Science Themed Reading Books

Creature Feature - Vibrantly illustrated, this is an animal book with a difference. Each page is bursting with unusual creatures all united by a common characteristic. From enormous ears to humongous horns, and from elephants to earwigs, this eclectic collection of animals celebrates the diversity of the animal kingdom. And with something to look for on every page, it's guaranteed to inspire and fascinate young animal lovers.

Little People Big Dreams Marie Curie - The book follows Marie Curie, whose love of learning helped her to revolutionise the fight against cancer with her discovery of radium and polonium. This inspiring and informative little biography comes with extra facts about Marie's life at the back.

 The Bug Collector - After George visits the Museum of Wildlife with Grandad, all he can think about is bugs! The very next day he goes out hunting, but he soon finds there are no more insects left in the garden, and the ones he has captured in jars don’t look very happy… George is about to learn exactly why bugs are so important. A brilliant, vibrant debut from Alex G Griffiths, featuring a wonderful grandfather-grandson relationship.

What Scientist Do All Day -Spot the scientists and learn about the jobs they do in these fascinating places: nature reserve, health center, Arctic research station, hospital, museum, our new city, mission control and on the space station, observatory, aerospace center, botanical gardens, Earth Science center, energy plant, university, and technology and computer lab.

The Big Book of Blooms - An introduction to all kinds of colourful, carnivorous, weird and wonderful flowering plants from around the world. It opens with introductory spreads on how to be a botanist; how to recognise different types of flowers; the life-cycle of a plant; flower anatomy; and the seven types of animal pollinators including bats, birds and beetles. Subsequent spreads, illustrated within various habitats, are dedicated to specific varieties of plants, including the carnivorous venus flytrap, the giant water lily and the weird and wonderful corpse flower.

The Growing Story - A little boy, some chicks and a puppy live on a farm. They see the first signs of spring growing in the fields and the little boy asks his mother if he and the puppy will grow too. Of course you will, she assures him, and as spring turns to summer he sees his dog growing taller and the chicks become chickens. But as the seasons change and everything grows around him, the little boy feels like he has stayed the same. Can he really be growing too?

The Big Book of Bugs - The book is divided into key groups of bugs, including beetles, moths, butterflies, bees, snails, crickets, grasshoppers, worms and spiders, all illustrated with scenic compositions. Some spreads approach the world of bugs thematically, such as bugs that come out at night, baby creepy-crawlies and life cycles, how bugs hide and show off and how some bugs love to live in your home. The text is chatty, funny and full of amazing facts.

A Scientist like me - There’s NOTHING that Ruben doesn’t find fascinating. Why do leaves change colour? What makes ice cream melt? On a trip to the beach with his mum, he discovers how the world works and the brilliant scientists who have helped us understand it. Maybe he can try out some awesome experiments and become a scientist too? With pages encouraging kids to try out their very own science experiments such as germinating seeds and writing with invisible ink, this brilliant picture book written by scientist and TV presenter Dr Shini Somara unlocks a love of science and celebrates women in STEM.

Little People Big Dreams Rosalind Franklin - Little Rosalind was born in London to a Jewish family who valued education and public service, and as she grew up her huge intellectual abilities were drawn into the study of science. Having studied physics and chemistry at Cambridge University, Rosalind moved to Paris to perfect her life’s work in X-ray crystallography. She then moved back to King’s College London, where she would work on finding the structure of DNA with Maurice Wilkins. It was Rosalind’s “photo 51” that was used by Wilkins to create the first ever double helix DNA model with Francis Crick, although he did not credit for her work due to a falling out between the two, and her work went unacknowledged until after her death.

Aargh! There’s a Skeleton Inside You! - The story starts on the endpapers as two aliens (Quog and Oort) crash land their spaceship on Earth and need help in order to get to a birthday party on time. You, the reader, help them reach Kevin’s party by interacting with the book and teaching them about hands, skeletons, muscles and nerves. It is a great premise and children will enjoy such interactions as placing their hands on the page to be “scanned” to show muscles and demonstrating how nerves work by turning over a page with their eyes closed. As Quog and Oort find out more about hands so do we and the grateful alien pair are aided on their journey….

What are Germs? - A hardback non-fiction book from Usborne’s interactive lift-the-flap series, exploring the topic of germs through bite-sized question-and-answer chunks. Written with advice from Public Health England, it’s an attractive book that is useful for addressing queries, ‘just-wonderings’ and misconceptions about germs. By learning what germs are, where they live and how they behave, young readers can also learn how to prevent germs from spreading between people and the book includes top tips about staying healthy and hygienic.

The Tree Book - Take a closer look through the seasons in this incredible board book about trees, with see-through acetate pages. Have you ever thought about all the amazing things that trees can do? How do they grow and why do they change through the seasons? How do trees help us and how can we help trees? Children will love discovering the answers with amazing see-through pages and clear, friendly text. With labelled acetate diagrams of a tree throughout the year, alongside minibeasts and animals that live in trees, this is a fantastic first look at nature for curious children everywhere. From leaves changing colour to underground root networks, The Tree Book is an exciting way to explore all the amazing things trees can do.

Rosa Explores Life Cycles - A simple story in each book shows this diverse group of children making exciting discoveries about their world. Ideal for STEM enrichment.

Little People Big Dreams David Attenborough - 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.

Amazing Animal Homes - Get ready to meet some fascinating animals and find out all about their incredible homes in this beautiful and informative non-fiction picture book written by wildlife expert and BBC presenter Chris Packham. Just like us, animals need a place to call home. From a beaver’s dam and a honey bee’s hive to a red ovenbird’s nest and a snail’s shell, explore the amazing homes of some incredible creatures from all over the world. An excellent source of expert wildlife information for all young nature lovers, this animal book is the perfect introduction to the natural world for children.

Seasons - Nature is like a magical picture that changes with the seasons. Watch six breath taking landscapes transform in front of your eyes in this beautifully illustrated book. Interactive split pages create an immersive experience that allows readers to take a visual journey across the globe, from the Arctic tundra to the African plains. With simple facts and stunning, collaged artwork, this is the perfect book for nature lovers, young and old. Step through a magical year in nature.

A Drop in the Ocean: The Story of Water - This series uses cartoon style illustrations and humorous narrative text to make key topics in Science and Geography both accessible and engaging. This approach encourages children to read about and understand complex ideas. This story follows the passage of a water droplet, from the time when it evaporates from the ocean and becomes the water vapour that makes up clouds to the moment it falls as rain. We learn how water is cleaned and used before being returned once again to this never-ending cycle. 

A Planet Full of Plastic - Everything is made of stuff. Some things are made of paper, like this book. And some things are made of PLASTIC. If you look around you, plastic is everywhere. Even in places where it’s not meant to be. If it drops to the ground, it doesn’t rot away – it sticks around for ever. Our world is drowning in plastic, and it’s a big problem. Award-winning author-illustrator Neal Layton is here to explain where plastic comes from, why it doesn’t biodegrade, and why that’s dangerous for animals and humans alike. But he’s also FULL of ideas for how you can help! From giving up straws in juice cartons to recycling all we can and taking part in a beach clean, A Planet Full of Plastic will get young readers excited about how they can make a difference to keep Planet Earth happy.