My 17 Favorite STEM Books of 2018

Last year, around this time, I decided to post my 10 favorite STEM books of the year. But guess what . . . I ended up with twelve. I just couldn't narrow it down.

This year, I promised I'd be stricter with myself. But, once again, it was so, so hard.

What’s the solution? I’m picking 17! Three of my favorites appeared on my #SibertSmackdown list a couple of weeks ago:

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor by Patricia Valdez, illustrated by Felicita Sala;

Otis and Will Discover the Deep: The Record-Setting Dive of the Bathysphere by Barb Rosenstock, illustrated by Katherine Roy

Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to the Tallest Tree on Earth by Carrie Pearson, illustrated by Susan Swan

Today, I’m sharing 14 more. Some of these aren’t eligible for the Sibert, and some are middle grade titles. (The #SibertSmackdown activity focuses on picture books.) And one of them is fiction!

I recommend adding all of these titles to your collection. The are well written, full of kid appeal, and most importantly of all, scientifically accurate.

Bonkers About Beetles by Owen Dewey

The Boy and the Diamond: The Creation of Diamonds and The Life of H. Tracy Hall by Hannah Holt, illustrated by Jay Fleck

Bugs Don’t Hug: Six-Legged Parents and Their Kids by Heather Montgomery, illustrated by Stephen Stone

Countdown: 2979 Days to the Moon by Suzanne Slade, illustrated by Thomas Gonzlaez

Cute as Axolotl: Discovering the World's Most Adorable Animals by Jess Keating, illustrated by David deGrand

Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation by Patricia Newman

Flying Deep: Climb Inside Deep-Sea Submersible Alvin by Michelle Cusolito, illustrated by Nicole Wong

Following Baxter by Barb Kerley

The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

Itch: Everything You Didn't Want to Know About What Makes You Scratch by Anita Sanchez, illustrated by Gilbert Ford

Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe, illustrated by Barbara McClintock

Something Rotten: A Fresh Look at Road Kill by Heather Montgomery

Starstruck: The Cosmic Journey of Neil DeGrasse Tyson by Kathleen Krull and Paul Brewer, illustrated by Frank Morrison

Thank You, Earth: Love Letters to Our Planet by April Pulley Sayre