Great STEM Books for Fourth Graders
Why Science Books?
Summer: the few months of freedom from school and early-morning alarms. It’s a time to relax, make new friends, play video games, and go to fun places like the shopping mall. With the school year finally over, the last thing kids want is more learning. Young readers would rather bury themselves in their action-packed graphic novels than read about science concepts and deductive reasoning. How then, you ask, can you interest these young 4th graders in the great stories found in science?
The answer is simple; you must spark their imaginations. With the help of engaging writing and colorful illustrations, the following science book list is chock-full of the best books in the field that are filled with fascinating main characters bound to capture and maintain any child’s attention. Find a great book that any young girl or boy would love and get them excited to learn.
Recommended Books
Erosion
Set in the late 1930s, this book is a great choice for anyone wishing to learn more about the Dust Bowl. Erosion follows the story of farmer-turned soil-researcher Hugh Bennett as he tries to teach American farmers valuable lessons on how to save their soil from erosion. From a young age, Hugh used the scientific method to study soil and learned many ways to preserve it. In order to get American farmers to learn from him, however, he needed to get the government’s help. The government committee he presented his ideas to needed a good reason to trust him, because they believed that the soil didn’t need saving. But Hugh wasn’t worried. His “good reason” was coming; all he had to do was stall. This book is an engaging and great read, chock-full of history and fun illustrations. You don’t want to miss it.
A Little Bit of This Dinosaur
This book is one of the best science fiction books for this grade level. Though it is not the first book in this trilogy, it’s still an incredibly fun read. This book follows the story of a young boy and how he ends up eating a little bit of dinosaur! From a volcano to a dinosaur to a date and eventually to an egg, a little piece of carbon makes its way around the world and into the bones of a little boy. This great story is a perfect and goofy aid for teaching young children about the carbon cycle and sparking their imaginations. What other strange creature could be a part of you?
Nefertiti the Spidernaut
Introducing a sweet story about the first jumping spider in space. Nefertiti, a Johnson jumping spider, was selected to be a part of a series of science experiments designed to discover if jumping spiders could adapt to hunting in space. Jumping spiders, as the name suggests, use a combination of jumping and tethering to catch their prey. This hunting method is entirely reliant on gravity, something that space doesn’t have. Scientists theorized that such a spider wouldn’t be able to adapt its hunting method in order to survive in zero gravity conditions, but they had to be sure. Nefertiti was selected, trained, and sent to space as the very first spidernaut. But was she able to adapt? Find out for yourself by reading this fascinating book today!
Conclusion
Though these stories may not be full of magical creatures or fantasy adventures, they are all sure to be ranked among any kid’s favorite books. Stuffed with learning experiences, intriguing true tales, and beautiful art, these books will spark a child’s imagination and teach them that the real world is just as incredible and magical as any fairy-tale they can imagine.
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