When my kids were young, we did very little “official” science curriculum — instead, we just read lots and lots of science picture books, went on nature walks, and explored topics they were interested in. We have read all of the science series’ listed below and highly recommend them for their interesting content, great illustrations, and overall educational value.
Ada Lace
Ada Lace is an 8-year-old girl who loves all things STEM and uses math and science to solve mysteries. (For more series’ specifically for early elementary girls, click HERE.)
Doyle and Fossey, Science Detectives
Doyle and Fossey are science detectives who also solve mysteries using the scientific method. My girls found these to be highly engaging books with interesting plot lines and funny characters.
Magic School Bus Chapter Books
I certainly couldn’t fail to include these wonderful Magic School Bus chapter books. I used to think Magic School Bus books were particularly geared toward young elementary students, but I’ve found that even my older elementary students learn much from them because of the depth of their content and the variety of topics. These chapter books are wonderful supplementary reads, but you can also check out this post which includes an organized list of ALL of the Magic School Bus books by topic.
One Day In The…
This series is geared a bit more toward the older listener (around 2nd grade and up), but they are chock full of information about the outdoors in all different parts of the world. You’ll be introduced to animal behaviors, various types of plant life, weather patterns, and more in each installment, and the chapters are short enough to take in all the facts.
Gail Gibbons’ Picture Books
As you can see, Gail Gibbons has written LOTS of science picture books, and I have found them indispensable as supplementary science read-alouds. The illustrations are fantastic, and each book contains a lot of meaty information that really teaches science topics in a memorable way.
True Animal Stories
For a young animal lover, this series is really well done. Even I was fascinated by some of the true stories included in these collections, and my kids were enthralled as well. I actually found all three of these at thrift stores and have seen them frequently in used bookstores, so keep your eyes open!
Zoey and Sassafras
Zoey and her faithful sidekick Sassafras encounter a new magical animal in each book and must use science in some way to solve a problem. This series is particularly engaging for the younger elementary range.
The Questioneers
This series is a perfect fit for girls who love science, math, architecture, or engineering and is a spinoff from the original Rosie Revere, Engineer picture book. You can read a little more about this series in my post here.
Usborne Beginners Science
Usborne has LOTS of supplementary science books, but we have particularly enjoyed this Usborne Beginners series for younger listeners. Engaging, full-color images really supplement the fascinating facts that are discussed in each volume.
Magic Tree House Fact Trackers
If you’ve read about our family’s favorite series for boys and girls, you’ll know that the Magic Tree House series ranks near the top. These corresponding Fact Tracker books delve slightly deeper into some of the topics covered in the Magic Tree House books, but they’re also wonderful as stand-alone early chapter books.
The Big Book
This is a beautifully-illustrated series that is chockfull of information about all kinds of scientific topics. Each book contains interesting facts and snippets about different facets of the plant and animal kingdom, and you almost forget you’re really learning science because the whole reading experience is so engaging.
I hope this list is helpful as you consider which science books to read with your children! Do you have any favorites that I missed?