Staff Picks
Scientists Real and Imagined
- Caitlin B.
- Tuesday, August 17, 2021
Collection
Scientists have been learning about the world for hundreds of years. If you like to ask the questions “why?” and “how?” you’ll find the lives and stories of these scientists enthralling! Here are some great picture books and biographies of scientists--both real and imagined.
Want more books? Ask your librarian for their recommendations or call the Children's Room at Richland Library Main (803.929.3434). We can send books to your closest Richland Library location.
Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure
Published in 2019
"Charlotte, a budding bunny scientist, ignores the doubters and confidently finds a cure to the mysterious malady affecting the forest"-- Provided by publisher.
Charlotte the Scientist is Squished
Published in 2017
"Charlotte, a serious scientist and a bunny, uses the scientific method to solve her problem: being squished by her many brothers and sisters"-- Provided by publisher.
Oh No!, Or, How My Science Project Destroyed the World
Published in 2010
After winning the science fair with the giant robot she has built, a little girl realizes that there is a major problem.
Ada Twist, Scientist
Published in 2016
Ada Twist is a very curious girl who shows perseverance by asking questions and performing experiments to find things out and understand the world.
Mae Jemison
Published in 2016
A biography of Mae Jemison, the first female African-American astronaut.-- Provided by publisher.
Pirate, Viking, & Scientist
Published in 2014
"A pirate and a Viking fight to become the very best friend of a kid scientist, who meanwhile devises the perfect formula for all three friends to play happily together"-- Provided by publisher.
This is the Story of Archibald Frisby
Who Was As Crazy for Science As Any Kid Could Be
Published in 1994
Archibald Frisby, mad about science and wise beyond his years, is sent to camp to have fun and ends up broadening the horizons of his fellow campers.
Libby Loves Science
Published in 2020
Libby and her friends volunteer to run the science booth at their school fair and have some great ideas, but Libby does not always follow directions precisely. Includes a worksheet for each experiment mentioned.
Libby Loves Science
Mix and Measure
Published in 2021
"Libby hosts a puppy party for her friends and their dogs. With the help of her friend Rosa and little brother, Libby decorates, stuffs goody bags and bakes delicious cupcakes. But when they realize they've forgotten an important ingredient, they use science to solve the problem just in the nick of time"-- Provided by publisher.
Vivi Loves Science
Published in 2021
"Vivi and her classmates take a field trip to the beach to study tide pools"-- Provided by publisher. Includes a scavenger hunt checklist, science facts, and instructions for making an aquascope.
Darwin's Rival
Alfred Russel Wallace and the Search for Evolution
Published in 2020
Follow Victorian naturalist and explorer Alfred Russel Wallace on his intrepid journeys across the globe and find out how he developed his own theory of evolution in this beautiful illustrated gift hardback. In 1858, Alfred Russel Wallace's travels in the Amazon Basin and Malay Archipelago led him to discover natural selection independently of Charles Darwin. Darwin's Rival traces Wallace's life from his childhood in the Welsh countryside to his rise to prominence among the scientific community, via dense tropical jungles and perilous journeys -- and shines a light on one of the most important contributors to the theory of evolution. With evocative illustrations by Harry Tennant, this stunning gift book will appeal to children and adults alike, and is the perfect introduction to the man so often eclipsed by his contemporary and friend Charles Darwin.
Hazel Nutt, Mad Scientist
Published in 2003
When the mad scientist Dr. Hazel Nutt begins creating monsters again, the angry villagers of Hamburg-with-Ketchup storm her laboratory but are in for a pleasant surprise.
Katherine Johnson
Published in 2017
Meet Katherine Johnson, a brilliant mathematician who worked at NASA in the early 1950s until retiring in 1986. Katherine�s unparalleled calculations (done by hand) helped plan the trajectories for NASA�s Mercury and Apollo missions (including the Apollo 11 moon landing). She is said to be one of the greatest American minds of all time.
Newton and Curie
The Science Squirrels
Published in 2020
Newton the squirrel and his sister, Curie, conduct experiments based on what they hear through a classroom window, making simple machines to learn more about how the world works and to help their neighbors. Includes author's notes and glossary of scientific terms.
Science Fair Bunnies
Published in 2000
In need of a replacement science fair project, two friends must decide whether to use their loose teeth or leave them for the Tooth Fairy.
Amelia Bedelia, Rocket Scientist?
Published in 2005
Housekeeper Amelia Bedelia wreaks havoc when she volunteers to help out at the school science fair.
Margaret and the Moon
How Margaret Hamilton Saved the First Lunar Landing
Published in 2017
Introduces the woman mathematician whose childhood love of numbers led to her prestigious education and contributions at NASA while explaining how her handwritten codes proved essential throughout numerous space missions.
Dream Big, Little Scientists
A Bedtime Book
Published in 2020
"A bedtime lullaby for budding scientists everywhere introduces eleven branches of science and encourages curiosity and exploration."-- Provided by publisher.
Science Verse
Published in 2004
When the teacher tells his class that they can hear the poetry of science in everything, a student is struck with a curse and begins hearing nothing but science verses that sound very much like some well-known poems.
The Girl Who Drew Butterflies
How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science
Published in 2018
"Newbery-Honor winning author Joyce Sidman explores the extraordinary life and scientific discoveries of Maria Merian, who discovered the truth about metamorphosis and documented the science behind the mystery in this visual biography that features many original paintings by Maria herself."-- Provided by publisher.
The Secret Science Project That Almost Ate the School
Published in 2006
A boy sends off for "Professor Swami's Super Slime" to use as his science fair project and then has to cope with the funny disaster that follows.
A Computer Called Katherine
How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon
Published in 2019
Biography of NASA mathematician Katherine Johnson.
Fairy Science
Published in 2019
All the fairies in Pixieville believe in magic--except Esther. She believes in science. When a forest tree stops growing, all the fairies are stumped--including Esther. But not for long! Esther knows that science can get to the root of the problem--and its solution!
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
Published in 2015
Offers an illustrated telling of the story of Ada Byron Lovelace, from her early creative fascination with mathematics and science and her devastating bout with measles, to the ground-breaking algorithm she wrote for Charles Babbage's analytical engine.