Reading STEM trade books is more than a literacy experience—it is an invitation into authentic problem-solving, creative thinking, and real-world innovation. In this dynamic Book Beat Live! led by members NSTA's Best STEM Book review committee and NSTA Early Childhood—Elementary Science Committee, participants will explore how NSTA–CBC Best STEM Book award winners can be leveraged as powerful instructional anchors that seamlessly integrate science, engineering, mathematics, technology, and communication skills in early childhood and elementary classrooms.
Rooted in the rigorous criteria developed by the NSTA Best STEM Book Committee, this session will unpack what makes a book truly “STEM-rich.” Educators will examine how award-winning titles model real-world design and innovation, embrace divergent thinking, highlight teamwork and creativity, and illuminate the engineering habits of mind—including systems thinking, optimization, collaboration, and creativity.
Through classroom-ready examples and student-tested strategies, participants will discover how to transform high-quality STEM literature into meaningful design challenges, inquiry experiences, and engineering tasks that encourage questioning, problem-solving, redesign, reflection, and perseverance. This session will also address how Best STEM Books naturally support interdisciplinary connections, ethical considerations, communication, and the acceptance of productive failure as part of the learning process.
Attendees will leave with practical tools, implementation ideas, and curated book recommendations that empower young learners to see themselves as innovators, engineers, and problem-solvers—one story at a time.
Key Takeaways:
- What makes a book truly “STEM-rich” and how the NSTA–CBC Best STEM Book criteria support authentic STEM learning
- How award-winning STEM books model real-world innovation, engineering design, and problem-solving
- Ways to use STEM literature as the launch point for hands-on design challenges and inquiry investigations
- How Best STEM Books develop Engineering Habits of Mind such as creativity, collaboration, systems thinking, and optimization
- Strategies for integrating science, engineering, math, technology, and communication through a single high-quality text
- How to use books to normalize productive failure, redesign, and perseverance in young learners
- Classroom-ready examples for early childhood and elementary settings
- Curated Best STEM Book titles and implementation ideas educators can use immediately
All individuals receive a certificate of participation and 100 NSTA activity points for attending the live seminar and completing the end-of-program survey. A certificate of participation is not awarded for watching the recorded version of the program.
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