A Book About WhalesAndrea AntinoriA beautifully illustrated introduction for young learners about the whales of the world, their habitats, habits, and how to recognize different species.Winning TitlesView book detailsNSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 2020
The 2020 edition contains 42 selections published by the National Science Teaching Association. The source organizes the selections into Winning Titles. It is one annual edition of the NSTA science trade-book bibliography for students and educators. The selected trade books connect literacy with science subjects and were published during the preceding year.
2020 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12See the original list
Selections42
Published byNational Science Teaching Association
SectionsWinning Titles
Winning Titles
42 selections
A Book About WhalesAndrea AntinoriA beautifully illustrated introduction for young learners about the whales of the world, their habitats, habits, and how to recognize different species.Winning TitlesView book details
The Butterfly HouseKaty Flint, illustrated by Alice PattulloThe Earth is our butterfly house. This book is filled with excellent information and stunning illustrations that help us explore the world of butterflies.Winning TitlesView book details
A Computer Called KatherineSuzanne Slade, illustrated by Veronica Miller JamisonThis book shares the drive and determination of Katherine Johnson as she worked mathematically to help NASA put a man on the moon.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure 760LATOS Book Level 4.3View book details
Counting the Stars, The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA MathematicianLesa Cline-Ransome, illustrated by Raúl ColónKatherine Johnson is one of the most remarkable mathematicians of her time. Her love of math began early in life and her brilliance ensured the safety of many NASA missions.Winning TitlesView book details
All in a Drop: How Antony Van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible WorldLori Alexander, illustrated by Vivien Mildenberger Houghton Miffl in Harcourt Books for Young ReadersThis biography of a notable amateur scientist shows how curiosity and persistence are key to scientific discoveries.Winning TitlesView book details
Amazing Evolution: The Journey of LifeAnna Claybourne, illustrated by Wesley Robins TheThis book explains evolution as a process of constant change.Winning TitlesView book details
Anna & Samia: The True Story of Saving a Black RhinoPaul Meisel, illustrated by Paul MeiselThe true story of conservationist Anna Merz and her efforts to raise and release Samia, an orphaned black rhino.Winning TitlesView book details
Beyond Words: What Elephants and Whales Think and Feel (A Young Reader’s Adaptation)Carl Safina, Carl SafinaFirsthand accounts, field research, and photographs engage readers in a narrative about the emotions, behaviors, and communications of elephants across the Kenyan landscape.Winning TitlesView book details
Darwin: An Exceptional VoyageFabien Grolleau, illustrated by Jérémie RoyerA biographical graphic novel detailing Darwin’s journey of, combining elements of historical fiction and science directly from Darwin’s own writing.Winning TitlesView book details
Dreaming in Code, Ada Byron Lovelace, Computer PioneerEmily Arnold McCullyThis book, appropriate for young adult readers, describes Ada Byron Lovelace’s unusual upbringing, her love of mathematical puzzles, and her contributions to computer programming.Winning TitlesView book details
Electric War: Edison, Tesla, Westinghouse, and the Race to Light the WorldMike WinchellUsing both historical and bibliographic information, the book details the experiments, competitions, and grit of Edison, Tesla, and Westinghouse.Winning TitlesView book details
Evelyn, the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug HunterChristine Evans, illustrated by Yasmin ImamuraFollow Evelyn Cheesman on her relentless and life-long pursuit of knowledge about animals, especially insects.Winning TitlesView book details
Exemplary Evidence: Scientists and their DataJessica Fries-Gaither, illustrated by Linda OlliverA great exploration of major scientific figures and the data they collected. This is a great, fun way to engage readers on the importance of evidence and data!Winning TitlesView book details
Fanatical About FrogsOwen DaveyThis book will have readers leaping with excitement for its wonderful depictions of frogs. Filled with excellent information and great illustrations.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure IG1100LATOS Book Level 7.7View book details
The Frog BookSteve Jenkins, Robin PageLife cycle, types, and reproductive traits are presented in this colorfully illustrated guide to all things frog.Winning TitlesView book details
HawkingJim Ottaviani, illustrated by Leland MyrickA fascinating graphic biography of Stephen Hawking, full of humor and deep insight into black holes and cosmology.Winning TitlesView book details
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant InventorLaurie Wallmark, illustrated by Katy WuHedy Lamarr was not just a Hollywood beauty, she was a creative and innovative inventor. Her invention of frequency hopping helped win the Second World War.Winning TitlesView book details
Homes in the Wild: Where Baby Animals and Their Parents LiveLita Judge, illustrated by Lita JudgeHelps readers connect to the idea that all animals need a home that serves as a place of refuge and safety for the growing young, regardless of shape or location.Winning TitlesView book details
HummingbirdNicola Davies, illustrated by Jane RayA beautifully illustrated book depicting the 2,000 mile migration north of the red-throated hummingbird.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD750LATOS Book Level 4.6View book details
