AAAS and Subaru are proud to announce the finalists for the 2023 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Middle Grades 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 2023 winner will be selected from among the following finalists:

• How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary Steps, by Pamela S. Turner. Illustrated by John Gurche. Charlesbridge Publishing, 2022.

  The epic story of our evolution in seven big steps! How did we become who we are? With trademark wit, acclaimed science writer Pamela S. Turner breaks down human evolution into the seven most important steps leading to Homo sapiens. How, when, and why did we: 1. stand up, 2. smash rocks, 3. get swelled heads, 4. take a hike, 5. invent barbecue, 6. start talking (and never shut up), and 7. become storytellers? This fascinating, wickedly funny account of our evolutionary journey turns science into an irresistible story. Vetted by experts at the Smithsonian's Human Origins Program, the book also features incredibly detailed portraits by celebrated paleo-artist John Gurche that bring our early ancestors to life.

• It Takes Guts: How Your Body Turns Food Into Fuel (and Poop), by Dr. Jennifer Gardy. Illustrated by Belle Wuthrich. Greystone Kids, 2021.

  Everybody eats, and everybody poops. Pretty ordinary stuff, right? But what happens in between is far from ordinary! That’s where your digestive system—also known as your gut—works its magic. It Takes Guts is an excellent, science-based resource for classroom learning and home-schooling for kids age 9 to 13, with information about the surprising role that food and digestion play in your mood and immune system; the amazing tools your body uses to break down food including acids, which do their thing without burning a hole in your stomach!; and the incredible truth that not all bacteria is bad! Billions of “helpful bacteria” belong in your gut.

• Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep, by Tanya Lloyd Kyi. Illustrated by Valéry Goulet. Kids Can Press, 2021.

  An eye-opening look at the science of sleep — covering everything adolescents could possibly want to know about a subject that’s suddenly keeping them up at night! For something that all humans do every night, sleep is not that well understood. One thing we do know, though, is that it’s important. Here’s the scoop on why it’s so crucial, including what our bodies do while we’re sleeping, what happens when we don’t sleep enough, and how the science of sleep research began. Also included are the reasons why teens and tweens aren’t getting enough sleep — and what school principals can do about it! It’s a deep dive into a fascinating subject that’s so intriguing, it just might keep kids up at night!

• Stolen Science: Thirteen Untold Stories of Scientists and Inventors Almost Written out of History, by Ella Schwartz. Illustrated by Gaby D'Alessandro. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2021.

  Over the centuries, women, people from underrepresented communities, and immigrants overcame prejudices and social obstacles to make remarkable discoveries in science--but they weren’t the ones to receive credit in history books. People with more power, money, and prestige were remembered as the inventor of the telephone, the scientists who decoded the structure of DNA, and the doctor who discovered the cause of yellow fever. This book aims to set the record straight and celebrate the nearly forgotten inventors and scientists who shaped our world today.

Winners will be announced in February 2023.

The finalists for the Children’s Science Picture Book category was announced earlier in the week.