Posts Tagged book lists

STEM Tuesday– Cephalopods — Book List

By on June 3, 2025   /   Cephalopods/Mollusks, STEM Tuesday  

 

Octopuses, squids, cuttlefish, and chambered nautiluses all belong to a special group of mollusks called “cephalopods,” which literally means “head-footed.” These sea creatures have long captivated scientists, inspiring some surprising inventions and discoveries throughout history. This month’s book list celebrates the wild and wonderful world of these incredible animals!

 

The Lady and the Octopus: How Jeanne Villepreux-Power Invented Aquariums and Revolutionized Marine Biology by Danna Staaf

Version 1.0.0This biography of Jeanne Villepreux-Power dives deeply into both the historical context that shaped Jeanne and the scientific questions that captivated her. Jeanne’s passion for observing animals in their natural habitat, at odds with the conventions of her time, led to her invention of the glass aquarium, which she used to make many important discoveries about marine life. Jeanne’s contagious enthusiasm for cephalopods jumps off the page in this multifaceted portrait of a scientific pioneer, written by marine biologist Danna Staaf.

 

 

 

Obsessive about Octopuses by Owen Davey

Filled with incredible illustrations and fascinating factoids, Owen Davey introduces readers to the “weird and wonderful” world of octopuses. This browsable book features some of the lesser known species, like the wonderpus octopus and the flapjack octopus, and even gives out awards to the most sociable, most nimble, and most fashionable octopuses in the ocean.

 

 

 

Ink! 100 FUN Facts about Octopuses, Squid, and More by Stephanie Warren Drimmer

You can’t go wrong with National Geographic. This very visual book introduces readers to a variety of squids including cuttlefish that camouflage themselves and octopuses that outsmart their predators. The text is written by experts with first hand experience and includes many fun facts. It’s both educational and entertaining.

 

 

 

The Octopus Scientists written by Sy Montgomery, with photographs by Keith Ellenbogen

This book whisks young readers off to Moorea, Tahiti where they take front seat with scientists who devote their lives studying octopuses and their superpower abilities. The pictures are remarkable and engaging, and the writing is equally captivating.

 

 

 

 

Search for a Giant Squid written by Amy Seto Forrester, illustrated by Andy Chou Musser

This enthralling choose-your-own-adventure book places readers right inside a submersible to search for the elusive giant squid. Readers will learn about both ocean life and submarine technology as they make decisions about where to explore and how to overcome the obstacles they encounter along the way. And if they don’t find the giant squid on their first try, they can always start over for a whole new adventure!

 

 

 

Amazing Octopus: Creature from another World written by Michael Stavaric, illustrated by Michele Ganswer

This book takes a unique approach. It explores and views octopuses as otherworldly, almost as aliens. The text and original, black and white illustrations really capture the magic and mystery of these creatures. It introduces this topic by first talking about the evolution of all sea creatures, to provide context.

 

 

 

 

What Do We Know About the Kraken? by Ben Hubbard

This book explores the kraken, a legendary sea monster of enormous size, a mix between a squid and octopus. It’s part of the “What do we  Know ABout” series that takes a look at popular monsters from folklore. The kraken was spoken and written about for centuries, and readers can find out what sea creatures may have inspired these myths.

 

 

 

The Incredible Octopus: Meet the Eight-Armed Wonder of the Sea by Erin Spencer

This book combines fantastic photographs with in-depth facts about octopuses. It shows what life is like for these magical creatures, how their suction cups work, how they use their nine brains, what they eat, and what adaptation skills they have. It also features real stories about octopuses that escaped from their tanks.

 

 

 

Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F. E. Roper

Part science textbook, part detective story, this Smithsonian book recounts biologist Clyde Roper’s search for a real-life sea monster. Readers will enjoy unearthing clues about the giant squid as they follow along with Roper’s ocean adventures. Cerullo’s text is full of facts and accompanied by a variety of eye-catching images, including both black-and-white illustrations and up-close photographs.

 

 

 

Octopus Ocean: Geniuses of the Deep by Mark Leiren-Young

This recently released book is part of the Orca Wild series, which provides in-depth looks at fascinating creatures from across the planet. Leiren-Young shares his own octopus encounters as he uncovers what makes these animals so unique. This playful book covers octopus history, physiology, habitats, habits, and threats to their survival.

