Get young Black children excited about STEAM

October is STEAM month and that means systemwide, Charlotte Mecklenburg Library (CML) will be hosting plenty of exciting and engaging STEAM programs for young children, preteens and teens. Books are a great way to introduce young readers to science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics.

Representation in these books is also essential to inspire the next generation of scientists, engineers, creative designers and artists for social change. Encouraging and exposing young Black children to characters that look like them can help to visualize and understand that they can grow up to be great creators and problem solvers in our world.

Check out some of these books at CML that encourage learning science and other academic disciplines for pre-k through 4th grade with Black children as the main characters or subject of the book.

Lonnie Johnson's Super-soaking Stream of Inventions written by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate

In this biography, learn about the NASA engineer, Lonnie Johnson.  As a kid, he participated in science competitions and grew up to become a great inventor. One of his most significant interventions was the Super Soaker water gun. (1st-4th grade)

Rocket Says Look Up! by Nathan Bryon, illustrated by Dapo Adeola

Rocket is fascinated with staring at the sky with her telescope before bedtime each night. She becomes totally excited about the possibility of witnessing meteor showers and creates flyers to pass out to neighbors in her community. Her big brother is annoyed with her antics but has to stick around to help her out anyway. The historical references to past events and the astronaut Mae Jemison provide a great learning opportunity to expand on this subject. (Prek-2nd)

I Want to Be a Doctor, written by Laura Driscoll and illustrated by Catalina Echeverri

This book is a part of the I Can Read! Series. In this series, a young and curious big sister asks many questions when she goes with her family to the hospital because her younger brother Jack injured his foot. She learns a lot about different doctors and their specialties. The illustrations are inviting and welcoming to readers. At the back of the book, readers will find a list of doctors. (PreK-1st grade)

My Rainy Day Rocket Ship, written by Markette Sheppard and illustrated by Charly Palmer

Mom says there is no outside playtime on this rainy day as a young boy uses his imagination to build a rocket ship inside his home using a pair of swimming trunks, goggles, socks, and more. The colorful illustrations and science concepts will encourage young kids to imagine having their own rocket ship and travel to faraway planets. (PreK-1st grade)

The Girl With a Mind for Math The Story of Raye Montague, written by Julia Finley Mosca and illustrated by Daniel Rieley

Read this biography to learn about the fascinating life of Raye Montague, a mathematician extraordinaire. As a young girl, she was inspired to become an engineer after visiting a German submarine and grew up to make significant contributions in the engineering industry. (K- 2nd)

Be sure to look out for the HallowSTEAM for Preschoolers program on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, at 10:30 AM, which will feature the book Ada Twist Scientist, written by Andrea Beaty and illustrated by David Roberts. Ada Twist is a young and curious Black girl that wonders how things work. She finds great joy diving into experimental science projects that perplex her mom, dad, and older brother. This preschool program will help to show and encourage diversity in science with a likable character. This book is recommended for the PreK-2nd grades. During this program, preschoolers will be exposed to basic science concepts and can participate in some hands-on activities. The activity bags will be available for pickup at University City Regional Library. Please visit cmlibrary.org for registration and more information about the program.

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This blog was written by Alicia Finley, children's librarian at University City Regional Library.