The best STEM books for children

Choosing the right STEM book can turn a passing question into a lifelong passion. Whether your child is fixated on robots, can’t stop asking why the sky is blue, or loves tinkering with torches and magnifying glasses, this guide gathers our favourite Usborne titles to help you nurture that spark at every age. And for quick, screen-free activities you can try today, download our free Usborne STEM Activity Pack.

For curious preschoolers and Reception (ages 3-5)

Young children learn brilliantly through play and short bursts of discovery. All About You and Your Body invites little ones to notice the amazing things their bodies can do, from breathing and blinking to bouncy bones, in language that’s clear and reassuring. When germs enter the chat (and they always do), Lift-the-Flap Questions and Answers About Germs answers “What are germs?”, “How do soap and tissues help?” and more, via robust flaps and friendly illustrations that make tricky topics feel safe and simple.

For big, floor-time moments, Big Book of the Body opens out into wow-factor spreads that help children spot body parts and systems, while you model the vocabulary. As their questions broaden, First Encyclopedia of Science and First Encyclopedia of the Human Body become your trusty “let’s look it up” companions, perfect for five-minutes after nursery or before bedtime.

Early primary explorers (ages 5-7)

At this stage, children are ready to connect ideas. What do Scientists Do? lifts the lid on how scientists investigate the world, from observing and measuring to testing fair questions, so children can see themselves as mini-scientists, too. Pair it with What do Doctors Do? to meet real-world STEM heroes and peek behind the scenes of hospitals and clinics.

Ready for simple physics at home? How It Works: Light and How It Works: Electricity turns everyday phenomena into hands-on learning. Whether you want to make shadows dance, split white light into rainbows, or build a safe circuit with adult guidance, each page is designed to let children predict, try, and explain to their heart’s content!

Hands-on makers and experimenters (ages 7-9)

Science Experiments is a kitchen-table classic packed with clear, repeatable investigations using household bits and bobs. Keep notebooks nearby: Science Scribble Book, Inventions Scribble Book and Technology Scribble Book give children creative prompts to sketch, hypothesise, design, and iterate just like real engineers and inventors.

For children who love to look closer, Book of the Microscope opens up a hidden universe. With supervision, they’ll learn how microscopes work and what to look for (including everything from onion cells to insect wings), building patience, observation skills, and a real sense of discovery.

Coding, robots and the world to come (ages 8-12)

Digital thinking is a brilliant confidence-builder. Coding for Beginners Using Scratch turns game ideas into working projects, step by step, which is ideal for building logic, debugging skills and resilience. Curious about machines that learn? Lots of Things to Know About Robots is a lively tour of bots in homes, hospitals and space, while See Inside AI lifts flaps on neural networks, training data and everyday AI in a child-friendly way.

Older readers ready to dive deeper will enjoy AI for Beginners, which unpacks concepts and ethics in plain English, and See Inside Future Energy, a timely look at solar, wind, hydrogen and more. To zoom out and dream big, The Future explores how today’s ideas could shape tomorrow’s homes, travel and jobs (great fodder for family debates at the dinner table!).

Big ideas in life science (ages 9-12)

If your child is captivated by living things, Biology for Beginners lays solid foundations, from cells and DNA to ecosystems, linking what they see outdoors to what’s going on under the surface. For inspiration, The Amazing Discoveries of 100 Brilliant Scientists tells the human stories behind breakthroughs across science and engineering, making perseverance and curiosity feel exciting and achievable.

Keep the momentum going

Build a simple routine like one “wonder question” after school, a weekend experiment, or a sketch in a scribble book before bed. Most of all, keep it collaborative with fair-test thinking (“What will we change? What will we keep the same?”) and celebrate the process, not just the result. And don’t forget to try a few activities from our free Usborne STEM Activity Pack, which is perfect for rainy afternoons.

Safety note: Always supervise children during experiments, follow instructions carefully, and choose activities suited to your child’s age and stage.

Ready to explore?

Discover these Usborne STEM books, pick one to start with this week, and print the free activity pack so you can dive straight in together.