Finalists for 2022 Hands-On Science Book Award
AAAS and Subaru are proud to announce the finalists for the 2022AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Hands-On Science Book category. The Prize celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults and is meant to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality science books for all ages. Longlists for all four categories were announced in October.
The 2022 winner will be selected from among the following finalists:
Cardboard Box Engineering: Cool, Inventive Projects for Tinkerers, Makers & Future Scientists, by Jonathan Adolph. Storey Publishing, 2020.
Cardboard is everywhere! For creative kids aged 9 to 14, it’s the perfect eco-friendly building material, and Cardboard Box Engineering is the perfect guide to get them started on inventive tinkering. A working kaleidoscope, a marble roller coaster, a robotic hand, and a wind-powered tractor with cardboard gears are just some of the ingenious projects developed by Jonathan Adolph, author of the best-selling Mason Jar Science. Working with simple household tools, kids can follow the step-by-step photographic instructions to exercise their design smarts, expand their 3-D thinking, and learn the basics of physics and engineering with activities that have real-life applications.
Kitchen Pantry Scientist Biology for Kids: Science Experiments and Activities Inspired by Awesome Biologists, Past and Present, by Liz Lee Heinecke. Illustrated by Kelly Anne Dalton. Quarto Kids, 2021.
The Kitchen Pantry Scientist Biology for Kids offers a series of snapshots of 25 scientists famous for their work with biology, from ancient history through today. Each lab tells the story of a scientist along with some background about the importance of their work, and a description of where it is still being used or reflected in today’s world. A step-by-step illustrated experiment paired with each story offers kids a hands-on opportunity for exploring concepts the scientists pursued, or are working on today. Experiments range from very simple projects using materials you probably already have on hand, to more complicated ones that may require a few inexpensive items you can purchase online.
The Science and Technology of Marie Curie, by Julie Knutson. Illustrated by Michelle Simpson. Nomad Press, 2021.
Who gets to do science? During a time when most people would answer, “Men,” Marie Curie followed her passion and earned two Nobel Prizes! In The Science and Technology of Marie Curie, readers ages 9 through 12 explore Curie’s groundbreaking scientific research in physics and chemistry and discover how this research forced people to rethink the very structure of their surrounding world . . . and the role of women within it. Her commitment to understanding that which the human eye could not see led to the discovery of two new elements—polonium and radium—and to the birth of a new field of research in radioactivity! Through hands-on STEM activities, essential questions, text-to-world connections, and links to online resources, kids zoom in for a closer look into Curie’s world.
Sky Gazing: A Guide to the Moon, Sun, Planets, Stars, Eclipses, and Constellations, by Meg Thacher. Storey Publishing, 2020.
In this highly visual guide to observing the sky with the naked eye, kids aged 9–14 will delve into the science behind what they see. This captivating book offers a tour of our solar system and deep space, explaining how objects like Earth’s moon were formed and introducing the “why” behind phenomena such as eclipses, northern lights, and meteor showers. Sky gazers will learn how to find and observe planets — no binoculars or telescopes required — and star charts will show them how to spot constellations through the seasons and in both hemispheres.
Winners will be announced in February 2022.
The finalists for the Children’s Science Picture Book and Middle Grades Science Book categories were announced earlier in the week.
