Books, Reading, and Storytelling

A compilation of STEM read-aloud storybooks, storytelling, companion hands-on activities, lists of STEM books and biographies, library collaboration resources, and annual events such as Summer Reading Programs and National Children's Book Week. Also included are resources for STEM tactile and Braille books for visually impaired participants.

Annual Events

Dr. Seuss Day (March 2)
- Seussville resources https://www.seussville.com/
- Exploring Materials - Oobleck activity
  https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/exploring-materials-oobleck
  - Oobleck gets its name from the Dr. Seuss book Bartholomew and the Oobleck where a gooey green substance, Oobleck, fell from the sky and wreaked havoc in the kingdom
- Horton Hears a Who! Storytime activity
  https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/horton-hears-who-storytime
- Horton Senses Something Small activity
  https://www.nisenet.org/catalog/horton-senses-something-small
National Children’s Book Week (early May)
- http://everychildareader.net/cbw/
Read a Book Month (September)
- https://www.daysoftheyear.com/days/read-a-new-book-month/
Summer Reading Programs
- Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) Summer reading themes and resources
  https://www.cslpreads.org/themes-and-slogans/
- American Library Association summer reading programs and resources
  https://libguides.ala.org/summer-reading/resources
- iRead Reading Programs and resources
  https://www.ireadprogram.org/

Storytime Read-Aloud Books and Storytelling Activities

Exploring Earth: Bear’s Shadow

In this activity, learners move a flashlight around an object to make and experiment with shadows, followed by reading a storybook.

Group of learners participating and enjoying the Hide and Seek Moon activity

Exploring the Solar System: Hide and Seek Moon

In this activity, learners use binoculars to find a hidden object on a Moon poster and learn how cultures around the world have viewed the Moon.

Horton Hears a Who! Storytime

In this activity, learners make paper elephant ears to wear and listen to "Horton Hears a Who!" by Dr. Seuss before exploring scent molecules.

Horton Senses Something Small

In this activity, young learners listen to the Dr. Seuss book "Horton Hears a Who", they look at small things using lenses and use their sense of smell to detect things that are too small to see.

"How Small is Nano?" with five images of various cells and a ruler just below

How Small Is Nano? Book and Poster

Posters and banners for the Nanoscale project in various sizes in multiple formats. Formative evaluation and survey instruments for the Nanoscale Informal Science Education Network.

Image showing an illustration of a Mars rover

Is That Robot Real? children's book and poster

Book, graphics panels, and evaluation report on fact and fiction around robots.

Alice In NanoLand

Alice In NanoLand book suitable for reading areas, story-times, or to augment a program; along with formative evaluation.

Boy holding a plastic bag of green oobleck with a plastic Easter egg

Exploring Materials - Oobleck

In this activity, learners investigate the properties of a cornstarch and water mixture, called Oobleck, and test its ability to protect from impacts.

Children with surprised faces and adults using the Frankenstein kit Battery Stack activity - adults dressed as Mary Shelley and the Monster

Frankenstein 200 Kit

Hands-on activities and professional development resources that encourage creativity and reflection about responsible innovation, developed in celebration of the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley's novel Frankenstein.

Facilitator and Learner use a block with a rover image to transport astronauts

Exploring the Solar System: Story Blocks

Every space mission has a story. In this activity, learners use blocks to tell a creative story about planning a space mission to explore the Moon together.

Book cover from the Break Moon Book featuring an illustration of of a family at a dinner table eating fruit

Breakfast Moon picture book

Picture book for young learners about how we see the Moon and how it changes over time.

Learners discuss a picture card from the activity together

Exploring Nano & Society - Tell a Nano Story

In this activity, learners are inspired by picture cards to tell a story about nanotechnologies in the future.

Tactile Books for Blind and Low-Vision Audiences

Child using the Braille book, called "Getting a Feel for Eclipses," features graphics that teach users about the interaction and alignment of the sun with the moon and Earth

Blind and Low Vision Audiences

Resources for improving accessibility for blind and low vision audiences including strategies, guidelines, audio descriptions, sonifications, tactile books, and tactile 3D-printed models.

Science Fiction Connections

Science fiction art featuring archer figure on a rock shooting an arrow into space

Science Fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superheroes

There are many ways to incorporate authentic hands-on STEM in science fiction, Star Wars, Star Trek, and Superhero events! A compilation of ways to connect STEM activities to the imaginative and creative world of sci-fi!

Nanoscale Science Activity Compendiums for Educators

DIY Nano Book

Book of Do-it-Yourself (DIY) hands-on activities about nanoscale science designed for use at home by children and adults.

NanoDays Collection Book

Compendium of all public engagement materials from NanoDays 2008-2015 designed to engage the public in nanoscale science, engineering, and technology and their impact on society impact on society.

Selected Books About Nano

This book collection features a select nano resources for reference, a gentle introduction to nano, as well as some children's books suitable for read-aloud story-times or to augment another programs.