 

 

 

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This month’s STEM Tuesday book list was prepared by:

Author Lydia Lukidis

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 60+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth’s Atmosphere (Capstone, 2025), DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), and DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner for the Canada and North America division, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, a Cybils Award nominee, and winner of the Dogwood Readers Award. A science enthusiast from a young age, Lydia now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.  Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. For more information, please visit www.lydialukidis.com.

 

 

author Callie Dean

 

Callie Dean is a researcher, writer, and musician living in Shreveport, LA. Her first picture book, Marvelous Mistakes: Accidents That Made History, will be published in 2026. For more information, please visit https://calliebdean.com.

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STEM Tuesday– Natural Disasters– Author Interview

By on May 27, 2025   /   Natural Disasters, STEM Tuesday  

Welcome to STEM Tuesday: Author Interview, a repeating feature for the last Tuesday of every month. Go Science-Tech-Engineering-Math!

Today we’re interviewing Jessica Stremer, author of Fire Escape: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires a middle grade nonfiction book that examines how animals and plants detect and respond to wildfires as well as the role humans play during these widespread natural disasters.

Fire Escape has been named:

  • A Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
  • An NSTA-CBC Outstanding Science Trade Book
  • An ALA Sustainability Round Table Top 10 Selection
  • Named to the Missouri Dogwood Reading List

And now, let’s find out what sparked the idea for this book for a better earth!

Emily Starr: I would love to know more about the evolution of this book’s outline. How did you move from the questions about wildfires you described in the acknowledgements to a book that includes such a wide variety of information. I never considered how a zoo responds to a wildfire!  

Jessica Stremer: You’ll often hear nonfiction picture book writers joke about not getting lost down the research rabbit hole. The great thing about writing long-form nonfiction is that you have the freedom chase different rabbits. Fire Escape started as a picture book, but the more I researched, the more I realized I couldn’t contain the story to forty pages. When I first begin researching, I use different search phrases to see what different responses I get. Often those responses will lead me down another rabbit hole of searches. When I felt I had chased enough rabbits, I organized everything into potential chapters. Of course, there’s always more questions that come up and more research to be done. 

Emily Starr: You include a lot of specialized wildfire response information! What was your process for contacting experts and conducting interviews?  

Jessica Stremer: I made a list of different people whose names I found while researching, then I put on a brave face and emailed them. In my emails I mention a little bit about myself, the project I’m working on, and ask if they’d be willing to chat to help me learn a little bit more and clarify or fill in holes in my research. I also mention that I will credit the interview in the book and send them a copy when its published. 

Emily Starr: Wildfires can be a scary topic for some students–especially those living in fire-prone zones. What was your thought process when considering how to present the information in a way that was realistic yet not too frightening? 

Jessica Stremer: Kids can handle more than we give them credit for. We need to have honest conversations with them by meeting them where they’re at. That’s what I tried to do in Fire Escape. I think a lot of it comes down to voice, word choice, and sentence structure. I shared facts about wildlife and wildfires, and tried to be careful to not go too into detail or include information that I didn’t think kids would find interesting or engaging. Chapter two contains a trigger warning as there are a few graphic photos of injured wildlife.  

Emily Starr: Climate change is such a complicated topic, yet you make it understandable for children. What were your considerations when deciding how much and what type of climate change information to include?

Pine pitch cones release their seeds only after fire exposure. Dmccabe, CC BY-SA 4.0

Jessica Stremer: There are a lot of books about climate change out there, so while I did think it was important to mention, I didn’t want to spend too much time on that topic. Climate change does play a part in the frequency and severity of wildfires, but it’s not the only reason we experience fires. I include mention of climate change in the chapter on megafires, but the real takeaway I’m hoping for is that people see that not all fires are bad. In fact, one of the reasons we’re experiencing so many destructive fires is because we’ve worked hard to prevent fires from happening. Much of the landscape needs fire, and I hope kids see that after reading this book. 

Emily Starr: Throughout the book, you illustrate how we are all part of an interconnected ecosystem. I especially appreciated the inclusion of ways humans help animals after wildfires and how animals help humans prevent wildfires. Were there any animals that didn’t make it into the book? 

