Quality Science Books for Children in Grades 2-5

Biography 

Atkins, Jeannine. 2000. Girls Who Looked Under Rocks: The Lives of Six Pioneering Naturalists. Illustrated by Paula Conner. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.  

Bardoe, Cheryl. 2006. Gregor Mendel: The Friar Who Grew Peas. Illustrated by Joe. A. Smith. New York: Abrams.
Berne, Jennifer. 2013. On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein. Illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.
Brown, Don. 2004. Odd Boy Out: Young Albert Einstein. New York: Houghton Mifflin.
Burleigh, Robert.  2003. Into the Woods: John James Audubon Lives His Dream. Illustrated by Wendel Minor. New York: Atheneum. 
Davies, Jacqueline. 2004. The Boy Who Drew Birds: A Story of John James Audubon. Illustrated by Melissa Sweet. New York: HMH Books.
Fradin, Dennis. 2004. Nicolaus Copernicus: The Earth Is a Planet. Illustrated by Cynthia Von Buhler. New York: Mondo Publishing.
Hanna, Julie & Joan Holub. 2006. The Man Who Named Clouds. Illustrated by by Paige Billin-Frye. Albert & Whitman Co.

Hopkinson, Deborah. 2003. Maria’s Comet. Illustrated by Deborah Lanino. New York: Aladdin.

Hopping, Lorraine Jean. 2005. Space rocks: The Story of Planetary Geologist Adriana Ocampo. New York: Franklin Watts.
Lasky, Kathryn. 2009. One Beetle Too Many: The Extraordinary Adventures of Charles Darwin. Illustrated by Matthew Trueman. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Locker, Thomas & Joseph Bruchac. 2004. Rachel Carson: Preserving a Sense of Wonder. New York: Fulcrum. 
Love,  D. Anna. 2006. Of Numbers and Stars: The Story of Hypatia. Illustrated by Pam Paparone. NY: Holiday House.
Mortensen, Lori. 2010. Come See the Earth Turn: The Story of Leon Foucault. Illustrated by Raul Allen. San Francisco, CA: Tricycle.
Nelson, Marilyn. 2001. Carver: A Life in Poems. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mill Press.
Pinkney, Andrea Davis. 1998. Dear Benjamin Banneker. Illustrated by Brian Pinkney. New York: Sandpiper.
Sis, Peter. 2003. The Tree of Life. Charles Darwin. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
-----------. 2000. Starry Messenger: Galileo Galilei. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
Stone, Tanya Lee. 2009. Almost Astronauts: 13 Women Who Dared to Dream. Somerville, MA Candlewck.
Sullivan, Otha Richard. 2001. Black Stars: African American Women Scientist and Inventors. New York: Wiley.
Venezia. Mike. 2010. Luis Alvarez: Wild Idea Man. New York: Children's Press.
------------------. 2009. Charles Drew: Doctor Who Got the World Pumped Up to Donate Blood. New York: Children's Press.

Informational
Carson, Mary Kay. (2013). Beyond the Solar System: Exploring Galaxies, Black Holes, Alien Planets, and More; A History with 21 Activities. Chicago, IL: Chicago Review Press. 
Conlan, Kathy. 2002. Under the Ice: A Marine Biologist at Work. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press.Fox, Karen C. 2010. Older Than the Stars. Illustrated by Nancy Davis. Watertown, MA: Charelesbridge.
Hughes, Susan. 2010. Case Closed? Nine Mysteries Unlocked by Modern Science.  Illustrations by Michael Wandelmaier. Tonawanda, NY: Kids Can Press.
Markle, Sandra. 2011. Race the Wind: A Story of the Sable Island Horses. Illustrated by Layne Johnson.  New York: Walker.

Munduruku Daniel. 2000. Tales of the Amazon: How the Munduruku Indians Live. Illustrated by 

Laurabeatriz. Toronto, ON: Groundwood Books. 

Murphy, Jim. (2003). An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793.  New York: Clarion.

Murphy, Jim & Alison Blank. (2012). Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure. New York: Clarion.
Peters, Lisa Westberg. (2003). Our Family Tree: An Evolution Story.  Illustrated by Lauren Stringer. Boston, MA: Harcourt.

Pfeffer, Wendy. (2007). A Log's Life. Illustrated by Robin Bickman. New York: Aladdn.

Pratt-Serafini, Kristin Joy. (2000). Salamander Rain: A Lake & Pond Journal. Nevada City, CA: Dawn Publications.  

Ray, Deborah Kogan. (2010). Dinosaur Mountain: Digging into the Jurassic Age. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Siy, Alexandra. (2005). Mosquito Bite. Photographs by Dennis Kunkel. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Poetry (Full Books and Anthologies)
Florian, Doug 2010. Poetrees. New York: Beach Lane Books.
Hoberman, Maryann & Linda Winston. 2009. The Tree Time Built: A Celebration of Nature, Science and Imagination. Illustrated by Barbara Fortin. Naperville, IL: Sourcebooks Jabberwocky
Rosen, Michael J. 2009. The Cuckoo's Haiku: And Other Birding Poems. Illustrated by Stan Fellows. Somerville, MA: Candlewick.
Sidman, Joyce. 2010. Dark Emperor and Other Poems of the Night. Illustrated by Rick Allen. Boston<, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
------------------. 2010. Ubiquitous: Celebrating Nature's Survivors. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Boston: Houghton Mifflin.
-------------------. 2006. Butterfly Eyes and Other Secrets of the Meadow.  Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
-------------------. 2005. Song of the Water Boatman and Other Pond Poems. Illustrated by Beckie Prange. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.
Yolen, Jan. 2003. Color Me a Poem: Nature Poems for Young Readers. Illustrated by  Jason Stemple. Honesdale, PA: Bods Mills Press.
-------------.  2003. Once Upon Ice: And Other Frozen Poems. Illustrated by  Jason Stemple. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.