Lists of STEM Story Books

A Mighty Girl STEM books
National Girls Collaborative Project
- Picture Books to Break Stereotypes in STEM (and Beyond!)
  https://ngcproject.org/resources/picture-books-break-stereotypes-stem-and-beyond
Library of Congress science and technology collections for young readers
- Women in STEM https://guides.loc.gov/women-in-science/youngreaders
Climate Mental Health books
- https://www.climatementalhealth.net/books

Night Sky Storytelling & Indigenous Ways of Knowing

The Astronomy of Many Cultures: A Resource Guide compiled by Andrew Fraknoi
NASA's Universe of Learning Native American Sky resources:
https://universe-of-learning.org/contents/events/science-briefings/science-briefing-the-native-american-sky
Audio stories about the Moon from Lunar Planetary Institute (LPI)
https://www.lpi.usra.edu/education/explore/marvelMoon/tales/
Moon myths from around the world - Night Sky Network and Astronomical Society of the Pacific (ASP)
https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/download-view.cfm?Doc_ID=642
Downloadable handout: https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/MoonStoriesASP2019.pdf
Create your own Moon story handout: https://nightsky.jpl.nasa.gov/docs/CreateMoonStory.pdf
Cosmic Serpent - Bridging Native Ways of Knowing and Western Science in Museum Settings
https://edeon.sonoma.edu/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/CosmicSerpent-LegacyDoc27Nov2012.pdf
Native Sky Watchers - Two Eyed Seeing – NASA & Indigenous Astronomy – For the Benefit of All
https://www.nativeskywatchers.com/two-eyed-seeing-nasa.html
Indigenous Education Institute (IEI): http://indigenouseducation.org
Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian Star Stories:
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLS6nSmuURFJBLIE-4ulPJMYxOV4Zpj1WZ
Learn more about Indigenous ways of knowing and making local connections in the NISE Network guide Working with STEM Experts: A Guide for Educators in Museums and Other Informal Learning Settings

Libraries

Writing and Nature Journals

Nature Journals and Outdoor Observations

Free video series from John Muir Laws and Children's Creativity Museum
https://creativity.org/nature-journal-connection/
John Muir Laws How to Teach Nature Journaling
https://johnmuirlaws.com/product/how-to-teach-nature-journaling/
Nature Journaling from PLT - Project Learning Tree
Nature Journaling activities from Oregon State University
International Nature Journaling Week (first week in June)
https://www.naturejournalingweek.com
USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN)
Nature's Notebook tracking seasonal changes in plants and animals
https://usanpn.org/natures_notebook

Science Notebooks and Journaling

NSTA Science Notebooks in Student-Centered Classrooms
https://my.nsta.org/resource/125063

Professional Learning - Online Workshop Recordings

Online Workshop Recording: Museum Community Partnerships - Part 1: Libraries (2017)

Online professional development workshop recording (2017).

Online Workshop Recording: Stories & STEM: Explore the power of narrative to engage audiences and enliven hands-on science programs (Recorded)

Online professional development workshop recording (2019).

Online Workshop Recording: Library Collaborations to Engage Local Public Audiences

Online workshop recording about library collaborations, featuring resources for both museums and libraries working together to engage their communities (2026).

Partner Highlights

Partner Highlight: A Summer-Long Community Library Program Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 Mission

November 4, 2019

Jake Milliron, Mobius Children's Science Museum & Science Center

The Mobius Children's Science Museum & Science Center serves a large geographic community in Eastern Washington and Northern Idaho, reaching both rural and urban communities. This past summer, in support of the nation-wide program, A Universe of Stories, the children's museum created programming using their Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit and mobile planetarium engaging 1950 visitors across 24 different library events, which was a 20% increase from previous summer library programming!

Partner Highlight: A Small Planetarium has a Big Reopening in Luling, Louisiana

December 6, 2017

Jason Talley, Planetarium Supervisor

After a year of renovations, the St. Charles Parish Library Planetarium reopened to record crowds with help from NISE Net's Explore Science: Earth & Space toolkit in time for the 2017 solar eclipse. Since reopening, staff have integrated the kit's activities into the curriculum and improved upon them in some cases. In addition to some local media attention leading up to their eclipse event, planetarium faculty were also invited to speak at a local elementary school about observing the sky, which included a portable star project and several hands-on activities.

Partner Highlight: Kentucky Science Center's Eclipse Adventure - A Report from Three Sites

August 31, 2017

Andrew Spence, Kentucky Science Center

On a scale only previously seen at our gala fundraiser and the Thunder over Louisville extravaganza, Kentucky Science Center’s team joined forces on August 21, 2017 to deliver eclipse programming to three sites: two in totality and one at our...

Partner Highlight: Montshire Talks Frankenstein, Celebrating the 200th Anniversary of a Classic

April 3, 2018

Trish Palao, Montshire Museum of Science

This year, in participation with the science education initiative Frankenstein200, the Montshire Museum of Science’s annual conversation series, Montshire Talks, focused on the 200th anniversary of the publication of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein; or the Modern Prometheus. Through her seminal work, Shelley sparked the imaginations of generations who ponder the necessary balance between progress and ethics.

Partner Highlight: 7th annual Nantucket Science Festival

April 7, 2021

Kim Botelho - Maria Mitchell Association, Nantucket, MA

Every March, since 2015, the Maria Mitchell Association (MMA) has joined forces with the Nantucket Community School (NCS) to offer an annual Science Festival loaded with hands-on activities for the entire family.

Solar Eclipse Finger Lakes Library activities distributed by the Sciencenter Ithaca, NY

Partner Highlight: Museum & Library Partnership – Community Engagement and Professional Development to Prepare for the Upcoming Solar Eclipses in the Finger Lakes of New York

September 28, 2023

Annie Gordon, Education Program Coordinator, Sciencenter, Ithaca, NY

In preparation for the October 2023 annular eclipse and the April 2024 total eclipse the Sciencenter in Ithaca, NY partnered with the Finger Lakes Library System (FLLS) to create eclipse kits for all the libraries within the system.