With a new academic year on the horizon, and educators and librarians on the lookout for fresh classroom and library materials, we asked publishers to share their insights into the STEM/STEAM category, as well as their latest STEM/STEAM books, series, and initiatives.

All the publishers we spoke with said that demand for these kinds of books in the market has remained strong, or has increased, since the pandemic. Keeping pace means focusing on innovation—in design, format, perspective, and subject matter—to produce books that simultaneously engage, inform, and entertain readers.

Rich Thomas, SVP and executive director of publishing at HarperCollins Children’s Books, describes his company’s STEM/STEAM publishing strategy as focused, selective, and creative. “We try to be sure that any book we publish presents the topic from a unique angle,” he says. “A tailored approach is especially important in a robust category such as this. So, we publish fiction that incorporates a scientific theory as a plot device, graphic novels about the living environment and biological sciences, and picture books that explore STEM/STEAM topics in accessible ways.” He points to Jasmine Warga’s middle grade novel A Rover’s Story as an example. “It’s a work of fiction that was exhaustively researched and provides solid STEM facts layered into a fun, character-driven read.”

Simon & Schuster’s Beach Lane imprint has deep roots in art, science, and the natural world, according to executive editor Andrea Welch. “We know how strongly and organically children connect with these topics,” she says. “Especially when explored by authors and illustrators who find unexpected and creative ways to shine fresh light on perennially fascinating subjects—from mushrooms to monkeys and everything in between.”

Welch notes that Beach Lane’s list of STEAM titles has grown in recent years, in tandem with the market. “We continue to sense an eager audience for all types of nonfiction, particularly books that subtly encourage readers to see things differently and that inspire questions, curiosity, and opportunities for expanded learning,” she says. The imprint’s STEM/STEAM offerings in 2024 include the first two works in Amy Hevron’s six-book Tiny Habitats series, Jennifer Ward and Robin Page’s Sleepy: Surprising Ways Animals Snooze, Aura Lewis’s Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Winn Valdes, and Amy Cherrix and Fran Preston-Gannon’s Animal Superpowers.

“I’ve seen more professionals in STEAM fields interested in writing for kids, and maybe with more of a focus on STEAM rather than pure STEM titles, which seems like a positive step to me,” says Laura Godwin, publisher of Godwin Books at Henry Holt. “I think adding the A to STEM adds an element of fun and accessibility,” she notes. “This broadens the appeal, and ultimately the readership of any book, which is obviously a big plus.” Recent books on her list that demonstrate this approach are Animal Climate Heroes by Alison Pearce Stevens, a look at how animals help save the planet, and Buzzkill, exploring the world of bugs, by Brenna Maloney.

Some of these same trends are on the radar of Kendra Levin, editorial director at Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers. “There are a lot of books emerging on our list across the whole children’s division that highlight not just learning, but doing—for instance, We Are the Builders by Deepa Iyer, which is about the different ways kids can engage with their communities to make change,” she says. “And more professionals with STEM and STEAM backgrounds are feeling drawn to reach out to young people to show them how they can impact the world and realize their dreams, like entrepreneur Deena Shakir, whose debut picture book, Leena Mo, CEO, is forthcoming on the Salaam Reads list.”

Carol Hinz, associate publisher for Millbrook Press and Carolrhoda, describes the current strategies for the STEM/STEAM category at her company. “With our STEM/STEAM-themed picture books, we’ve been shifting away from books that highlight various animals with a shared characteristic and are currently publishing a mix of picture book bios and books that take innovative approaches to science content, sometimes with elements from other disciplines as well,” she says. “In the picture book bio Mami King: How Ma Mon Luk Found Love, Riches, and the Perfect Bowl of Soup by Jacqueline Chio-Lauri, illustrated by Kristin Sorra, the STEM elements include the trial-and-error process of perfecting a recipe and the use of simple machines, including scissors and a pingga, or carrying pole, which the author highlights in the back matter.” Other books, like If I Were a Fungus by Gaia Stella and I Fuel: How Energy Powers Our Busy World by Kelly Rice Schmitt, illustrated by Jam Dong, “use unexpected points of view in a fiction format to inform readers,” she adds.

Hinz echoes her industry colleagues in her enthusiasm for STEM/STEAM titles that perform double or even triple duty. An example, which she notes is an exception to the move away from animal books, is Haiku, Ew! Celebrating the Disgusting Side of Nature by Lynn Brunelle, illustrated by Julia Powell. “It subverts expectations about the haiku form by highlighting gross things about various creatures with informative sidebars alongside the poems, making it equally well suited for poetry lessons or science class,” she says.

