American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the SouthGail JarrowFollow along as the effect of this murderous parasite is explained in skin-crawling detail from the devastating infections to the tireless efforts made to educate and heal its victims.Winning TitlesView book detailsNSTA Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12 2023
The 2023 edition contains 24 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.
2023 Outstanding Science Trade Books for Students K–12See the original list
Selections24
Published byNational Science Teaching Association
SectionsWinning Titles
Winning Titles
24 selections
American Murderer: The Parasite That Haunted the SouthGail JarrowFollow along as the effect of this murderous parasite is explained in skin-crawling detail from the devastating infections to the tireless efforts made to educate and heal its victims.Winning TitlesView book details
Animal Allies: 15 Amazing Women in Wildlife ResearchElizabeth Pagel-HoganThis introduction to 15 awesome women scientists takes readers to unexpected places and introduces them to not-so-common animals. Chapters include ways to access these incredible women using social media.Winning TitlesView book details
Animal Sidekicks: Amazing Stories of Symbiosis in Animals and PlantsMacken Murphy, illustrated by Dragan KordicExplore the many cases of symbiosis, where different species of animals, plants, and other living organisms form interesting relationships rather than avoiding each other.Winning TitlesView book details
Antarctica: A Melting ContinentKaren Romano Young, illustrated by Angela HsiehLearn about Antarctica’s past hidden in its frozen layers and how an international scientific community continues to explore and research the wondrous ecosystem of one of Earth’s lesser-known continents.Winning TitlesView book details
Braiding Sweetgrass for Young Adults: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of PlantsRobin Wall KimmererThis amazing adaptation of Braiding Sweetgrass for youth includes many ways for youth to be thinking about science and the natural world through the lens of traditional ecological knowledge.Winning TitlesView book details
BuildingHenry Cole, illustrated by Henry ColeThrough simple text and line art drawings, discover how beaver families live and work together, using their engineering skills to survive within a pond ecosystem.Winning TitlesView book details
The Code Breaker - Young Readers Edition: Jennifer Doudna and the Race to Understand Our Genetic CodeWalter Isaacson, Sarah DurandAn inspiring biography about the life and work of Dr. Jennifer Doudna, a female biochemist whose groundbreaking Nobel Prize-winning research in genetics led to the development of CRISPR.Winning TitlesView book details
Hidden Habitats: EarthCamilla de la Bedoyere, illustrated by Lara HawthorneThe interdependence living creatures have within habitats is described by asking the reader to look for the relationships that exist in hidden habitats.Winning TitlesView book details
How to Build a Human: In Seven Evolutionary StepsPamela S. TurnerThis humorous and captivating book is written in seven, accessible sections that describe the major evolutionary steps of our journey to becoming human.Winning TitlesView book details
A Journey Under the SeaCraig Foster, Ross FrylinckFocusing on a particular area of the ocean, the reader is immersed in an amazing environment as they learn about animals and plants that are found in the Great African Sea Forest.Winning TitlesView book details
Life in Hot Water: Wildlife at the Botton of the OceanMary Batten, illustrated by Thomas GonzalezDive into the fascinating discovery and exploration of the ocean’s deep sea vents and the extraordinary ecosystem surrounding them.Winning TitlesView book details
Lion Lights: My Invention That Made Peace with LionsRichard Turere, with Shelly PollockA young Massai herder, tasked with taking care of his family’s cows, finds an ingenious way to keep them safe to help his family and the community live peacefully with the neighboring lions.Winning TitlesView book details
Luminous: Living Things That Light Up the NightJulia Kuo, illustrated by Julia KuoExplore bioluminescence, the light made from living things, in its many forms, including fireflies, and foxfire, fungi and glowworms, deep-sea fish and vampire squid.Winning TitlesView book details
Moving Words About a FlowerK. C. Hayes, illustrated by Barbara ChotinerA clever approach of presenting the life cycle of a dandelion told with moving, colorful text and bold illustrations.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD580LATOS Book Level 3.8View book details
The Mystery of the Monarchs: How Kids, Teachers, and Butterfly Fans Helped Fred and Norah Urquhart Track the Great Monarch MigrationBarb RosenstockWhere do the Monarch butterflies go? Highlighting citizen science and the persistence and dedication of Fred and Norah Urguhart, this book tells the story of how the migration mystery of the Monarch butterfly was solved.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD760LATOS Book Level 4.9View book details
Narwhal: The Arctic UnicornJustin Anderson, illustrated by Jo WeaverFollow a pod of narwhals during their treacherous journey north, where they find fish to eat, avoid a hungry polar bear, and navigate the maze of sea ice.Winning TitlesView book details
Oceanarium: Welcome to the MuseumLoveday Trinick, illustrated by Teagan WhiteThis eighth book in the Welcome to the Museum series takes readers on a visually stunning and informative tour of the world’s oceans and the spectacular organisms within.Winning TitlesView book details
Over and Under the WavesKate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas NealDive into the depths of the kelp forest to explore the ocean habitat and learn about the creatures who make their home over and under the waves.Winning TitlesLexile Text Measure AD720LATOS Book Level 4.6View book details
Queer Ducks (and Other Animals): The Natural World of Animal SexualityEliot SchreferAlternating between informative text, amusing comics, and interviews with contemporary scientists (some of whom identify as queer), this book explores the animal kingdom’s diverse queer behavior with humor and accessibility.Winning TitlesView book details
Salmon: Swimming for SurvivalRowena RaeSalmon are living with increasing challenges to their survival. Explore the importance of these fish to both ecosystem and community while learning about the scientists working to conserve their populations.Winning TitlesView book details
Urgent Message from a Hot Planet: Navigating the Climate CrisisAnn Eriksson, illustrated by Belle WuthrichThis is an accessible, scientifically accurate, daunting, yet hopeful book about the climate crisis. It provides a variety of information and helpful mitigation ideas for youth.Winning TitlesView book details
A Walk Through the Rain ForestMartin JenkinsSubdued images and descriptive text take the reader on a journey through the Malaysian rainforest. Details about this exotic habitat inform about and transport the reader to the location.Winning TitlesView book details
The Whale Who Swam Through Time: A 200-Year Journey in the ArcticAlex Boersma, Nick Pyenson, illustrated by Alex BoersmaFollow the longest-living mammal, a bowhead whale, as she swims through her life of two centuries. A rare perspective on changes and human impact in the Arctic.Winning TitlesView book details
The Woman Who Split the Atom: The Life of Lise MeitnerMarissa Moss, illustrated by Marissa MossLise Meitner overcame many obstacles to solve some of the most perplexing problems in nuclear science. Discoveries that took a lifetime for the world to recognize as hers.Winning TitlesView book details