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“Sophie Simon Solves Them All” by Lisa Graff is a humorous chapter book, which combines unique characters, scientific and philosophical concepts and the eternal struggle between parents and children about what the latter should like and do.

“Everyday Superheroes: Women in STEM Careers” by Erin Twamley and Joshua Sneideman is a non-fiction book, with full color illustrations, is meant to make kids, and especially girls, excited about STEM careers.

“The Fourteenth Goldfish” by Jennifer L. Holm is an exciting middle-grade chapter book, which wonderfully combines a great story and a ton of humor with some serious messages about ethical implications of science, the circle of life and importance of change.

The story features an adorable main character and a lot of science related to habitats, specimens, and tree diseases. Lucy is a curious second-grader with a good eye for observation. She likes bugs, fossils, non-fiction books, lab coats and goggles. So it’s no surprise that Lucy is totally excited to start second grade, where they’ll have a science lab (with a skeleton!) and learn about different types of habitats.

I didn’t expect “Lunch Walks Among Us” to be such a fun story! Being the first book in the “Franny K. Stein, Mad Scientist” chapter book series by Jim Benton, it manages to combine a really quirky main character and the scientific method. It also raises such important topics for kids as being yourself and accepting other people’s differences.

“Marty McGuire” by Kate Messner was a truly enjoyable read. Being the first book in the chapter book series of the same name, the story includes facts about wildlife, especially raccoons and frogs, shows the work of a wildlife rehabilitator and expresses admiration for Jane Goodall, the famous expert on chimpanzees. The story also features such important topics as sharing friends, being patient and trying new things.

The main character Halley is a 9-year-old girl, named after Halley’s Comet. She loves ballet and poetry, however her favorite thing in the whole world is science. She does a lot of science experiments at home, but, unfortunately, they often end up pretty messy.

“Skunked!” is a lovely opening of the “Calpurnia Tate, Girl Vet” chapter book series by Jacqueline Kelly, which share the same characters with her middle-grade books about the aspiring animal doctor. The story, set in 1901 in rural Texas, is both heartwarming and full of facts about flora and fauna of the region, and especially skunks.