This month, I’m joining several other bloggers to share fun kids activities and learning ideas for this summer. You can find the full series here.
My post for this series is Picture Perfect Fun & Learning. In this post, I shared some of my favorite children’s books series (and authors) for learning about nature and science.
But . . .
All of the books in that list are picture books! They’re great for younger kids–from preschool through early elementary ages. I didn’t have space to include some of my all my other favorite STEM resources. So, here’s a second list with book recommendations for independent readers from older elementary-age kids to middle school students!
My kids are still younger, so we’re just starting to read chapter books. However, we’ve found a number of amazing chapter books and other, browsable books that explore science in more depth.
Best of all, many of these are in series! Be sure to check out all of the books from these authors:
This post includes affiliate links. I earn a small commission for purchases made through these links. If you prefer to avoid Amazon, I recommend checking for these books on Bookshop.org.
Take Along Guides, by Mel Boring, Diana Burns, Laura Evert, and others. These books are fun, easy-to-read nature guides that cover a wide variety of topics. In a book on caterpillars, butterflies, and moths, for example, children learn about the most common North American butterflies and moths.
Unfortunately, this is an older series. It can be hard to find all of the books, but this site has a set with most of the books.
Strange and Wonderful, by Laurence Pringle. This author has one of my favorite series for (longish) picture books about nature topics. Want to read about spiders? Or octopuses? Or snakes? There’s a book for that in this series!
The books are fun, and easy-to-read, thorough, yet simple. They’re a bit long for my youngest, but still shorter than a chapter book. We sometimes read through one in an evening.
One Small Square, by Donald Silver. This is a fantastic series that takes a close-up look at different ecosystems. Each book starts by marking out one small plot of land. Then it explores different areas of that space in detail.
In Cave, for example, the author examines different kinds of plant and animal life found in or near the caves. The book looks at the cave entrance, its twilight zone, and the space deep inside the cave.
National Geographic Kids. This is a brand, rather than a series. These books introduce kids to nature, science, history, and geography through magazine-style stories and browsable nonfiction blurbs.
The National Geographic Readers series explores different topics through a set of leveled readers. The Little Kids First Big Book series explores questions like “who?” and “where?” and “how?,” covering topics that range from historical figures to insects and oceans.
Welcome to the Museum: This series features eight oversized guides to plants, planets, dinosaurs, animals, history, and anatomy. Unlike most of my other favorites on this list, these books are browsable–they don’t work well as a read-aloud book. But, they can act as mini museum visits for independent readers.
Each spread has a detailed illustration or museum “exhibit,” pairing basic information and key facts for that “exhibit.” This makes them a fun tool for browsing a new topic.
Scientist in the Field. This series is written by several different authors. Each book provides an on-the-spot look at a wide variety of topics. They’re essentially chapter books, but they’re simple enough that my first grader enjoys them, while still being detailed and thorough.
Many of the books teach kids about marine animals. Others explore how scientists study tornadoes, honeybees, bears, crows, and much more.
DK Books. This is Another publisher/brand, rather than a series. These books have something for every topic, with gorgeous photographs and detailed explanations.
DK Book’s Eyewitness Book series, along with their newer Smithsonian series, offer fantastic browsable encyclopedias. They’re great for older elementary and middle school kids. Even as an adult, I’ll use these books to find a simple, thorough overview of a topic.
Still looking for more ideas?
Look for book lists online!
Many bloggers share lists with their favorite books. I sometimes put together lists on science topics here on my own blog.
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