Brainstorm 271: STEAM Reads

It’s the first Friday of the school year, so the Brainstorm is back from its summer hiatus. For this first Brainstorm of the school year I have some STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, Math) books for you and your student readers. Click on the titles to see my full reviews and any content notes/trigger warnings. 

For those who are new to the Brainstorm this year, a note on some terms used frequently:

Lower Grade= K-3 grade

Middle Grade= 3-8 grade

Young Adult= Teenagers

Book by John Agard, ill. by Neil Packer

Book introduces readers to his earliest origins and many forms, from clay to leaf to skin to paper to digital, and the various cultures who influenced his development. Book also gives readers little history lessons on alphabet origins and other writing and printing tools that have revolutionized his from over the years. And lastly, he gives a little shout out to libraries through time. 

A creative way to teach kids about the history of books over time that is shorter than it looks and acknowledges both Eastern and Western contributions. The only bad thing about it is that the title is notoriously hard to find in a search (search by the author’s name).

Target Readers:

Curious Readers, Nonfiction Readers, History Buffs, Creative Writing Fans, Book Lovers, Reluctant Readers, Middle Grade Readers

 

Built for Speed (Layla and the Bots, #2) by Vicky Fang, ill. by Christine Nishiyama

Layla and the Bots are slotted to perform at a go-kart race. They are excited to watch the race, but find that one of the would-be contestants can't race because she can't use her feet to control the gas and brakes. Can Layla and the Bots modify a go-kart so Tina can race?

I love that Layla and the Bots are helping a girl in a wheelchair get the opportunity to race too. There's some great problem solving of very real engineering issues along the way, and problem solving about how to make the race fair for all after Tina gets this souped up kart. This whole series excellently models empathy, business, invention, coding, and problem solving skills.

Target Readers:

Robot Lovers, Budding Scientists, Graphic Novel Fans, Scifi Fans, Tinkerers, Problem Solving Story Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

The Crayon Man: the True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow, ill. by Steven Salerno

A picture book biography of Edwin Binney, who led a team to invent the Crayola crayon and bring color to children's everyday drawings.

Biebow did a stunning job in presenting the information that helps readers easily grasp how revolutionary Binney's invention was, the invention process, enough introduction to the time period and major players to easily follow, and doing all that in just a few sentences a page. It's an exceptional picture book biography. And the artwork is fittingly bright and colorful.

Target Readers:

Crayon Aficionados, Art Lovers, Invention Story Fans, Picture Book Biography Fans, Lower Grade Readers

 

Deliciously FoxTrot by Bill Amend

A collection of comics featuring the Fox family's daily nerdy/humorous/realistic antics all throughout the year.

Target Readers:

Comic Readers, Humor Fans, Science/Math Nerds, Scifi/Fantasy Fans, Family Story Fans, Middle Grade through Adult Readers

 

The Gift of Pain by Dr. Paul Brand with Philip Yancey

Dr. Paul Brand grew up in India and England, the son of British Christian missionaries to the mountainous region of India. He was sent to England for schooling, and then he went on to university eventually ending up in the medical field. He finished up his program with the military as WWII hit England, and eventually made his way back to India where he and his wife practiced medicine. Originally a hand surgeon, Brand found himself more and more working with lepers in India and went on to make some revolutionary discoveries about the disease and how to help people live without sensation in their extremities. For decades it was thought that the lost fingers, toes, and noses were just a part of the disease, but Brand discovered all these losses were due to lack of pain receptors. He became a world-renowned expert on working with people who lacked pain messages, and as a by product, had a unique perspective on pain and why pain is not always a bad thing. In working with patients in India and the US, he also had a unique perspective on the role of culture in pain and how we view it.

What a book! With stories that really stick with you, make you think, and amaze, this also reveals just how intricately our bodies are created.

Target Readers:

Autobiography Fans, Medical Case Studies Fans, Medical History Fans, India Setting Fans, Christian Nonfiction Fans, Adult Readers (though approachable to YA)

 

If You Love Robots You Could Be… by May Nakamura, ill. by Natalie Kwee

A leveled reader that gives readers a quick taste of the kinds of things a robotics mechanical engineer, an electrical engineer working with robots, and a systems engineer working with robots would do. The back of the book briefly outlines 5 other occupations that also work with robots.

The book also includes ideas of how kids can try out some of these fields right now.

Target Readers:

Robot Lovers, Curious Kids, Occupation Studiers, Tinkerers, Picture Book Readers 

 

Machines That Think (Big Ideas That Changed the World, #2) by Don Brown

A nonfiction graphic novel that explores the history and development of machines that can perform calculations from ancient times to present and upcoming computers.

The graphic novel format and length are perfect for even kids reluctant to read nonfiction.

Target Readers:

History Buffs, Curious Readers, Tech Lovers, Graphic Novel Fans, Nonfiction Fans, Reluctant Nonfiction Readers, Middle Grade Readers

 

The Woman All Spies Fear: Code Breaker Elizabeth Smith Friedman and Her Hidden Life by Amy Butler Greenfield

A biography of Elizebeth Smith Friedman who became an instrumental code and cipher breaker in the first half of the 20th century, bringing down mob and drug leaders, figuring out WWII secrets, and paving the way for women leaders in the field.

Amy Butler Greenfield did a phenomenal job of presenting Elizebeth's story for teens. It was expertly researched, included lots of photos, and had just the right amount of code breaking details to show Elizebeth's genius without causing readers to get lost in the technical details. I think this was just as good, if not even better than the adult bio I read on this amazing woman.

Target Readers:

Spy Story Fans, Biography Fans, Code & Cypher Fans, Curious Readers, History Buffs, Nonfiction Fans, YA & Adult Readers (though approachable to high reading Middle Graders)