Spooky Halloween STEM Picture Books Round-Up
Don’t miss out on reading these books with your kids this October! There are so many delightfully funny and spooky Halloween STEM picture books that also feature amazing science for kids.
Skeleton STEM Picture Books for Halloween
There’s a Skeleton Inside You!
written by Idan Ben-Barak; illustrated by Julian Frost
Aliens Quort and Oort don’t have any bones or muscles or nerves. Luckily, they can grow some! My 5 year old loves the interactive elements of this book. And the boneless aliens who can't even open a door is a really funny way to get kids appreciating their own skeleton!
Give Me Back My Bones!
written by Kim Norman, illustrated by Bob Kolar
This rhyming pirate’s skull tries to put his skeleton back together. A mandible and a clavicle, phalanges and femurs, a tibia and a fibula - this book names so many bones, and somehow it still rhymes! The premise of course is a bit spooky, but otherwise it’s pretty tame fun.
Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons
written by Sara Levine, illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth
“What kind of animal would you be if your finger bones grew so long that they reached your feet?” A bat! “What kind of animal would you be if we took away your leg bones but kept your arm bones?” A whale or dolphin! Written by a veterinarian, this book is all about comparing our humans skeletons to animal ones.
If you like this premise, the same author/illustrator team also wrote “Tooth by Tooth”, “Eye by Eye”, and “Fossil by Fossil.”
And no, the illustrator’s name is not a typo. That’s really what he goes by!
Can’t get enough of dem bones? Find fun and easy skeleton STEAM activities and videos here!
Kids’ Brain STEM Picture Books for Halloween
Brains! Not Just A Zombie Snack written by Stacy McAnulty, illustrated by Matthew Rivera “Don’t worry. I’m not going to eat your brain. I gave that up hours ago. Even though it’s about 75% water and 100% delicious.” If your kids are into a slightly ghoulish Halloween, they will love this book.
The narrator is a zombie, so she can tell you all about how human brains work! And when she asks for just a teeny-tiny taste of your brain, she promises not to eat any of the important parts, like the brain stem or the cerebellum. Such a delight, especially for elementary age kids.
The Brilliant Brain: How It Works and How to Look After It written by Roopa Farooki, illustrated by Viola Wang For kids who aren’t into the creepy humor of zombies wanting to eat brains, this book is the sweet and relatable introduction to brain science! They can learn about how different parts of their brain work together. Like how going to say hi to a friend uses your cerebrum to tell your legs to go, and your cerebellum to coordinate your legs to walk and your mouth to say hi. Written by a real doctor, the backmatter includes advice to keep your brain healthy - like drinking lots of water, wearing a helmet, and getting lots of sleep!
Your Fantastic Elastic Brain written by JoAnn Deak, illustrated by Sarah Ackerley The really unique thing about this book is how it ties neuroscience to growth mindset! Making mistakes and learning something new causes your brain to grow more connections between neurons, so you can hold more information and ideas. As a parent, I really want my kids to embody a growth mindset. This book is a great reminder for both me and my kids that our brains are truly built to learn from mistakes and repetition!If you liked this book, there’s also a sequel “Good Night to Your Fantastic Elastic Brain” that’s all about how sleep helps your brain in different ways. I’m going to read that one soon to my 6 year old, who keeps insisting at bedtime that he’s actually nocturnal.
There’s so much more juicy brain science for kids. Check out these brain games and spooky brainy STEAM activities!
Spider STEM Picture Books for Halloween
I’m Trying to Love Spiders
by Bethany Barton
This is a fun interactive book where the narrator tries to convince herself to love spiders, but somehow keeps squishing them, or getting you to squish them for her! Along the way you learn all the cool spider facts that may actually get you appreciating them by the end.
Scurry! The Truth about Spiders
by Annette Whipple
This one is for the kiddos who can't get enough of spider facts and close-up photos. It’s chock full of answers to questions like “Why are spiders so hairy?” and “How do spiders make silk?”
Nefertiti: The Spidernaut
by Darcy Pattison, illustrated by Valeria Tisnés
Learn all about the jumping spider who went to space and back! She proved to scientists that she could adapt her jumps to the zero gravity of space, and then adapt back to gravity once she returned to Earth.
If you like this one, you might also check out “Spidernaut: Arabella, the Spider in Space” by Jodie Parachini, illustrated by Dragan Kordić. (Yes, I too was surprised that there’s more than one “Spidernaut” nonfiction picture book in the world. They aren’t even about the same spider!)
Up, Up, and Away
by Ginger Wadsworth, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne
Follow along with one garden spider through its one year lifecycle, starting in an egg sac with hundreds of spiderling siblings, then floating away on a single silk thread to find a new home! My middle kid especially found this book fascinating, even though he’s quite nervous around spiders in real life.
For even more kid-friendly spider science, check out the STEAM activity and videos in this post!
I hope your spooky season is full of curiously spooky science too!
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