Have you ever found yourself struggling to get your child interested in steam? Is it difficult for you to dedicate yourself to engineering, or to dedicate yourself to art? Fear no more! Here is a list of the 30 best books to help your children find an interest in engineering. We’ve divided the list by age group, but feel free to mix and match where you see fit.
engineering books for young students (ages 4 to 8)
1. how machines work: zoo break! by david macauley
You are reading: Engineering books for kids
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With lots of cute illustrations, this book explores the application of mathematics to different aspects of our world and will teach your children how useful this subject is.
3. rosie revere, engineer for andrea beaty
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This inspiring story uses rhyme to tell about a young woman who aspires to be an engineer, but things don’t go as she planned. a true story of faith.
4. grace hopper: queen of computer code by laurie wallmark
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another true story, daddy’s mechanical fish is a sweet story about the life of lodner phillips, who was a famous inventor known for designing and testing the first submarines.
6. how do you raise a lion? by robert e wells
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Just like the title says, kids will learn how to use levers, wheels, pulleys, and other basic machines to lift animals, including lions and zebras.
7. the most magnificent of ashley spires
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one of the key lessons this book teaches us not only about engineering but also that success is not guaranteed; failure and perseverance are an important part of invention.
8. when sparks fly: the true story of robert goddard, the father of us rocketry by kristen fulton
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After raising over $10,000, this text became the most funded children’s book ever on Kickstarter, and it’s not hard to see why. teaches kids basic coding with engaging illustrations.
10. if i built a car by chris van dusen
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a boy named jack has a creative idea to make his dream car and thinks of all the materials he will need to make it. a great text to encourage students to think about construction and engineering.
11. a computer named katherine by suzanna slade & veronica miller
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With his family struggling to generate income without water for their crops, a boy takes it upon himself to learn how to build windmills to irrigate the fields by reading books in the school library. a true story about perseverance and the importance of trying again after failure.
13. nick and tesla series by steve hockensmith and bob pflugfelder
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This series of stories of girls creating apps is a great way to introduce girls and boys to programming, as well as the core values of friendship and teamwork. one of the essential basic books for scientifically and mathematically minded girls.
15. the invention of hugo cabret by brian selznick
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An acclaimed and cinematic story, this book was the winner of the 2008 Caldecott Medal and the inspiration for the 2011 film Hugo. It tells the story of a young orphan who works on the clocks in a Parisian train station, alone to uncover a mystery about his deceased father.
16. janice vancleave engineering for all kids: easy activities that make learning science fun by janice vancleave
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become a brilliant inventor at home! This book contains a variety of engineering experiments for hands-on learning, with each experiment detailing an explanation of the process, purpose, and much more. inventions can also be completed by children at school.
17. jackie yeager’s crimson five
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Kia Krumpet, a brilliant inventor from the year 2071, is competing in the Piedmont Challenge where she must succeed to win a place at a prestigious school. this is a great text to help students think about the inventions of the future.
18. elon musk and the search for a fantastic future (young readers edition) by ashlee vance
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This clever series of picture books is all about coding and draws the reader into the mystery. they are given a chance to solve the problem for themselves before the answer is given.
20. hidden figures (young readers edition) by margot lee shetterly
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This acclaimed picture book details the true story of four African-American NASA mathematicians who helped launch rockets (and astronauts!) into space. It’s also a good text to talk about difficult ideas like racism and sexism.
21. build this book by david eckold
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everyone loves airplanes, and now your students can create them for the sake of education! This brilliant book helps students learn about the theory behind paper airplanes, their creation, discussion of models such as inclined planes, and much more.
23. the codebook: the secrets behind codebreaking by simon singh
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Throughout history, cryptography (the study of creating and solving codes) has formed an essential part of society, and this book is sure to foster an inventive spirit in students by teaching them code from July cipher to caesar until the enigma machine used. during the second world war.
24. stem races; engineering enhancement by wendy conklin
![STEM Careers: Enhancing Engineering (Time for Kids(r) Nonfiction Readers) by [Wendy Conklin]](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/51CVL2tv8PL.jpg)
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This text teaches your high school students how to use scratch beginner programming software and explains the essential concepts for solving real-world problems.
26. A Young Innovators Guide to Stem: 5 Steps to Problem Solving for Students, Educators, and Parents by Gitanjali Rao
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critically acclaimed by nbc, abc. cbs, npr, this text details the step-by-step process for identifying problems and developing solutions through stem practices.
27. Always Use Protection: A Teen’s Guide to Safe Computing by Dan Appleman
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Safe commuting can be a tough idea to discuss, but this text does the opposite of most by empowering students to protect themselves online without adult help.
28. lego mindstorms nxt 2.0 for teens by jerry lee ford jr.
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This book enables students to transfer knowledge from the text about programming and robotics development to Lego creations, encouraging further real-world application.
29. scratch programming 2.0 for teens by jerry lee ford jr.
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Combining both history and engineering, this book is aligned with the Common Core and State Standards to explore what it takes to be an engineer.
These are just a few of the great books on offer to help fuel your child’s passion for engineering.
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