Books are a great way to engage children in STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics). They appeal to a variety of children and make STEM subjects more accessible.

Research suggests that students learn science best when it is integrated into other subject areas such as reading and language arts. Now that libraries are reopening across Iowa, it is a great time to check out books with a STEM theme.

To learn more about great STEM books available, the STEM Board checked in with Joa LaVille, the Youth Services librarian at the Marshalltown Public Library. LaVille is always looking for fun ways to include educational learning in the library programs.

During Storytime, she likes to integrate storytelling with hands-on activities. For example, for one of her popular programs the children learn facts about polar animals and then they do a snow activity from a polymer that expands into a snow type material through an exothermic reaction.

“Another popular program has been bridge building, where we started out with the Billy Goats Gruff story, then built a life-sized bridge together and acted it out, ending with a chance for students to play with simple machine Lego kits,” LaVille said.

“Our strategy at the library is often to give kids a taste or intriguing experience with a concept that maybe raises more questions than it answers and then encouraging them to seek out further information in books,” she said.

Check out some favorite books she has used in her STEM programs in the last couple of years:

“The Sun is Kind of a Big Deal” by Nick Seluk, “Counting on Katherine” by Helaine Becker, “The Secret Life of Snowflakes” by Kenneth Libbrecht and “Volcano Rising” by Elizabeth Rusch.

North Central STEM picks: “Hello Ruby: Adventures in Coding” by Linda Liukas and “What If You Had Animal Teeth?” by Sandra Markle.