Backlist Book List: #STEM + #DiverseBooks For Young Creators

In 2019, Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet by Megan Frazer Blakemore won the Cybils Award in the Early Chapter Book. In selecting Frankie Sparks as a finalist, the panelists said:

… This promising first book in a series will have children learning about animals, design thinking, and emotional intelligence while turning the pages to meet the new pet. Nadja Sarell’s scientific-style illustrations showing a diverse cast of children are visually appealing and just plentiful enough to make the leap to more complex chapter books accessible to readers.

So with an eye toward diverse casts, page-turners, the scientific process, and, of course, a class pet, we dug into the archives to find books similar to the Frankie Sparks Third Grade Inventor series.

Some of the books on our list are series, some are not; and, no surprise they encompass seven Cybils Awards Categories: Early Chapter Book, Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novels, Fiction Picture Books, Middle Grade Fiction, Middle Grade Nonfiction, and Poetry.

Many of the title characters are girls, but boys will love these stories, too!

Caterflies and Ice Zoey and Sassafras, Book 4 by Asia Citro, illustrated by Marion Lindsay 2018 Finalist Early Chapter Book
Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido 2019 Nominee Poetry
Fort-Building Time by Megan Wagner Lloyd, illustrated by Abigail Halpin 2017 Nominee Fiction Picture Book
Frankie Sparks and the Class Pet Frankie Sparks, Third-Grade Inventor, Book 1 by Megan Frazer Blakemore, illustrated by Nadja Sarell 2020 Winner Early Chapter Book
Freddie Ramos Hears It All Zapato Power, Book 10 by Jacqueline Jules, illustrated by Miguel Benítez 2018 Nominee Early Chapter Book
From an Idea to Lego: The Building Bricks Behind the World’s Largest Toy Company by Lowey Bundy Sichol, illustrated by C.S. Jennings 2019 Nominee Middle Grade Nonfiction
The Great Art Caper (Pets on the Loose!) written and illustrated by Victoria Jamieson 2017 Nominee Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Hamster and Cheese Guinea Pig, Pet Shop Private Eye, Book 1 Colleen A.F. Venable, illustrated by Stephanie Yue 2010 Finalist Elementary/Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Ivy and Bean Take the Case Ivy and Bean, Book 10 by Annie Barrows, illustrated by Sophie Blackall 2013 eligible
Happy Paws and Built for Speed Layla and the Bots, Books 1 and 2 by Vicky Fang, illustrated by Christine Nishiyama 2020 Nominee Early Chapter Book
Mindy Kim and the Yummy Seaweed Business Mindy Kim, Book 1 of 6 by Lyla Lee, illustrated by Dung Ho 2020 Finalist Early Chapter Book
Sofia Valdez and the Vanishing Vote The Questioneers, Book 4 by Andrea Beaty, illustrated by David Roberts 2020 Finalist Early Chapter Book
Ways to Make Sunshine A Ryan Hart Novel, Book 1 by Renée Watson, illustrated by Nina Mata 2020 nominee Middle Grade Fiction

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