April is a time to celebrate poetry so we’ve gathered a list of wonderful STEM titles in verse for you to explore. Enjoy a poem each day. You might find many of these will spark you to write your own STEM poetry this month. From birds to biographies, these titles are sure to please.
Leaf Litter Critters and Superlative Birds by Leslie Bulion
Leslie Bulion’s titles featuring familiar birds and bugs will spark joy this spring.
National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry: More than 200 Poems With Photographs That Float, Zoom, and Bloom! by J. Patrick Lewis
With over 200 poems about nature by many well-known authors, you are sure to find a favorite.
Carver, A Life in Poems by Marilyn Nelson – A biography of George Washington Carver
Explore the life of agricultural scientist George Washington Carver in these biographical poems by poet, Marilyn Nelson.
The Universe Verse by James Lu Dunbar
Explore this fun comic book in verse about the origin of the universe.
Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman and Eric Beddows
This classic book by Paul Fleischman celebrates the insect world. It’s even more fun if you read it with a friend.
The Poetry of Science: The Poetry Friday Anthology for Science compiled by Sylvia Vardell and Janet Wong
This great classroom resource has over 200 STEM poems from 78 authors, including Joyce Sidman, Mary Ann Hoberman, Laura Purdas Salas, Jane Yolen, and Greg Pincus.
Finding Wonders: The Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins
Explore the lives of Maria Merian, Mary Anning, and Maria Mitchell is this beautiful text by poet Jeannine Atkins.
FICTION
Forest World by Margarita Engle
Margarita Engle brings this rainforest to life in this book in verse that is a perfect accompaniment to habitat lessons.
Ringside: 1925 – Views from the Scopes Trial by Jen Bryant
This title is a bit older but is worth searching out to open up a discussion of the Scopes Trial with a middle school class. Perhaps pair it with Charles and Emma by Deborah Heiligman.
Lastly, we don’t usually include picture books on STEM Tuesday lists, but this classic title by one of our contributors is worth breaking the rules:
Big Bang! The Tongue-Tickling Tale of a Speck That Became Spectacular by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano
Pair DeCristofano’s alliterative verse with The Universe Verse listed above. Both titles deal with the creation of the birth of our cosmos. How are they the same or different?
STEM Tuesday book lists prepared by:
Nancy Castaldo has written books about our planet for over 20 years including, THE STORY OF SEEDS: From Mendel’s Garden to Your Plate, and How There’s More of Less To Eat Around The World, which earned the Green Earth Book Award, Junior Library Guild Selection, and other honors. Nancy’s research has taken her all over the world from the Galapagos to Russia. She strives to inform, inspire, and educate her readers. Nancy also serves as the Regional Advisor of the Eastern NY SCBWI region. Her 2018 multi-starred title is BACK FROM THE BRINK: Saving Animals from Extinction. Visit her at www.nancycastaldo.com
Patricia Newman writes middle-grade nonfiction that inspires kids to seek connections between science, literacy, and the environment. The recipient of a Sibert Honor for Sea Otter Heroes and the Green Earth Book Award for Plastic, Ahoy!, her books have received starred reviews, been honored as Junior Library Guild Selections, and included on Bank Street College’s Best Books lists. New: Eavesdropping on Elephants: How Listening Helps Conservation, an NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book. During author visits, she demonstrates how her writing skills give a voice to our beleaguered environment. Visit her at www.patriciamnewman.com.
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Your NSTA presentation was great! Thank you for your book recommendations. I love how your poetry books hit all the standards in the lower grades, especially STEAM!
Thanks for the list. They sound like a wonderful group of books.