In 2018, UCLan Publishing, in partnership with The British Interplanetary Society, set up the inaugural STEAM Children’s Book Prize. It’s a unique award as it is the first book prize to focus solely on STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) in children’s literature, from Early Years to Young Adult. It covers all genres, with the 2020 list of nominated titles including a wide range of subject matter in four categories: Early Years, Middle Grade, Young Adult and Information.
As a librarian, I value any educational initiative which removes barriers and promotes inclusion. By highlighting the importance of STEAM subjects, this prize recognises children and young people benefit immeasurably from developing critical thinking skills and having the opportunity to explore their own creativity and ability to innovate. Asking why and how, and learning to problem solve effectively, is at the core of STEAM and is celebrated in each of this year’s shortlisted titles, including The Longest Night of Charlie Noon by Christopher Edge, overall winner of The STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2019 with The Infinite Lives of Maisie Day.
STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2020 shortlists
Early Years:
Arty! The First Artist in Space William Bee Pavilion Books
Why Do We Poo? Harriet Blackford Boxer Books
Lifesize Dinosaurs Sophie Henn Egmont
Suzy Orbit Astronaut Ruth Quayle & Jez Tuya Nosy Crow
A Place for Pluto Stef Wade Raintree
Astrogirl Ken Wilson-Max Otter-Barry Books
Middle Grade:
The Train to Impossible Places P.G. Bell Usborne
Mega Robo Revenge Neil Cameron David Fickling Books
Fire Girl, Forest Boy Chloe Daykin Faber & Faber
The Longest Night of Charlie Noon Christopher Edge Nosy Crow
Wildspark Vashti Hardy Scholastic
Race to the Frozen North Catherine Johnson Barrington Stoke
Lightning Mary Anthea Simmons Andersen Press
YA:
Beauty Sleep Kathryn Evans Usborne
Earth Swarm Tim Hall David Fickling Books
The Quiet at the End of the World Lauren James Walker Books
The Starlight Watchmaker Lauren James Barrington Stoke
Nowhere on Earth Nick Lake Hodder
The Chaos of Now Erin Lange Usborne
Information:
The Usborne Book of Planet Earth Megan Cullis & Matthew Oldham Usborne
Science You Can Eat Stefan Gates DK
The Beetle Collector’s Handbook M.G. Leonard Scholastic
Science is Magic Steve Mould DK
The Marvellous Adventure of Being Dr. Max Pemberton Wren and Rook
Engineering Scribble Book Eddie Reynolds & Darran Stobbart Usborne
I was honoured to be invited to judge The STEAM Children’s Book Prize 2020, alongside fellow judges Dom Conlon, Ros Harding and Ralph Timberlake. It was a difficult choice to whittle down a brilliant selection of over 70 nominated titles, but we managed to arrive at shortlists which exemplify the best of the best: from the lives of renowned English palaeontologist Mary Anning and Arctic explorer Matthew Henson, to fusion bananas (only the creative genius of P.G. Bell could dream this up) and books about dinosaurs, digestion, dung beetles and otherworldy marvels, I’m sure we’ll all enjoy our next few months of reading. I encourage school librarians and teachers to explore these books with pupils and incorporate them into their teaching and learning across all key stages.
The winners will be announced at the Lancashire Science Festival at the end of June 2020. In the meantime, it’s full STEAM ahead!