Jessica Stremer: Most of the wildlife in Fire Escape can be found in North America. I didn’t have room for it in this book, but there are plenty of animals in different continents that also experience wildfire.  

Emily Starr: The layout of the book makes the information accessible–small blocks of text interspersed with photographs, illustrations and fire fact sidebars. What was your involvement in the layout and/or choosing the photographs? 

Jessica Stremer: I used the Fire Facts as a way to include additional information that I couldn’t fit into the narrative. I put them in places where the break felt natural, for example when transitioning from one idea or topic to the next. For the photographs, I tried to include two to three per chapter, knowing there would also be artwork incorporated throughout. Some were easier to find than others! I presented a handful of photo options for each chapter to my editor, and she told me which ones she preferred. The layout was all her! 

Emily Starr: What do you hope readers understand about wildfires by reading your book? 

Jessica Stremer: While I never want to downplay the human loss experienced from wildfires, I hope that readers see another side to wildfires that’s different than the doom and gloom portrayed on the news. I hope they understand why wildfire is an important natural event and learn about some of the benefits fire brings to the landscape. I also hope it encourages them to spend time outdoors and exploring the world around them. 

Emily Starr: Do you have upcoming projects you can share with our readers? 

Jessica Stremer: I have three picture books publishing this year! They are PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN: HOW SCIENCE SAVED A SPECIES, WONDERFULLY WILD: REWILDING A SCHOOL AND COMMUNITY, and TRAPPED IN THE TAR PIT: HOW SCIENTISTS UNEARTHED A CITY’S PREHISTORIC PAST. I love nature and science and hope readers consider picking up some of my other books. 

Jessica Stremer is an award-winning children’s author who combines her love of science and writing to create books that inspire kids to explore and think critically about the world around them. Her titles include GREAT CARRIER REEF (a NY Public Library Best Book of the Year and JLG Gold Standard selection), LIGHTS OUT: A Movement to Help Migrating Birds, FIRE ESCAPE: How Animals and Plants Survive Wildfires (a JLG Gold Standard selection), PLIGHT OF THE PELICAN: How Science Saved a Species, TRAPPED IN THE TAR PIT, and WONDERFULLY WILD. Jessica obtained a B.S. in Biology, with an emphasis in Ecology, from the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh. She was a recipient of the 2023 Stephen Fraser Encouragement Award, a 2023 finalist for the Russel Freedman award, and received honorable mention for the 2021 Ann Whitford Paul award. When not writing you can find Jessica cheering from the sideline of her kids’ soccer games, spending time outdoors, and planning her next family adventure.

 

As a former fourth grade teacher and founder of StarrMatica, a STEM publishing company, Emily Starr has developed award-winning K-5 science curriculum and professional learning materials for 20 years. She is a member of the Iowa State Science Leadership Team, a peer reviewer for the National Science Teaching Association’s journal Science and Children, and a frequent presenter at state and national education conferences. Her debut middle grade nonfiction book will be released in 2025 from the Iowa Ag Literacy Foundation.

 

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Seven Game Changing Stories from Diverse Voices

By on May 21, 2025   /   Book Lists, Diversity, Fiction  

A Universal Language

I have the opportunity to work with students from all over the world. I volunteer with a program which supports students who have recently arrived in this country from countries such as Palestine, Peru, Afghanistan, Nepal, and Sudan. Most of these middle schoolers don’t have the language skills to communicate well with each other in English. This does not matter when on the soccer field. Here, friendships, fun and competition are universal, as is the sharing of the canon of soccer heroes. Being part of a team, learning new skills and getting a taste of what competition involves, is an integral part of the middle school experience.

More Than a Sports Novel

This list of sports novels highlights stories with characters who are confronted with challenges on the field and off. From their athletic experiences, each of these characters learns how to face life problems, and while tackling their life problems they become better athletes. Each of these titles is more than a sports story

I was inspired by what Coach Martinez says to her players in Hena Kahn’s graphic novel, We Are Big Time: “. . . to value basketball is more than the score.” Middle-grade sports books are more than sports.

We Are Big Time by Hena Khan, illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui, Alfred A. Knopf, 2024.

“Some of them may not realize that this story is bigger than them. They’re just playing basketball. But they’ve shifted the conversation and what people think an all-Muslim team can be.”

