Every year, January 17th sees the celebration of National Kid Inventor Day, a day to commemorate young inventors of the past and encourage STEM-inclined kiddos to harness their inventive talents. To celebrate, we’ve put together a list of children’s books about young inventors — real and fictional — who changed the world with their curiosity, creativity, and courage to try.
How to Explain Robotics to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro, Illustrated by Teresa Martínez
Let’s face it: sometimes, explaining complicated topics to a grown-up can be tough. This follow-up to Spiro and Martínez’s How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up, this conversational yet instructional book flips the script and allows the child protagonist to be the expert, a clever angle that draws in young readers who love being in the know when their adults are not. Sharp text and delightful illustrations offer lots of laughs and learning, as well as an inclusive cast of characters to show that science is for everyone.
The Next Scientist: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of the World’s Great Scientists by Kate Messner, Illustrated by Julia Kuo
This title offers a brilliant concept — looking at the childhood interests of notable scientists and inventors — and executes it flawlessly. Be it computer engineering icon Grace Hopper’s childhood fascination with taking apart clocks, young Sir Isaac Newton’s love of constructing kites, or little Hiroshi Amano’s preference for playing soccer to studying, little readers will learn that great thinkers can come from anywhere, and first started out as little kids just like them.
Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty, Illustrated by David Roberts
A modern classic and the title that started off the incredible series The Questioneers, this beautiful story perfectly captures the true nature of invention: the drive to create, the disappointments of failure, and the courage it takes to try again. After Rosie’s invention for her Great-great Aunt Rose proves to be a dismal failure, she is disheartened and resolves never to engineer anything ever again. However, she will quickly learn the most important lesson a young inventor can: part of learning is making mistakes, and part of invention is learning from failed experiments. It’s a lovely message that goes beyond the scientific, but to young scientists and inventors, it is a critical lesson that is marvelously told.
Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds
The seed in the mind that grows into the ability to invent is being able to think outside the box. That’s precisely what Maya and Rafael end up doing in this lovely tale of breaking conformity and taking chances. Every year, when Oak Hill School throws its Going Places contest, it provides every student with an identical go-kart kit, so when it comes time to race, every go-kart naturally looks identical as well. Not Maya and Rafael’s, however; they’ve decided to follow the rules but go beyond the instructions, creating something new and special that fits their talents and dreams.
Oh No!: Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World by Mac Barnett, Illustrated by Dan Santat
Whoever thought to combine the brilliant dry humor of Mac Barnett and the epically awesome illustrations of Dan Santat was on the ball because this hilarious tale of a science project entry gone terribly, terribly wrong is an absolute hoot for all ages. When a child’s ambition to win their science fair leads them to build a colossal robot, things look sunny at first — until the robot’s programming goes awry and B-movie monster antics unfold.
Princesses Can Fix It! by Tracy Marchini, Illustrated by Julia Christians
It’s a sad fact that the STEM world can still be a place where non-male gender identities don’t feel welcome due to gender stereotypes, but this satirical yet apt little title is happy to question silly norms. When alligators infest the castle and the King’s three daughters offer to help, he turns them down by declaring that dealing with the ferocious beasts is a job for kings and princes, not princesses. These STEM-loving girls refuse to let their talents go to waste, however, and prove that a person’s passions and skills have nothing to do with their gender.
Iqbal and His Ingenious Idea: How a Science Project Helps One Family and the Planet by Elizabeth Suneby, Illustrated by Rebecca Green
Sometimes, the best way to encourage young inventors is to let them know that innovation and creativity don’t have an age limit. While contemplating what to do for his science fair project on sustainability, Iqbal considers a problem in his own home: their indoor cooking flame — a necessity during monsoon season in Bangladesh — is causing breathing problems for his family. Incredibly well-researched and informative, young readers will feel the trials and triumphs of Iqbal’s mission to build a solar-powered stove not only to help his family and win himself the science fair but to make a difference as well.
We hope you and your little inventor enjoy the books on this list and that they ignite their desire to learn and create. Happy reading!
To see more of our favorite STEM books for kids, check out this article about books that get kids energized about computer science.
To see all of our recommendations for mini bookworms, check out our Bookshop bookshelf.
