Leap into Reading! Read It. Make It. Take It.

STEM. STEAM. Makerspaces. Oh my. So many buzzwords are going around these days about incorporating math, science, and engineering into our libraries that my literature loving mind is spinning off its axis. What could I do to keep up with the latest trend but also maintain my passion for my job and the library?

Enter "Read It. Make It. Take It." This is a collaboration I started this year. One first grade class comes in about once a month to read a book and then do a STEM/STEAM related activity. A third grade class comes in weekly and some of the books we have been reading together have also been appropriate for follow-up STEAM activities, too. Full disclosure: Our public library colleagues have been doing this for decades without even knowing it; I'm just putting a name to it and making sure the tasks are tied to a standard.

Here are some of my favorite examples:

Ada Lovelace, Poet of Science: The First Computer Programmer by Diane Stanley and illustrated by Jessie Hartland

This book inspired a three-way collaboration between myself, a third grade teacher, and our district educational technologist, who also happens to teach high school math. Ada Lovelace is royalty in the math world. We read this beautifully illustrated biography, watched the Brainpop video on Ada, and then dove into some coding activities.

The Good for Nothing Button! by Charise Mericle Harper

I love a book written for six year olds that makes me laugh out loud every time I read it. A button that does nothing eventually makes Yellow Bird, Blue Bird, and Red Bird very happy. And, it makes the readers so happy because we can't stop giggling. When you finally do, grab a needle, some thread, a button and start sewing. What a great way to hone in on those fine motor skills.

Little Plane Learns to Write by Stephen Savage

Got jello? Got whipped cream? Got time? Are you bold? Little Plane is learning to write—he's a plane so it's skywriting. What a fun opportunity to learn about matter, make jello, and practice writing with whipped cream. Not for the faint of heart in a primary classroom, but lots of fun and great STEAM learning.

My Kite Is Stuck! And Other Stories by Salina Yoon

If you haven't read Salina Yoon's emerging readers featuring Big Duck, Little Duck, and Porcupine, then go reserve them today. These will make you smile and your young students feel so grown up reading a "chapter book." In one of the stories in this second installment of the series, Big Duck and Porcupine build a lemonade stand so we decided to make and enjoy homemade lemonade in the library and do math at the same time! (Note: This book also lends itself to playing a game of hide and seek outside and any kind of activity that involves kites.)

Stand Up and Sing!: Pete Seeger, Folk Music and the Path to Justice by Susanna Reich and illustrated by Adam Gustavson

Get your music streaming program ready and introduce your students to the soothing sound of Pete Seeger, the banjo, and his peaceful lyrics. Analyze the lyrics and sing them together while strumming a banjo or two. Make it STEAM by looking into the mechanics of the banjo and how it works. What are the physics behind a string instrument? Invite your music teacher in class to collaborate or even an outside musician. Susanna Reich's website offers a link to a comprehensive teacher's guide with many discussion and research ideas that could be used with older students (http://www.susannareich.com/books.html#pete).

Another new favorite musician biography of mine is Muddy: The Story of Blues Legend Muddy Waters by Michael Mahin and beautifully illustrated by Evan Turk.

That Neighbor Kid by Daniel Miyares

Instead of making gingerbread houses, why not step out of the box and have students build treehouses? Using popsicle sticks and milk cartons, our young students made some pretty elaborate treehouses. Want to take it a step further? Design the houses first on graph paper before you take out the building materials.

What This Story Needs is a Vroom and a Zoom by Emma J. Virján

I admit that I am a big Emma Virján fan. All of her Pig in a Wig books lend themselves to fun activities—costume making, wig wearing, instrument building, chip eating...but her latest could be the most STEAM related. Take out some old train tracks or legos and build a track. Students can also build cars, too. Be creative! Your whole library could turn into an international raceway! This might not be a "take it" activity, but it is definitely fun!

These are just a few of the programs we've had fun with this year. I'm looking forward to having a whole repository by June. If you have any favorites, please pass them along—I guarantee we'll squeeze in time to "read it, make it, and take it."