Instructions Not Included: How a Team of Women Coded the FutureTami Lewis Brown, Debbie Loren Dunn, illustrated by Chelsea Beck Disney-HyperionA historical look at how three women, Betty Snyder, Jean Jennings and Kay McCulty, changed the face of modern technology with their drive to explore, create, and invent.Winning TitlesView book details
Into the Deep: An Exploration of Our OceansWolfgang Dreyer, illustrated by Annika SiemsThe latest deep sea research presented through compelling text and stunning illustrations.Winning TitlesView book details
Look Up with Me, Neil deGrasse Tyson: A Life Among the StarsJennifer Berne, illustrated by Lorraine Nam, introduction by Neil deGrasse Tyson Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint ofExplore the life of Neil deGrasse Tyson. Learn how his passion for the night sky drove him to become one of the best known astrophysicists in the world.Winning TitlesView book details
Mario and the Hole in the Sky: How a Chemist Saved Our PlanetElizabeth Rusch, illustrated by Teresa MartínezDiscover the life behind the man whose curiosity for the world, seen through a microscope, helped shed light on the ozone crisis of the 1980s. (Also in Spanish,Winning TitlesView book details
Migration: Incredible Animal JourneysMike Unwin, illustrated by Jenni DesmondThis introduction to animal migrations includes supportive maps and inserted tidbits about the role of humans interrupting migration patterns.Winning TitlesView book details
One Iguana, Two Iguanas: A Story of Accident, Natural Selection, and EvolutionSneed B. CollardThrough photographs and the story of two iguana species, this book provides an engaging mystery of how animals can evolve from a single ancestor and be so different.Winning TitlesView book details
Overview, Young Explorer’s Edition: A New Way of Seeing EarthBenjamin Grant, Sandra MarkleA stunning collection of satellite photographs and text that allows us to see Earth from a range of perspectives.Winning TitlesView book details
Paper World PlanetBombolandDiscover the structures of Earth through flaps on every page full of interesting science facts.Winning TitlesView book details
The Poison Eaters: Fighting Danger and Fraud in Our Food and DrugsGail JarrowDiscover events that led to the formation of the Food and Drug Administration, including the contributions of dedicated scientist Dr. Harvey Washington.Winning TitlesView book details
Pollen: Darwin’s 130-Year PredictionDarcy Pattison, illustrated by Peter WillisA marvelous history of Darwin’s prediction of an unlikely moth and its proof, more than a century later.Winning TitlesView book details
Moth: An Evolution StoryIsabel Thomas, illustrated by Daniel EgnéusThis true story of the peppered moth introduces young children to the mechanism of natural selection with a beautifully illustrated and easy to understand approach.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure 511LATOS Book Level 3.4View book details
Nine MonthsMiranda Paul, illustrated by Jason ChinThrough alternating panels depicts the story of a soon-to-be sister and her family preparing for a new baby with accurate illustrations of the stages of the fetus.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD230LATOS Book Level 1View book details
Nose Knows: Wild Ways Animals Smell the WorldEmmanuelle Figueras, illustrated by Claire de Gastold What on Earth BooksLift the flaps to learn about some of the wild methods animals use to communicate with each other using their noses, antennae, and scent glands.Winning TitlesView book details
Not a Butterfly Alphabet BooksJerry Pallotta, illustrated by Shennen BersaniThis beautiful collection and resource of the moth world will certainly make every butterfly jealous!Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure 690LATOS Book Level 4.4View book details
Now You Know What You EatValorie Fisher, illustrated by Valorie FisherA creative and engaging presentation of foods that children often eat, their ingredients, and the origin of these ingredients.Winning TitlesView book details
Unseen worldsHélène Rajcak, Damien LaverduntSupported by wonderful illustrations, the text shares a collection of microscopic organisms classified by areas in which they live–your bed, leg, water, house.Winning TitlesView book details
What Miss Mitchell SawHayley Barrett, illustrated by Diana SudykaMaria Mitchell discovers a comet and must prove she recorded her discovery before male astronomers claim the comet as their own.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD830LATOS Book Level 5.3View book details
Wilderness: Earth’s Amazing HabitatsMia Cassany, illustrated by Marcos NavarroGet lost in Wilderness! Take a vacation and go exploring in this book of the world’s habitats.Winning TitlesView book details
Woolly Monkey Mysteries: The Quest to Save a Rain Forest SpeciesSandra MarkleLearn how scientists in the Manu Biosphere Reserve in Peru are studying woolly monkeys, a keynote species in the rain forest ecosystem.Winning TitlesView book details
The Wonders of NatureBen HoareBeautiful illustrations depict some of Earth’s interesting inhabitants–both living and nonliving.Winning TitlesView book details
Secret Engineer: How Emily Roebling Built the Brooklyn BridgeRachel Dougherty, illustrated by Rachel DoughertyAfter her engineer husband falls ill, Emily Roebling is left to secretly lead the construction of the Brooklyn Bridge.Winning TitlesView book details
Titanosaur: Discovering the World’s Largest DinosaurJosé Luis Carballido, Diego Pol, illustrated by Florencia GigenaLearn about the discovery, excavation, and study directly from the paleontologists who led this dig in the deserts of Argentina.Winning TitlesView book details
Undaunted: The Wild Life of Biruté Mary Galdikas and Her Fearless Quest to Save OrangutansAnita SilveyTrials, perseverance, and palm oil frame the struggle to urgently call awareness to the plight of saving the orangutans of Borneo.Winning TitlesView book details