Children’s Books about Inventors Perfect for Teaching STEM

Teaching STEM with these books about inventors will spark children's imagination, inspiring them to develop and improve their own creative ideas.

Teaching STEM with Picture Books

Celebrate the creativity of the individuals who have changed the world and made our lives better. Most children love to tinker, build and create.

Sharing these books are a great way to spark children’s curiosity and imagination and inspire an interest in inventing and engineering. These inventors will inspire your students in the process of creating, problem-solving and reflecting, helping them develop and improve their own creative ideas. These books help in supporting teaching STEM.

You can inspire kid inventors in your classroom further with the post 6 Brilliant Ways to Promote Kid Inventors in the Classroom. The activities look at an inventor's process, helping your students develop their own creative ideas.

Picture Book for teaching STEM

Ada's Ideas: The Story of Ada Lovelace, the World's First Computer Programmer by Fiona Roberton

Born in 1815, Ada Lovelace was an English mathematician. She is often called the first computer programmer because of an algorithm she wrote for a computing machine. Use this biography to promote STEM, inquiry, knowledge, gender roles, computing, mathematics, and inventions.

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Alan Turing by Maria Isabel Sanchez Vegara

Alan Turing's life as a mathematician and code breaker changed all of our lives for the better. unfortunately, he was not treated with the respect and compassion he deserved. His wartime calculations, which were thought to have saved over 14 million lives, was kept secret for decades.

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Be a Maker by Katey Howes

Think about how you can make a difference by discovering how many things can you create in a day. Can you make a new friend, a change, a donation or a spaceship? Read to inspire curiosity, inquiry, creativity and inspiration.

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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

A severe drought in Malawi caused 14-year-old Kamkwamba to drop out of school to save his family money. He researched how he could bring electricity to his village and built a working windmill from scraps. A book that promotes responsible decision-making, perseverance, a growth mindset and social awareness.

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The Crayon Man: The True Story of the Invention of Crayola Crayons by Natascha Biebow

A lonely crocodile doesn’t love water like the rest of this family. When the crocodile sneezes and blows fire, he realises he is a dragon and finds different ways to play with his family. Promotes identity, relationship skills and family.

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Galimoto byKaren Lynn Williams

Kondi's determination helps him make a galimoto (toy vehicle made of wires) despite others laughing at his idea. Set in Malawi, this book reinforces the themes of perseverance, recycling and creative thinking.

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The Girl Who Thought In Pictures by Julia Finley Mosca

No one expected Temple Grandin to be able to talk after being diagnosed with autism. But her ability as a visual thinker helped her connect with animals and invent groundbreaking improvement for the farming industry. This biography promotes women in science, creative thinking and inquiry.

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Going Places by Peter H. Reynolds

The Going Places contest involves building a go-kart and racing it, but Maya has a different idea. Her curiosity and open-mind help her find a unique way to cross the finish line.

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Hedy Lamarr's Double Life by Laurie Wallmark

Actress Hedy Lamarr was a brilliant inventor behind the movie screen. Her groundbreaking communications system is behind today's Wi-Fi, GPS, and Bluetooth technology. This biography promotes women in STEM, problem solvers and technology.

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Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly

Hidden Figures tells the inspirational story of four black women who worked at NASA in the 1940s. Their intelligence and determination changed the world by putting a man on the moon. A powerful picture book to promote gender roles, tolerance, inquirers and perseverance.

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Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones

Izzy Gizmo is an inventor but her inventions didn’t always work as expected causing Izzy to get cross and quit. But her Grandpa’s advice of not giving up helps her continue her work. Izzy Gizmo by Pip Jones promotes a growth mindset, inquiry, perseverance and self-management.

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The Last Kappa of Old Japan: A Magical Journey of Two Friends by Sunny Seki

Norihei saves the life of a mythical creature called a kappa. As industry arrives in the village, the health of the kappa declines. The cucumber loving creature leaves promising to return. Years later, the kappa keeps its promise and Norihei creates the cucumber sushi, kappamaki, in honour of his friend.

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Magic Ramen Story by Momofuku Ando

Following World War II, Momofuku Ando invents a convenient and tasty ramen noodle soup. This biography shows Ando’s many experiments, persistence and creativity before perfecting the recipe.

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Marvelous Mattie by Emily Arnold McCully

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The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires

A girl and her canine assistant adjust, examine, tweak, fasten, fix, straighten and study to create the most magnificent thing. But not everything works out the way she imagines. Promotes creative thinking, self-management, perseverance and a growth mindset.

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Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis

This biography about inventor George Ferris and how he turned his creative vision into the gravity-defying Ferris Wheel at the 1893 World's Fair.

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On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne

A boy with a brilliant mind imagines evolutionary ideas. This boy grows into Albert Einstein who revolutionised our understanding of the universe. This biography promotes science, creativity, inventions, perseverance, questioning and curiosity.

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Papa's Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming

Papa is a persistent inventor, though he has had little success in making anything that works. A family trip to Lake Michigan sparks an idea that ends with him creating a submarine the family can use. Based on a true story.

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Rosie Revere, Engineer by by Andrea Beaty

Rosie hides her inventions after being laughed at. Her great-aunt shows her that failure is part of the creative process. Promotes a growth mindset, open-mindedness, perseverance, problem-solving and creative thinking.

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Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn Bridge by Rachel Dougherty

Emily Roebling learned about engineering from her husband, the chief engineer of the new Brooklyn Bridge. Her determination to learn and her strength of characters helped her supervise the completion of one of the most iconic landmarks in the world when her husband fell ill.

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The Secret Subway by Shana Corey

Read about how New York got its first subway thanks to inventor Alfred Ely Beach in 1870.

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What Next?

Inventors Month is a great way to spark children's curiosity and imagination. The month celebrates the people behind the many inventions we can't live without.

Remember to check out the post 6 Brilliant Ways to Promote Kid Inventors in the Classroom. The activities look at an inventor's process, helping your students develop their own creative ideas.

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