Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

Home

Topic: Science, Maths and Computing

best science books for ks3

KS3 Science Reading List

Recommended Books to Support Science at KS3

If you are looking for recommended books to support secondary Science in Years 7, 8 and 9, this BooksForTopics expertly curated reading list is here to help!

This booklist features a range of themes and formats, including inspiring true-life stories like Women in Science and Reaching for the Moon, and quirkily illustrated non-fiction like The Element in the Room and The Observologist.

There’s also a great choice of chapter books exploring a range of scientific themes, including sci-fi titles like Orion Lost, real-life inspired stories like Lightning Mary, fast-paced adventures like 21% Monster and thought-provoking, topical reads like Pig Heart Boy.

From atomic adventures to real-life experiments, this booklist has something to offer every budding KS3 scientist.

best childrens books about women and girls in stem

Women & Girls in STEM

Recommended children’s books about women and girls in STEM

Featuring real-life stories alongside fast-paced fiction, this list of books about STEM puts women and girls in the starring role!

This list of the best children’s books about women and girls in STEM will introduce young readers to some of the most important women in STEM history – from DNA pioneer Rosalind Franklin to human computer Katherine Johnson.

Alongside these real-life stories, our selected picturebooks and chapter books feature favourite characters like Izzy Gizmo, Cookie and Harley Hitch to help bring STEM to life for children of all ages!

best childrens books about forces motion

Forces & Motion

Recommended children’s books about forces and motion

Introduce young readers to gravity, friction and how things move with this carefully selected list of the best children’s books about forces and motion, featuring a mix of picturebooks, chapter books and non-fiction titles.

This list brings the forces and motion topic to life with bright illustrations, fun activities and engaging stories, offering a fascinating introduction to this fundamental primary science curriculum topic.

best childrens books about electricity

Electricity

Recommended children’s books about electricity

Electricity is everywhere in children’s lives, but it can be a tricky concept for children to grasp. This list of the best children’s books about electricity will help to illuminate the science topic through colourful illustrations, interactive experiments and fascinating real-life stories.

Exploring the history of electricity and its pioneers, alongside modern, renewable energy production and learning about simple circuits, this list offers an accessible and engaging introduction to this most essential of utilities!

best childrens books about habitats and ecosystems

Habitats and Ecosystems

Recommended children’s books about habitats and ecosystems

In this collection of the best children’s books about habitats and ecosystems, young readers can explore diverse landscapes and discover the intricate web of life that sustains each unique environment.

The Incredible Ecosystems of Planet Earth and The Atlas of Ocean Adventures offer exciting, beautifully illustrated journeys through diverse habitats around the world, meeting the creatures who live there and learning more about the challenges they face. Alongside a fabulous collection of non-fiction titles, this list also features chapter books to ignite the imaginations of aspiring conservationists, such as The Last Bear and The Akimbo Adventures.

Materials

Recommended children’s books about materials

This collection of children’s books about everyday materials will help young readers to learn all about the materials we use in our day-to-day lives, their properties and how we use them.

From small-scale materials in Nano to a whole house in The Mellons Build an Eco House, and from questions like Why Do We Wear Clothes? or Solid, Liquid or Gas?, these stories help children discover the huge range of materials that make up the things around them – while A Planet Full of Plastic and Rubbish? challenge young readers to consider the sustainability and environmental impact of the materials that we use every single day.

best childrens books about famous scientists

Famous Scientists

Recommended children’s books about famous scientists

Discover the inspirational lives of scientists and learn about the groundbreaking discoveries and incredible inventions that made them famous!

This list of the best children’s books about famous scientists will introduce young readers to some of the most important scientific minds in history – from Einstein in On a Beam of Light to Stephen Hawking, and from Marie Curie and her Daughters to Rosalind Franklin.

This carefully curated collection of real-life science stories will help to bring scientific history to life, and help children to see scientific advances through the eyes of those inspirational people who made them happen.

luna loves gardening

Luna Loves Gardening

&
Picturebook
teachers-favouriterecommended-read-aloud

Previous Children’s Laureate Joseph Coelho returns with his well-loved character Luna. This time, Luna is exploring the magic of gardening.

Luna is impressed by the community allotment when she visits with her family.  Luna takes time to wonder about each seed she encounters – where in the world it came from and what it will turn into. With the help of Grandpa and Nana from Jamaica, Luna realises that every new seed planted will have its own story to tell.

This is a really beautiful picture book celebrating nature, gardens, community, the interconnectedness of humanity and the importance of stories. Fiona Lumbers’ artwork is stunning, drawing out the elements that most capture a young child’s imagination with an abundance of colour, while also contrasting the vibrancy of the community garden with the grey, surrounding cityscape.

This wonderful gardening-themed story is an essential story for modern classrooms and home libraries.

Buy from Amazon
Buy from Bookshop
Buy Audiobook
best childrens books about light and sound ks2

Light and Sound Topic (KS2)

Recommended children’s books about light and sound

Explore the world of light and sound with this exciting collection of children’s titles which explore how we see and hear the world around us.

Our booklist is designed to help children in KS2 learn about the Science topics of light and sound, and features books packed with colour like Can You Get Rainbows in Space? alongside titles that explore hearing loss, like Can You Feel the Noise and Listen: How Evelyn Glennie, a Deaf Girl, Changed Percussion. Investigating light and sound from many perspectives, this booklist will bring the KS2 Light and Sound topic vibrantly to life!

NB: This booklist is aimed at children in Key Stage 2. For books for younger children, try our Light and Dark KS1/EYFS Booklist.

Light and Dark Topic

Recommended children’s books about light and dark

Explore the world of light and dark with this exciting collection of children’s titles about the people and creatures who wake up when you go to sleep.

Our booklist is designed to help children in KS1 and EYFS learn about the Science topics of light and dark, from recommended books that provide insights into the world of nocturnal animals like Owl Babies or Amara and the Bats, to stories about the getting to grips with the dark like The King Who Banned the Dark or The Rabbit, The Dark and the Biscuit Tin (look out for the fold-out page with guaranteed wow-factor!).With rich illustrations, fascinating facts and thrilling adventures, this booklist will help children to look at the world differently – but they may need a torch!

NB: This booklist is aimed at children aged 4-7. For books for older children, try our Light and Sound KS2 Booklist.

Subscribe to our newsletter

Your Review

Stone Girl Bone Girl

review

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Year group(s) the book is most suitable for:

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Does the book contain anything that teachers would wish to know about before recommending in class (strong language, sensitive topics etc.)?

Would you recommend the book for use in primary schools?

yes

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Curriculum links (if relevant)

Any other comments

Any other comments