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School is starting, fall is around the corner, and it's a great time to explore some new books with your kids. Does your child love space? The human body? The environment? There are so many wonderful science books out there in the universe, but here are some that will definitely get your kids thinking.
For elementary schoolers Bones: Skeletons and How They Work by Steve Jenkins. What science-loving kid isn't fascinated by skeletons? Animal bones compared to human bones, the names of every bone in the human body--this one very cool images of what's underneath our skin.
Diary of a Worm by Doreen Cronin. The hilarious diary of a worm, his family, and his everyday life. He's a lot like human kids, except he has no arms and his face looks like his rear end. A perennial hit with younger elementary grades.
Dinosaur! from DK Publishing. DK books are fabulous elementary science books to read for fun. They're such a great collaboration with the Smithsonian, and the dinosaur book is pretty definitive.
Moonshot by Brian Floca. This is an incredible history of the flight of Apollo 11 done by an award-winning illustrator. It's beautiful, accessible, and packed with facts.
Star Stuff by Stephanie Roth Sisson. What was Carl Sagan like as a kid, and why was he drawn to the stars? Here is a wonderful picture book that introduces kids to his life and work.
Tornado!: The Story Behind These Twisting, Turning, Spinning, and Spiraling Storms by Judy Fradin. You cannot go wrong with a book from National Geographic Kids, and this one includes great photos and lots of science and history about these storms.
For middle schoolers The Book of Blood: From Legends and Leeches to Vampires and Veins by HP Newquist. Explore the gross and fascinating history of the red stuff, from science to legends.
The Griffin and the Dinosaur by Marc Aronson with Adrienne Mayor. Where did the stories of mythical animals come from? Could there be a connection to what ancient cultures believed and the real animals that walked the earth? This is what Adrienne Mayor set out to investigate.
The Mighty Mars Rovers: The Incredible Adventures of Spirit and Opportunity by Elizabeth Rusch. Amazing photography captures the adventures of the two famous Mars rovers, and Dr. Steven Squyres shares great information about his role as lead scientist for the mission.
Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World by Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin. Dr. Temple Grandin is a professor, author, animal lover, and autism advocate. She overcame misconceptions about her autism and went on to have a brilliant science career.
Trapped: How the World Rescued 33 Miners from 2,000 Feet Below the Chilean Desert by Marc Aronson. Middle schoolers may remember when this event played out in the news, and here they can read how engineers and scientists staged that rescue.
For high schoolers Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species: A Graphic Adaptation by Michael Keller. The constantly controversial theory of evolution is presented here in excerpts from the original, graphic novel strips about Darwin, letters from Darwin, and current evolutionary breakthroughs.
The Hot Zone by Richard Preston. The subtitle is "The Terrifying True Story of the Origins of the Ebola Virus," and that is exactly what it is. A gripping, disturbing history of how a killer virus spreads.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot. Phenomenal book about the woman known as HeLa, whose cells were taken without her knowledge and used in countless modern scientific advances. The cells were sold for huge profits, but her poverty-stricken family never saw a dime. Excellent for an ethics discussion.
An Inconvenient Truth by Al Gore. The standard for learning about climate change and what's really happening to our planet.
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. The celebrated author explores the Big Bang, the rise of mankind, archeology, history, math. Basically, everything in the universe and beyond.