Recommended children's booklists sorted by age or topic

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Topic: Science, Maths and Computing

Non-fiction

This book introduces children ages 7-9 to the amazing science of DNA, genetics, and what makes you you.

It’s inside every living plant and animal, from the tiniest seed to the person standing next to you, but how much do you know about DNA? This book gives children an in-depth look at DNA and its role in all living things–from why we have different-colored eyes to why we age. Discover what DNA is, what it does, and how it shapes our lives, including inheritance and why we look like our parents; forensic science and how DNA evidence helps catch criminals; and genetic engineering and if we could bring dinosaurs back to life. With fun illustrated DNA characters, clear diagrams, and astonishing photographs, children will love learning about themselves and this all-important molecule.

The DNA Book is packed with colorful illustrations and mind-boggling facts, perfect for curious young minds. It’s a great addition to any STEAM library and decodes how DNA underpins life on Earth.

Non-fiction

Explore the wonders of Earth and see how geology is all around us, from natures materials that are used to build roads and buildings to the minerals found in your mobile phone and drinks can. Witness a volcanic eruption, find out if there is water on Mars, unearth a dinosaur and meet the geologists and scientists who brought geology to life. Readers can also carry out geology experiments at home.

With easy-to-understand text written by Emily Dodd, fun callouts and lots of colourful artworks, photos, and diagrams, readers can best explore where we encounter geology and why it’s even important at all.

Non-fiction

Our planet is full of life! Did you know there are 400,000 species of beetle – but only eight species of bear? This stunning book explores the extraordinary diversity of the natural world and profiles some of its most surprising creatures.

A glorious celebration of diversity within the Animal Kingdom by non-fiction specialist Nicola Davies, illustrated by rising star Lorna Scobie.

There is something to delight on every page with fascinating facts about mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish and insects. This exquisite book will encourage children to treasure the world’s biodiversity and help to stop it slipping away.

Picturebook

Sometimes we are loud, sometimes we are quiet, sometimes bold and clanky, sometimes soft and cuddly. Sophy Henn celebrates all the different, extraordinary and sometimes contradictory things we are in this joyful and colourful rhyming picture book. Perfect to read aloud – and then read again, and again!

Non-fiction

The biggest scientific breakthroughs in history have something in common: super smart people who kept looking for the answers to some of the world’s most interesting questions! The pages of this science book are filled with the stories of famous scientists such as physicists Neil DeGrasse Tyson and Stephen Hawking, biologist Marie Curie, palaeontologist Mary Anning and lesser-known trailblazers such as Chika Kuroda, who became Japan’s first female Bachelor of Science.

Filled with great detail and following a storytelling format, this is a thrilling book that will capture the imagination of young children and encourage them to explore the world of science. Beautiful descriptions of the scientists’ lives are brought to life through stunning watercolour illustrations and fantastic photography highlights the detail of their discoveries.

Non-fictionPicturebook

Little David grew up in Leicester on the campus of a university, where his father was a professor. As a child, he spent hours in the science library , collating his own specimens and creating a mini animal museum. When he was old enough to go to university, he studied science and zoology – but what he wanted most of all was to be close to the animals he was studying.

So, he started working in television, visiting animals in their natural habitats and telling the world the untold stories of these animals. Little David went on to become one of the most celebrated environmentalists on the planet , teaching generation after generation about the importance of the natural world.

This moving book features stylish and quirky illustrations and extra facts at the back , including a biographical timeline with historical photos and a detailed profile of the broadcaster’s life.

Non-fiction

Why are animals so amazingly colourful?

Find out in this kaleidoscopic look at the technicolour world of animals. Meet animals of every colour of the rainbow and find out why they are the colours and patterns they are . Discover the reason why some animals are stripy and others are spotty.
Why do some creatures deliberately pop out while others strive to blend in?
Why are some bright to warn off others while others only pretend to look toxic?
Why are some male animals so much more flamboyant than their female counterparts?
Why do some babies look so different from the grown-ups in their families?
The animal kingdom is explored like never before in this richly detailed natural history book, bursting with life and colour.

This is a beautifully illustrated first look at the colourful and kaleidoscopic world of animals for young children.

Non-fictionPicturebook

From nonfiction stars Diane Stanley and Jessie Hartland comes a beautifully illustrated biography of Ada Lovelace, who is known as the first computer programmer.
Two hundred years ago, a daughter was born to the famous poet, Lord Byron, and his mathematical wife, Annabella.
Like her father, Ada had a vivid imagination and a creative gift for connecting ideas in original ways. Like her mother, she had a passion for science, math, and machines. It was a very good combination. Ada hoped that one day she could do something important with her creative and nimble mind.
A hundred years before the dawn of the digital age, Ada Lovelace envisioned the computer-driven world we know today. And in demonstrating how the machine would be coded, she wrote the first computer program. She would go down in history as Ada Lovelace, the first computer programmer.
Diane Stanley’s lyrical writing and Jessie Hartland’s vibrant illustrations capture the spirit of Ada Lovelace and bring her fascinating story vividly to life.

Picturebook

If you look up at the sky on a dark night, what do you see? There’s a whole universe staring back at you. In the company of Felicity the cat discover the phases of the moon, the constellations and how to spot the Northern Lights and the Milky Way.

This beautiful, fun book will introduce you to the beauty of the night sky and show you the stars like you’ve never seen them before.

Chapter book

Iggy Peck and Rosie Revere have earned their places among the most beloved children’s characters and have inspired countless kids and adults to follow their passions. Determined Ada Twist, with her boundless curiosity for science and love of the question “Why?,” is destined to join these two favourites. Like her classmates Iggy and Rosie, Ada has always been hopelessly curious. Why are there pointy things stuck to a rose? Why are there hairs growing inside your nose? She embarks on fact-finding missions and conducts scientific experiments, all in the name of discovery. When her house fills with a horrific, toe-curling smell, Ada knows it’s up to her to find the source. But, this time, her experiments lead to trouble.

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