Branching out

“We’ve broadened the STEM/STEAM category to include informational picture books, younger nonfiction, and fiction,” says Jennifer Stokes, editorial director at Owlkids Books. “Over the past few years, we’ve found success with STEM/STEAM nonfiction books that engage kids with humor but also provide lots of shareable facts. This insight was gained from our Do Animals series, and we’ve carried it through in books like Odd Couples: A Guide to Unlikely Animal Pairs for younger kids, and for middle graders, our list includes titles such as Making Sense of Dog Senses: How Our Furry Friends Experience the World, which is playful but scientifically precise and explores many kids’ favorite topic: dogs.”

Launched in 2020, London- and New York–based Magic Cat Publishing, an imprint of Abrams Books, publishes illustrated nonfiction that “seamlessly integrates STEM concepts with well-being or philosophy,” according to cofounder and publisher Rachel Williams. “Over the past few years, STEM titles have become a flourishing branch on our publishing tree,” she says. “Readers and educators crave books that spark creativity, problem-solving skills, and a connection to the bigger picture.” Williams and her team have observed that, no matter the topic, young readers respond well to “perspectives that bring a sense of creativity and discovery to the subject, and they really appreciate authors who know their stuff and love what they’re writing about.” One fall title on the Magic Cat list that checks those boxes is The Inventor’s Workshop: How People and Machines Transformed Each Other by Ruth Amos, an inventor and YouTuber.

“We’ve been thrilled to expand our MIT Kids and MITeen imprints to encompass new formats,” says Phoebe Kosman, director of marketing, publicity, and key partnerships at Candlewick. She names novelty books, including Vicky Fang’s flip-flap book AlphaBot, which is firmly grounded in computer science, and board books, including the just-launched Big Science for Tiny Tots series and the forthcoming Nature in Action board book series about earth science.

Branching out is also helping Lee & Low build on its respected nonfiction STEM/STEAM backlist. “We expanded our publishing effort into picture book fiction that showcases concrete STEM/STEAM themes, like Seven Golden Rings: A Tale of Music and Math by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Archana Sreenivasan, and Ten Blocks to the Big Wok: A Chinatown Counting Book by Ying-Hwa Hu,” says marketing director Jenny Choy. And the company will include middle grade readers next spring with the narrative nonfiction title The Doomsday Detectives: How Walter and Luis Alvarez Solved the Mystery of Dinosaur Extinction by Cindy Jenson-Elliott, set for publication next March.

At Capstone, content strategy director Stephanie Miller notes, “We’ve found success expanding STEM/STEAM contents to different product types, including picture books, feature photo-illustrated picture books, chapter book fiction, graphic novels, hands-on active learning titles, and books in conjunction with our licensing partnerships.”Miller has noticed that “as kids get older, they want to know what’s in it for them” when it comes to studying STEM concepts.

“The trend is to be more inspirational, aspirational, and show readers how STEM/STEAM plays a really big part in their everyday lives. We have to be a little more creative with our approach, something I like to call ‘head fake’ learning,” she says. “For the fluent readers, this is where you combine science with high-interest topics they want to read about: sports, adventure fiction, graphic novels, animals. STEAM/STEM is really cool when you think about how angles impact your ability to score goals, or when you read stories about a child inventor who saves the day with her invention.”

Kelly Barrales-Saylor, editorial director at Sourcebooks eXplore, is among the many editors who believe that delivering fun for readers is a key factor in creating STEM/STEAM success. “We have strategically focused on publishing books that are entertaining first and foremost with educational information as a secondary feature,” she explains. “The second book in our Butt or Face series by Kari Lavelle recently released, which is a great example of a book where readers will learn something new about animals while also having a great time guessing whether they are looking at, well, a butt or a face. We have gravitated away from the didactic and leaned into books like Dinosaurs in Space, the forthcoming title from Todd Sturgell, which features information about dinosaur fossils on the moon woven into a hilarious storyline.” Barrales-Saylor emphasizes that the imprint will continue to home in on STEM/STEAM projects “with the primary goal of creating read-again and gift-giving opportunities to reach the widest number of readers possible.”

Sam Priddy, copublisher of Neon Squid, a nonfiction imprint of Macmillan Children’s Books based in London, is on the same page when it comes to silly. “I think back to when I was at school and lots of people viewed science as boring, so we made it our mission to champion STEAM subjects and emphasize how fun they can be,” he says. “We’re particularly passionate about the more niche science subjects that aren’t widely taught in schools—we’ve done books on animal symbiosis, rewilding, and even a nonfiction guide to aliens.”

