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Books-for-children-who-love-science

Children's reading lists

14 kids’ books for science fans

Princess Olivia Investigates: The Sea of Plastic

Everyone talks about how powerful the oceans are, how huge, how mysterious, all those underwater creatures living down there in the deep. But they've got no one to stand up for them! 
 
 
Olivia Alez is loving her life away from the royal palace. Now she isn't a princess anymore she's even more determined to be a science investigator, finding out things about the world around her. 
 
When she goes to visit her uncle Cassander for a holiday, she realises there's a huge problem. The oceans are filled with rubbish, and she can't see any fish swimming about. They're nothing like the bright blue seas full of life that she's seen before. 
 
When Captain Max and his parrot turn up, Olivia and her best friend Ravi decide that getting on board their pirate ship as they hunt for treasure might be a good way to find out what's going on in the water. But they quickly realise that they've got more to discover than they ever imagined . . .

LUCY HAWKING is a children's writer, the co-creator of non-fiction compendium Unlocking the Universe and the George fiction series, with her father Stephen Hawking. Lucy is a former journalist, having written widely for British newspapers, and she gives regular talks about science and stories to audiences all over the world.

Everyone talks about how powerful the oceans are, how huge, how mysterious, all those underwater creatures living down there in the deep. But they've got no one to stand up for them! 
 
 
Olivia Alez is loving her life away from the royal palace. Now she isn't a princess anymore she's even more determined to be a science investigator, finding out things about the world around her. 
 
When she goes to visit her uncle Cassander for a holiday, she realises there's a huge problem. The oceans are filled with rubbish, and she can't see any fish swimming about. They're nothing like the bright blue seas full of life that she's seen before. 
 
When Captain Max and his parrot turn up, Olivia and her best friend Ravi decide that getting on board their pirate ship as they hunt for treasure might be a good way to find out what's going on in the water. But they quickly realise that they've got more to discover than they ever imagined . . .

Princess Olivia Investigates: The Wrong Weather

The brand new series for young readers from bestselling author Lucy Hawking. 
 
'The more we find out about the world around us, the more we can work out other, more complicated things, such as how the universe began or how life got started on Earth . . .' 
 
Olivia Alez is delighted about finally living a life away from the royal palace in the mountains that used to be her home, after the Kingdom of Alez decides it doesn't want a royal family any more. Now she can finally give up boring princess lessons and learn about real things, like volcanoes and the ocean and space! 
 
But Olivia is completely unprepared for the world that awaits her. Thick, dark clouds hang low over the city, and the rivers that she so longed to see are choked with rubbish. And on top of it all, the weather just feels wrong. With scorching hot sun one day and torrential rainfall the next, it seems nearly impossible for the people and animals in Alez to adapt to their extreme climate. 
 
Olivia, horrified by what she sees, becomes determined to get to the bottom of Alez's dangerous weather patterns. With the help of some new friends and armed with a scientific lab coat that would make Albert Einstein jealous, Olivia sets out to solve the mystery and save Alez from climate destruction before it's too late . . .

Olivia Alez is delighted about finally living a life away from the royal palace in the mountains that used to be her home after the Kingdom of Alez decides it absolutely doesn't want a royal family any more. Now she can finally give up boring princess lessons and learn about real things, like volcanoes and the ocean and space! 
 
But Olivia is completely unprepared for the world that awaits her. Thick, dark clouds hang low over the city, and the rivers that she so longed to see are choked with rubbish. And on top of it all, the weather just feels wrong. With scorching hot sun one day and torrential rainfall the next, it seems nearly impossible for the people and animals in Alez to adapt to their extreme climate. 
 
Olivia, horrified by what she sees, becomes determined to get to the bottom of Alez's dangerous weather patterns. With the help of some new friends and armed with a scientific lab coat that would make Albert Einstein jealous, Olivia sets out to solve the mystery and save Alez from climate destruction before it's too late . . .

Unlocking the Universe

Discover the universe in a nutshell, with chapters on everything from the creation of the universe to time travel to the future of humanity, all in an easy-to-read, illustrated package. 
Have you ever wondered how our universe began?Or what it takes to put humans on the moon? Do you know what happens in the microscopic world of a life-saving vaccine? What would you do if you could travel through space and time? 
Embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this beautiful collection of up-to-the-minute essays, mind-blowing facts and out-of-this-world colour photographs, by the world's leading scientists including Professor Stephen Hawking himself. 
This unmissable volume was curated by Stephen and Lucy Hawking, whose George series of children's books was a global hit. The series is punctuated with fascinating real-life facts and insights from leading scientists. 
 
