Stem

Mira Forecasts the Future by Kell Andrews

Telling the future is a gift: you either have it, or you don’t. And Mira, daughter of the famous fortune teller Madame Mirabella, just doesn't. When Madame gazes into the crystal ball, magic swirls. When Mira looks . . . nothing. Then one day Mira gets a pinwheel and a windsock, she finds her own form of “magic” in the science of predicting the weather—and saves the day for everyone! This engaging tale, with a fun touch of science thrown in, helps kids understand that we all have our own special talent.

Rosie Revere, Engineer by Andrea Beaty

Rosie may seem quiet during the day, but at night she's a brilliant inventor of gizmos and gadgets who dreams of becoming a great engineer. When her great-great-aunt Rose (Rosie the Riveter) comes for a visit and mentions her one unfinished goal--to fly--Rosie sets to work building a contraption to make her aunt's dream come true. But when her contraption doesn't fl y but rather hovers for a moment and then crashes, Rosie deems the invention a failure. On the contrary, Aunt Rose insists that Rosie's contraption was a raging success. You can only truly fail, she explains, if you quit.

Iggy Peck, Architect by Andrea Beaty

Some kids sculpt sand castles. Some make mud pies. Some construct great block towers. But none are better at building than Iggy Peck, who once erected a life-size replica of the Great Sphinx on his front lawn! It’s too bad that few people appreciate Iggy’s talent—certainly not his second-grade teacher, Miss Lila Greer. It looks as if Iggy will have to trade in his T square for a box of crayons . . . until a fateful field trip proves just how useful a mast builder can be.

Anything is Possible by Giulia Belloni

The sheep in this story is a dreamer, while her friend the wolf has a more practical disposition. One day the sheep runs to the wolf with an idea. She wants to build a flying machine! But the wolf tells her it's impossible. Eventually, however, the sheep's dream gets the better of the wolf's doubts, and they begin to work on the project together. Through perseverance and the process of trial and error, the sheep and wolf manage to create a winning design, brought to life by architecturally and mathematically inspired paper collage art. At the end of this whimsical tale, even the wolf has to admit that anything is possible!

The Chicken Problem by Jennifer Oxley

The Peg+Cat show intertwines math and fun for maximum kid-appeal. In their very first picture book, Left-brained Peg and her right-brained pal, Cat, are enjoying a picnic on the farm with Pig. However, when someone leaves the chicken coop open and the chicks run amuck, it's up to Peg and Cat to use their math skills to help solve their poultry predicament. 

The Pirate Problem by Jennifer Oxley

When Peg and Cat encounter hungry pirates by the seashore, they’ve got to think fast. Pirates get cranky when they’re hungry, and when pirates are cranky, they sing — really badly! To spare their ears, Peg and Cat must make sure each pirate gets his fair share of fruit — the same amount for everyone. And when a sneaky monkey steals a few peaches, Peg and Cat have to divide the fruit up all over again. Will they be able to give everyone an equal share and keep those pirates from singing really badly?

The Big Dog Problem by Jennifer Oxley

Peg’s mom has given her and Cat five important letters to mail. “She says it’s because we’re growing up,” says Peg. And sure enough, the height marks on the wall show that they’re getting taller! But there’s a problem: when they get to the mailbox, they find a very big dog sitting in front of it. How can they get around or behind this scary-looking canine to mail the letters? Or could it be that they’re jumping to conclusions — and the obstacle itself might help them reach a solution?

The Camp Problem by Jennifer Oxley

It’s summertime at Camp Niniwawa. Peg, Cat, and their friends Aki and Richard are in the Gopher bunk — Gophers, they always go for it! Arts and crafts is a welcome distraction from homesickness for Richard, whose love of patterns helps him build a red-and-blue Popsicle-stick ladder. When the Raccoon bunk challenges the Gophers to a friendly battle of the bunks, it’s on! Winning a contest earns a bunk ten points — but being a good sport is also important, and that earns five points. Can they get the hang of counting by fives and tens to figure out which bunk will reach one hundred points first? And when a tug-of-war lands the Raccoons up in a tree, can Richard’s knack for repeating patterns solve the problem?

The Pizza Problem by Jennifer Oxley

It’s lunchtime at Peg’s Pizza Place! Peg and Cat are excited to take their first order — from the Teens! — only to learn that some of their customers want a whole pizza while one of them wants half a pie. How can Peg and Cat make half a pie when they don’t know what half is? Luckily, Ramone and Mac are there to help, with a slice up the middle of the pizza. As more customers come in, things get entertaining, with Peg singing a jazzy song and Cat doing a dance. But soon there’s another problem: four orders, but only two and a half pizzas left. Peg is totally freaking out — until Cat reminds her that when it comes to halves and wholes, it’s all in how you slice it.

The Penguin Problem by Jennifer Oxley

Peg and Cat are at the South Pole preparing to watch the ski race at the Animal Winter Games. Suddenly they spy the Penguins zooming downhill. CRASH! The Penguins apologize (“Snow problem,” says Cat), but it seems that there is a problem: the Penguins keep slamming into things! So they all try again, with Peg shouting directions each time they come to a hurdle. "Go over! Go under! Go in between!" But the Penguins still have no clue, because they don’t know what over, under, and in between mean. Luckily, Cat points out some directional arrows to follow, and a problem is solved . . . for the moment. Now can anyone figure out how to keep the ice floe the Penguins have landed on from tilting?

Boxitects by Kim Smith

Meg is a brilliant and creative boxitect. She loves building extraordinary things out of ordinary cardboard boxes and impressing her classmates with what she creates. But then a new kid comes to Maker School: Simone. Simone is good at everything. Worst of all, she’s a boxitect too! Will Meg and Simone find a way to push past their rivalry and join creative forces?

I am Josephine (and I am a living thing) by Jan Thornhill

Meet Josephine: a spirited and curious girl, a big sister, and a human being. She’s also a mammal, an animal, and a living thing—all identities she explores with readers in this simple informational picture book.

Josephine presents her family (and herself) as examples of human beings, and then familiar creatures like her dog and her mom (and herself) as mammals. Next, she adds whales, lobsters, hummingbirds, and elephants (and herself) as examples of animals. Finally, she shares examples of living things, including moose, foxes, butterflies, flowers, and bugs… and, of course, herself!