In this vein, Priddy calls out one of his favorites, A Stinky History of Toilets, released in March. “Unsurprisingly it’s one that kids are drawn to straightaway, and we weren’t precious enough to avoid filling it with poop gags,” he says. “But the authors, Olivia Meikle and Katie Nelson, have also done a tremendous job of weaving some proper hardcore science into it too—from why U-bends stop toilets from exploding to how scientists in the 19th century linked the spread of cholera to bad sanitation.”

Abrams editor at large Howard Reeves hails Jorge Cham’s Oliver’s Great Big Universe series as a new funny fave. “Whether having a hall full of kids avoiding the ‘big bang fart’ to explain the origins of the universe, or in book two, comparing volcanic eruptions to a kid’s reaction to overeating cherry pie, Jorge intertwines science with humor,” Reeves says. “Kids are laughing too hard to realize they are learning something. It’s these types of books that help STEAM find its place in the classroom. They get kids talking about science while being entertained in the process.”

One note rung by several publishers is that STEM/STEAM’s status as a standalone entity has blurred somewhat. “What’s shifted a bit with STEM/STEAM in the past few years is that it feels less like a separate category of book and more like a natural part of what we are publishing,” Levin says. “For a number of reasons—world events, our relationship with technology in our day-to-day lives, and the lingering effects of the quarantined period of the Covid-19 pandemic—authors and illustrators are thinking about STEM/STEAM topics in a different way than a few years ago, and we’re seeing that reflected in the books they are creating and that we are publishing.”

Thomas says he’s hearing different kinds of requests from educators. “We are seeing a slight shift away from ‘Oh, I need more STEM books for my curriculum’ to ‘My kids are into these topics, so what books do you recommend that will keep them turning the pages?’ ”

STEM/STEAM for everyone

Across the board, publishers say that STEM/STEAM books by and about people of color and books featuring more diverse experiences are on their wish lists. “Our curriculum partners and the school districts we work closely with are hungry for STEM/STEAM books that center communities of color,” says Choy at Lee & Low. “This is especially true for titles about conservation and the environment, since Black and brown folk are on the front lines of the climate justice movement, like in Nibi’s Water Song by Sunshine Tenasco, illustrated by Chief Lady Bird.” She adds that her company is translating more STEAM books into Spanish—a move being made by other publishers as well—“to increase access to these stories that have great potential to inspire the next generation of thinkers, leaders, and citizens.”

Choy says she has noticed that educators and librarians are also asking for more books with BIPOC main characters outside enjoying nature. “Our editorial team is thoughtful about growing representation in our books beyond race to incorporate other intersecting identities that impact readers’ lived experience,” she says. As one example, the forthcoming picture book A Sky that Sings (Mar. 2025) by Anita Sanchez and George Steele, illustrated by Emily Mendoza, spotlights a blind Latina girl who enjoys identifying birds by their distinct calls and songs as she leads her tía through the park on a birding adventure.

“The trend of picture book biographies about scientists of color is going strong—and rightly so,” says Alyssa Mito Pusey, executive editor at Charlesbridge. “They are still very much needed. There are also more and more fiction picture books about kids of color who love science or math. As an editor of color, I love these books; they’re important and empowering. But we need to give young readers more options. Kids need books by diverse authors about a range of topics; authors should write about whatever sparks joy and curiosity for them.”

Looking ahead, she says, “my hope is that as diversity increases in both publishing and STEM fields, there will be many more diverse STEM books for kids.”

Staying tuned

“Children’s books that focus on STEAM topics aren’t waning in popularity,” says Andi Diehn, content marketing manager at Nomad Press. “In fact, I only see their appeal growing.”

All the publishers we contacted were similarly upbeat about the STEM/STEAM market’s future. “From where we sit, STEM/STEAM remains as hot as ever, with parents, teachers, and librarians all grateful to find books that celebrate STEAM as an opportunity for fun and creativity, rather than something intimidating,” says Erica Finkel, executive editor at Abrams, where she works on the popular Questioneers series by Andrea Beaty. “The Questioneers takes kids as creators seriously—STEAM isn’t just something that kids can grow up to do one day, it’s something they are already doing right now, and they’re having fun while doing it.”

And for many publishers, there’s another fulfilling mission behind staying in the STEM game. “Making science and tech accessible and appealing is really important and gratifying,” Godwin says. “One of the first picture books I edited, Cactus Hotel by Brenda Guiberson, explains the life cycle of a giant saguaro cactus but tells it as a story. The fact that it’s still in print today with hundreds of thousands of copies sold is a good illustration of the fact that if you make it fun and accessible, the readers will come.”