When Aliya moves fromFlorida to Wisconsin, she joins the not-so-great basketball team at her new school, the Peace Academy. With a new coach, the team gains skills and the attention of the media. This gives the team a chance to break down stereotypes and inform the world about Muslim culture. Themes of friendships and jealousy within the team create a captivating story.

 

El Niño by Pam Munoz Ryan, illustrated by Joe Cepeda.

Ever since Kai’s sister’s disappeared he’s had difficulties swimming fast – his times are nowhere near the pool recordshe achieved two years ago. He joins the elite swim team his sister belonged to and discovers more about her disappearance. She was obsessed with a mysterious realm called the Library of Despair and Sorrow. Kai’s search for this mythical place parallels his journey of grief and self-identity. This swimming story with a twist of magical realism and climate themes, is unforgettable.

 

Almost Sunset by Walhab Algarmi, Harper Alley, 2025.

Seventh grader Hassan thought fasting would be easy-peasy, after all, this is his third year observing Ramadan. But waking up to eat before dawn, fantasizing about food all day, feasting at dusk and going to the mosque at night is a lot. Hassan is having difficulties with the intense soccer practices leading up to the playoffs, and getting his school work done. Initially Hassan keeps his teachers and friends in the dark about his religious practices, and they cannot support him. An unexpected person inspires Hassan to be more open about observing Ramadan. This graphic novel presents details about clothing, prayers, food and Muslim practices in an accessible way.

 

All or Nothing Vale by Andrea Beatriz Arrango, Random House, 2025.

Puerto Rican seventh-grader Vale, isn’t going to let her recent car crash keep her from being the top fencer she was before her car accident. This novel in verse gives us a deep understanding of the frustration, identity crushing and disappointment Val experiences as she struggles to regain her top status in fencing. She says, “fencing is what makes me me.” Val’s ready to jump back into competing, but her body isn’t. To make matters worse, the new Cuban American fencer seems to have it all. Val’s crush on the new girl complicates everything. This novel is a realistic look at the emotional journey of recovery.

 

On Thin Ice by Jessica Kim, Penguin Random House, 2025.

 

In this novel told in alternating points of view we learn how twins Phoebe and Dex haven’t been close since their father died of cancer two years ago. Their personalities are polar opposites, but both love to skate on the ice. Perfectionist Phoebe has her heart set on figure skating, but her dream is thrown for a loop when her skate partner is injured. Due to his practical jokes, laid back attitude, and a new hot shot goalie, Dex doesn’t make the ice hockey team. The twins team up and learn to skate together, and heal together. Phoebe’s realistic crush adds another element to this heartfelt family story.

Inside the Park by Andrea Williams, HarperCollins, 2025

As fun and suspenseful as Home Alone, this novel tackles family dynamics and brings the game of baseball to life. Twelve year old Pumpsie Strickland is having a batting slump. Not only that but he’s batting 0 among his siblings. He says, “I know the ranking of the five Strickland kids. I’m ot number one, two, three, or four. When Pumpsie and a chocolate Lab named Campy accidently get trapped in the stadium, he overhears some skullduggery. His favorite team, the Wildcats, is being threatened. It takes a whole lot of courage, and a ton of hot dogs, to save his team and his place in the family

 

May the Best Player Win by Kyla Zhao, Penguin Random House, 2024.

Yes, chess is a sport! This novel is packed with girl power. It also depicts the performance anxiety that is prevalent in so many sports stories. MayLi is the top chess player in her middle school, and her team is heading to Nationals. Her success has changed everything including her friendship with Ralph, her teammate and friend who has become jealous of her success. The attention May Li gets for being a successful girl player begins to affect her love of the game. MayLi’s new friendship with soccer goalie Marie, helps her realize she is not alone. Her struggles with chess are similar to Marie’s with soccer. MayLi learns she isn’t a pawn, she can make her own moves on the board of life.

 

Jen Kraar grew up chasing lizards in India, making up stories about the residents of the spirit houses in Thailand, and riding retired racehorses in Singapore. Jen explores themes of finding home in the middle grade novels and picture books she writes. As a manager at Pittsburgh’s beloved City of Asylum Bookstore, she builds a diverse collection of books and talks about kid lit with customers young and old.

 

 

 

 

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