National Geographic has several new middle grade STEAM books that will help kids avoid the summer slump! They are both fun and interesting! These STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, math) books are ones that you’ll want to read along with your kids!
Three STEAM Books To Help Stop Summer Slump
We all know how much our brains drained during the summer when we were kids. Well these three books are going to help with that summer brain drain! One is just in time for the 50th Anniversary of moon landing. Another is one all you shark week lovers will appreciate. Finally, the third talks about why we think certain things are cute!
Luna: The Science and Stories of Our Moon by David A. Aguilar
The first book that will help your kids avoid the summer slump is Luna: The Science and Stories of our Moon. Luna has such beautiful, detailed pictures and fun, interesting facts!
Publishing in time for the 50th anniversary of the moon landing, astronomer, artist and former Director of Science Information for the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics David Aguilar explores the moon from all angles, from its place in the night sky and our solar system to its role in shaping human history and culture. Myths of the moon’s creation from around the world are interwoven with detailed explanations, illustrations and photographs of the science of how the moon actually formed.
Readers will also learn about the moon’s effects on Earth’s tides and imagine what the world would be like without them, as well as examine the moon-men hoaxes from history and find out how scientists may actually colonize Earth’s closest neighbor. A unique title that weaves together science and myth, history and technology.
Captain Aquatica’s Awesome Ocean by Jess Cramp
Attention Shark Week groupies and fans of the graphic novel format! This second title in the critically acclaimed Science Superhero Series (Dr. E’s Super Stellar Solar System, 2018) takes to the seas with comic book flair. Readers join scientist Captain Aquatica and her hammerhead shark sidekick, Fin, to explore the ocean’s wettest and wildest depths and get the latest facts from the field.
Pairing fun, graphic novel story lines and art with science facts makes big concepts about weather, tides, ocean zones and conservation accessible and easy to understand. Each chapter kicks off with 2 pages of the story of Captain Aquatica’s adventures in comic book format and then dives deeper into each topic with marine biologist, shark researcher and founder of the Cook Islands National Shark Sanctuary, Jessica Cramp (aka Captian Aquatica!).
This Book is Cute! by Sarah Wassner Flynn
Ever wonder why some creatures just make you want to cuddle them? Those adorable big eyes. Those floppy ears! And that soft velvety fur. Welcome to the soft and squishy science of cute! This book delves into what actually makes something “cute,” what happens inside our brains when we see something cute, and why we’re biologically hardwired that way.
Flynn explains the psychology and physiology behind our responses and answers these questions. What influence does our culture or environment have on our conceptions of cute? Also explored are why some brands, products, and characters have been such sensational hits through the ages and an up-close look at the crazes of today, from the indisputably cutest animals ever to Internet sensations. Let the squealing commence!
My granddaughter will love these.