charles Babbage, Ada became involved in the development of his “Analytical Engine”, a predecessor of the modern-day computer. Ada is therefore considered to be the world’s first computer programmer. This is a story of resilience and passion that is sure to inspire.

Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beatty

Andrea Beatty and David Roberts are back with the highly-anticipated companion to their best-selling and super popular Rosie Revere, Engineer and Iggy Peck, Architect. Our family has been waiting for this book for months and it did not disappoint! In fact, I think it is the best of the series.

Inspired by Ada Lovelace and Marie Curie, Ada Marie Twist is sure to capture your heart. Ada is an energetic child with boundless curiosity and endless ideas. Her imagination is incredible and she is driven to solve problems. In the process, she nearly drives her parents crazy but rather than squelching her passion and drive, they support her and help her to thrive.

Truth be told, I cried the first time I read this book to my children. It was that good. It was so good that we immediately read it again. And then we read it at bedtime, twice. When my husband got home from work, I told him to read it.

I highly recommend this book to all parents, but if you are the parent of an asynchronous, gifted kiddo, or if you’ve had to make nontraditional choices to support your child’s learning, you must read this book. I bet you will cry, too!

Animalium by Jenny Broom

I remember paging through this book at a local bookstore and getting lost in its covers. I could not put it down! I’ve since fallen for other titles in the Welcome to the Museum series. This series marries art and history and facts in a way that is fantastically entertaining for all ages. In this book, your children will learn about the animal kingdom through gorgeous illustrations and text. This oversized book would make a great addition to any family library and would be a perfect coffee table book.

Gardening Lab for Kids: 52 Fun Experiments to Learn, Grow, Harvest, Make, Play, and Enjoy Your Garden (Hands-On Family) by Renata Fossen Brown

Last summer, my husband built a raised garden bed. After years of talking about starting a garden, we finally got our hands dirty. I found this book at our local used bookstore and purchased it to celebrate our first summer of growing. It did not disappoint! This book covers over fifty-two experiments to keep your family busy all year long. As a homeschooling mom, I am always hunting for multi-age material and this book fits the bill.

Me… Jane by Patrick McDonnell

I love this story because it shows Jane Goodall as a little girl, toting around her stuffed chimpanzee, exploring the world around her, and dreaming about working with animals. Dr. Goodall had a dream to work with chimpanzees from an early age and she worked hard to see the dream realized. Goodall is a wonderful example of intelligence and kindness and she has made remarkable discoveries. I love to share this story with my children.

Professor Astro Cat’s Frontiers of Space by Dominic Walliman

I love when I find enticing nonfiction books for young readers! This book features bold illustrations with a retro feel and the main character is a quirky cat named Professor Astro. Your children can’t help but be drawn to this book, which is jam-packed with facts about space exploration, our solar system, and technology. It is a book that parents will enjoy as much as their children.

Nature Anatomy by Julia Rothman

I purchased this book to use as part of our nature curriculum this year. My children are enamored with art and nature, and this book marries the two well. Rothman’s sketches are fantastic. The art in this book inspires my children to dust off their nature journals and start doodling! The text provides an overview of various concepts. My children get lost in this book. They love it so much that I purchased Rothman’s Farm Anatomy to add to our nature bookshelf!

 On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne

Sometimes, it can be hard for children to relate to famous scientists. I love when I find books that make these amazing humans relatable to small children. Like Me… Jane and Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, On a Beam of Light starts off with Albert Einstein the child. The book describes how, as a child, Albert was not like other children. He spoke very late, he was disruptive in class, and he didn’t like to wear socks. In other words, he wasn’t perfect. And yet, he went on to do great things. This inspiring book has become a favorite in our home.

Snowflake Bentley by Jacqueline Briggs Martin

This Caldecott-winning book tells the story of Wilson A. Bentley, who grew up on a farm in snowy Vermont. As a boy, Bentley was fascinated with snowflakes. Later, Bentley developed a technique for photographing his beloved snowflakes. This book is a gorgeously illustrated biography that tells a tale of scientific discovery, art, and perseverance.

The Burgess Animal Book for Children by Thornton W. Burgess

My children adore both The Burgess Animal Book for Children and The Burgess Bird Book for Children. Both volumes are science and nature-packed storybooks. Told from the perspective of birds and animals, these stories will captivate young minds. My oldest son loves to read these books to his younger siblings. I am always amazed by how much learning takes place during these sweet sibling sessions.

The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe by Theodore Gray

This is the book that started our chemistry obsession. Gray’s book is beautiful. It is mesmerizing no matter your age. The striking photographs and illustrations in this gorgeous, oversized book make a perfect coffee table book or conversation starter. We love this book so much that we ended up getting the card deck that goes with the book. Later, we added Molecules: The Elements and the Architecture of Everything and Solar System: A Visual Exploration of All the Planets, Moons, and Other Heavenly Bodies that Orbit Our Sun. Both books are as stunning and engaging as Elements.

The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Book by Tom Robinson

My children have loved this series for years and this volume is no exception. The Everything Kids’ Science Experiments Books is chock-full of simple but fun science experiments that you can easily perform at home. It is the perfect starter book for the little science enthusiast in your life. We have had the book for several years and now, at 8-, 6-, and 4-years-old, my children can navigate many of these experiments almost independently. It makes for a perfect rainy day activity!

The Handbook of Nature Study by Anna Botsford Comstock

I had thought about purchasing this book forever. It just sat in my Amazon cart and never made it to our house. And then we discovered Exploring Nature with Children and this book came highly recommended (again!) and I decided to go for it. All I can say is why did I wait so long? We rarely complete a hike without referencing this book post!

The New Way Things Work by David Macaulay

David Macaulay is one of our family’s favorite authors. Macaulay is a teacher and former architect, making for fascinating and detailed illustration and text. The New Way Things Work is an update to his best-selling The Way Things Work. In the updated book, Macaulay includes digital technology. Do you have a kiddo who is always asking how things work? Give her this book and she’ll be enthralled for the afternoon! Some of our other favorites by Macaulay include: Building Big, Built to Last, Castle, Pyramid, The Way We Work, Underground, and Toilet.

The Tree Lady by H. Joseph Hopkins

The Tree Lady tells the story of Katherine Olivia Sessions, the first woman to graduate from the University of California with a degree in science. Sessions was fascinated by science and nature from a young age. After graduating from the University of California, Sessions moved to San Diego. In San Diego, Sessions wanted to make a dry and infertile park into a green space. She researched and wrote to gardeners from across the globe. She asked them to send her seeds and she went on to transform the landscape of San Diego.

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies

In Tiny Creatures, zoologist and children’s author Nicola Davies takes children on a fascinating journey into the world of microbes. Your children will be enthralled learning about the existence of these tiny organisms! Davies takes a difficult concept and makes it easy to understand and engaging for even the youngest of scientists. This is the book that got my children excited about using our microscope!

 

Science and nature books for parents

I can’t forget the big kids! Here are a few of the science-related books I have enjoyed over the past year.

Take learning to the next level with these ideas

From tinkering to STEM to nature exploration to unit studies to more fantastic books, here are some science-related posts:

Now, it’s your turn. Tell me: What are you family’s favorite science and nature books? Share here!

This post has been part of the Hoagies’ July 2016 Blog Hop: All Things Science. Please click the image below to continue blog hopping.