Books make great gifts, and these books will help you and your kids make great stuff. We found a great collection of new maker books that align with our mission to help parents raise awesome STEM-loving, Maker-friendly kids. Please note that many of these items were sent to us for review. This post contains affiliate links. The Best Maker Books of 2017 For the youngest of makers (and their parents, if they need help), Asia Citro offers up 150+ ... [ Read More ]
Good Reads for STEM Girls (and Their Brothers)
This post contains affiliate links. There's been a steady rise in STEM toys for girls in recent years with products like Goldieblox, Lego Friends, Roominate, and the Yellowscope Science Kit making a splash in the marketplace. With the exception of Lego Friends, those products were developed visionary female entrepreneurs who also had backgrounds in STEM. So it's no surprise that there are several new good reads for STEM girls that were written by ... [ Read More ]
Women in Space: It’s STEM Girl Friday
It's heartening to hear so much praise for Hidden Figures, the movie (based on the book) about the important, but long-overlooked, role of Black women the Space Race. Keeping to my basic life rule, I'm trying to finish the book before I see the movie. That said, Joanne Manaster of Read Science has assured me that Hidden Figures is the rare movie that may actually make the book a more exciting read. Regardless, if you or your kids loved the movie, ... [ Read More ]
Great Books for STEM and Maker Kids
The Maker Mom helps parents raise awesome STEM-loving, Maker-friendly kids. These kids (and their parents) tend to like books. After all, books are the gifts that keep on giving, the friends you can visit and explore with all year round. So naturally, I'm excited to introduce you to a great collection of new books and share a few old favorites, too. Most of these books were sent to me for review, sometimes at my request, and sometimes because I'm ... [ Read More ]
Super Cool Tech for the Holidays and Beyond
This post contains affiliate links. I'm leaning toward books this holiday season and I've got a whole pile to recommend. First up is the one fresh from my mailbox, Super Cool Tech from DK Books. Designed for tech-curious kids ages 8-12, the book has a sleek, silver hardcover that resembles a laptop. Just flip open the lid, err, cover and let the learning begin. Super Cool Tech Book Review Adults who want to learn more about new technologies ... [ Read More ]
Outdoor Science Lab for Kids: Book Review
I'm pleased to share that one of my favorite STEM peeps has a new book out. Liz Heinecke, AKA the Kitchen Pantry Scientist, has stepped out of the kitchen and into the world. Her new book, Outdoor Science Lab for Kids (affiliate link) features 52 family-friendly experiments for the yard, garden, playground, and park. As with her earlier book, the content is friendly, inviting, and accessible as it encourages and explains science concepts. Each ... [ Read More ]
Parent Hacks in Chicago (and a City near You)
Long ago, in the digital dark ages when the word internet still demanded an uppercase I and blogs, or web logs, were still kind of a fringe thing, back in a time before the FTC required disclosure of affiliate links such as the ones I'm warning you are included in this post, a woman named Asha Dornfest started Parent Hacks. It was a site that shared simple tips to make the challenging or mundane tasks of parenting just a bit easier. The Parent ... [ Read More ]