These are amazing standalone books featuring STEM-loving girls as main characters. The books vary greatly in word count, from 12k to 50K+, story complexity and main themes. So, every kid can find a book to enjoy at her reading and interest level.
Source for the word count and ATOS reading level information: Renaissance Accelerated Reader Bookfinder.
STEM books up to 20k words
Sophie Simon Solves Them All by Lisa Graff
- Publication: 2010
- Age range: 8-10 years
- Number of pages: 112
- Illustrations: yes (black & white)
- Word count: 12 642
- ATOS level: 3.9
- My full review
Third-grader Sophie Simon loves big, fat books, science experiments, and math. But her parents don’t understand her passion for STEM and would rather prefer Sophie to be a regular kid and get friends. But geniuses don’t need any friends. Or do they?
STEM books up to 30k words
Parker Bell and the Science of Friendship by Cynthia Platt
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 7-10 years
- Number of pages: 160
- Illustrations: yes (black & white)
- Word count: 22k
Budding scientist Parker Bell really wants to win the school Science Triathlon. But when her BFF, Cassie, invites her new friend, Theo, to join their team, Parker will have to learn what it means to be a real scientist and a good friend.
Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea by Anna Humphrey
- Publication: 2013
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 144
- Illustrations: yes (black & white)
- Word count: 28 163
- ATOS level: 5.3
- My full review
Ruby is a budding inventor and is determined to win the gold medal at the school science fair, by building her own Rube Goldberg machine. But this is not as easy as she first thought, so she’ll have to team up with her biggest competitor to have a chance for success.
Weird Little Robots by Carolyn Crimi
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 240
- Illustrations: yes (black & white)
- Word count: 31 419
- ATOS level: 4.2
Penny Rose feels lonely in a new town, and only little robots she builds herself keep her company. Soon she meets Lark, who becomes her best friend, joins a secret science club, and discovers that her robots are alive. But when she is forced to choose between her best friend and the club, her beloved little robots may have to pay the price.
Shine! by J.J. and Chris Grabenstein
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 224
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 31 963
- ATOS level: 4.4
Piper knows some people are born to shine, and she’s just not one of them. At her new school, everyone seems to be the best at something, and Piper definitely doesn’t fit in. Full of humor, science, and big questions, this story is about finding your place in the universe.
Fuzzy by Tom Angleberger and Paul Dellinger
- Publication: 2016
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 272
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 35 446
- ATOS level: 5.2
When Max befriends her new robot classmate Fuzzy, part of her school’s new Robot Integration Program, she helps him learn everything he needs to know about surviving middle school. Little do they know that surviving seventh grade is going to become a true matter of life and death.
A Field Guide to Getting Lost by Joy McCullough
- Publication: 2020
- Age range: 8-up years
- Number of pages: 224
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 36 245
- ATOS level: 5.0
Sutton is a science-minded girl, who loves programming robots, while Luis is a budding fantasy writer allergic to bees and many other things. They couldn’t be more different from each other. But when their parents start dating, the two kids have to find some common ground to navigate their way down a path they never planned on exploring.
Emmy in the Key of Code by Aimee Lucido
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 10-12 years
- Number of pages: 416 (in verse)
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 25 839
- ATOS level: 5.9
At a new school, twelve-year-old Emmy takes her first coding class and unexpectedly connects with the material–and Abigail, a new friend–through music. But then Emmy gets bad news about their computer teacher, and learns that Abigail isn’t being entirely honest about their friendship, and she feels like her new life is screeching to a halt.
STEM books up to 60k words
The House That Lou Built by Mae Respicio
- Publication: 2018
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 240
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 41 597
- ATOS level: 4.2
Lou wants to build her own “tiny house,” 100 square feet all her own, on land she inherited from her dad, who died before she was born. Even when she finds out that the land may not be hers for much longer, Lou is ready, with the help of friends and relatives, to make her dream come true.
Planet Earth Is Blue by Nicole Panteleakos
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 240
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 45 332
- ATOS level: 5.0
Nova, autistic and nonverbal, shares a love of astronomy and the space program with her big sister, Bridget. But Bridget has disappeared, and Nova is in a new foster home, waiting for the liftoff of the space shuttle Challenger. Nova’s new foster family and teachers begin to see her potential, and for the first time, she is making friends without Bridget. But every day, she’s counting down to the launch, and to the moment when she’ll see Bridget again.
The Science of Breakable Things by Tae Keller
- Publication: 2018
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 304
- Illustrations: a few (black & white)
- Word count: 51 519
- ATOS level: 5.6
When Natalie enters an egg drop competition, she thinks this might be the perfect solution to save her mom from depression. With the prize money, she can fly her botanist mother to see the miraculous Cobalt Blue Orchids–flowers that survive against impossible odds. With her friends’ help, Natalie begins an uplifting journey to discover the science of hope, love, and miracles.
Chasing Secrets by Gennifer Choldenko
- Publication: 2015
- Age range: 9-12 years
- Number of pages: 288
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 53 449
- ATOS level: 3.7
In San Francisco, 1900, thirteen-year-old Lizzie Kennedy, is stuck at a snobby school for girls. Lizzie’s secret passion is science, an unsuitable subject for finishing-school girls. Then she discovers a hidden dark side of the city–a side that’s full of secrets, rats, and rumors of the plague. Together with Noah, the Chinese cook’s son, Lizzie must put the pieces together in a heart-stopping race to save the people she loves.
The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl by Stacy McAnulty
- Publication: 2018
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 304
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 54 622
- ATOS level: 3.7
Lucy Callahan has been a math genius since she got struck by lightning as a little kid. Now, at 12 years old, she’s technically ready for college. Lucy’s grandma insists that she goes to middle school for one year and make one friend. But Lucy isn’t sure what a girl who does calculus homework for fun can possibly learn in 7th grade.
Song for A Whale by Lynne Kelly
- Publication: 2019
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 320
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 57 105
- ATOS level: 5.3
Twelve-year-old Iris is a tech genius. But she’s the only deaf person in her school, so people often treat her like she’s not very smart. When she learns about Blue 55, a real whale who is unable to speak to other whales, Iris has an idea: she should invent a way to “sing” to him!
Quintessence by Jess Redman
- Publication: 2020
- Age range: 8-12 years
- Number of pages: 384
- Illustrations: none
- Word count: 50k+
Twelve-year-old Alma is homesick and friendless. But one day she finds a telescope in the town’s junk shop, and through its lens, she watches a star fall from the sky and into her backyard. Alma knows it’s up to her to save the star. With the help of new friends from Astronomy Club, she sets out on a quest that will take a little bit of science, a little bit of magic, and her whole self.
You can find all the books from the list on my Bookshop page. Disclaimer: I’m an affiliate of Bookshop and may receive a small percentage of sales if you wish to purchase any of the recommended books.