Now this incredible non-fiction has been collected into one bumper volume, with new content from key scientific figures and up-to-the-minute facts and figures for readers young and old. 
The ideal book for curious young readers everywhere. 
READERS LOVE UNLOCKING THE UNIVERSE: 
"Despite its scientific content the essays are written in a very accessible style and the many topics investigated which range from the physical explanations of the universe to earth science to robotics and future predictions. Highly recommended for curious minds from around 10 years upwards" - Sue Warren, Blogger 
"My 9 y.o. loves this book. We've previously discussed a lot of the concepts, but this seems to answer questions I hadn't thought of, but my son wanted to know" 
"A glorious scientific gaze at our world, and the universe beyond in a fact-filled volume that will keep curious kids occupied for ages" - ReadItDaddy blog 
"An excellent book that will do wonders to raise enthusiasm for science among young and old readers alike" - Jonali Karmakar, Blogger

A glorious scientific gaze at our world, and the universe beyond in a fact-filled volume that will keep curious kids occupied for ages

A useful addition to any library catering to upper primary or lower secondary students.

Despite it's scientific content the essays are written in a very accessible style and the many topics investigated which range from the physical explanations of the universe to earth science to robotics and future predictions. Highly recommended for curious minds from around 10 years upwards.

An excellent book that will do wonders to raise enthusiasm for science among young and old readers alike.

An amazing book. It was a binge read, really - perfect for both parents and kids! It shouldn't be considered a "children's book" - it's also good for adults that want to learn more about science and don't have a background, as it's basically like a usual Hawking book, but a bit more simplified.

I highly recommend this book to everybody,

Stephen Hawking (Author) 
 STEPHEN HAWKING was a brilliant theoretical physicist, generally considered to have been one of the world's greatest thinkers. He was Lucasian Professor of Mathematics at the University of Cambridge and is the author of A Brief History of Time which was an international bestseller. His other books for the general reader include A Briefer History of Time, the essay collection Black Holes and Baby Universe, The Universe in a Nutshell, and Brief Answers to the Big Questions. 
He died on 14 March, 2018. 
 
Lucy Hawking (Author) 
 LUCY HAWKING is a children's writer, the co-creator of non-fiction compendium Unlocking the Universe and the George fiction series, with her father Stephen Hawking. Lucy is a former journalist, having written widely for British newspapers, and she gives regular talks about science and stories to audiences all over the world.

"A glorious scientific gaze at our world, and the universe beyond in a fact-filled volume that will keep curious kids occupied for ages" - ReadItDaddy blog 
 
"An excellent book that will do wonders to raise enthusiasm for science among young and old readers alike" - Jonali Karmakar, Blogger 
 
"Despite it's scientific content the essays are written in a very accessible style and the many topics investigated which range from the physical explanations of the universe to earth science to robotics and future predictions. Highly recommended for curious minds from around 10 years upwards" - Sue Warren, Blogger 
 
Have you ever wondered how the universe began? Or what it takes to put humans on the moon - or even on Mars? What would you do if you could travel through space and time? 
 
*NOW WITH BRAND NEW CONTENT FOR 2021* 
 
Embark on the adventure of a lifetime in this beautiful collection of up-to-the-minute essays mind-blowing facts and out-of-this-world colour photographs, by the world's leading scientists including Professor Stephen Hawking himself, curated by the brilliant Lucy Hawking.

Princess Olivia Investigates: The Knights of Nature

The third title in this unique series by global bestseller and science educator Lucy Hawking about a former princess desperate to find out about the world around her - and what she can do to help it. Illustrated throughout by Zoe Persico and with fascinating non-fiction sections from world-renowned scientists, this is perfect for readers 7 and over. 
 
Olivia much prefers life as a scientist to life as a princess. And now she has to solve her biggest science mystery yet! 
 
‘We have done some investigations into the changes we see, feel and experience in the climate around us. You might not want to know about these changes, but you need to know about them because this is the world you’re going to leave to us young people when we’re adults!’ 
 
Olivia and her best friends, Ravi and Helga, aka The Climate Crew, start to realise that the problems in the environment around them are all connected to each other, 
and all to do with the way the Earth is being looked after by everybody on it. They need to help. 
 
When they realise that a group called the Knights of Nature, set up years and years ago, believe the same things they do and also want to help, they decide to work together. 
Protecting Alez’s weather and countryside and animals and people – and, well, everything, really! – awaits them.

Olivia much prefers life as a scientist to life as a princess. And now she has to solve her biggest science mystery yet! 
 
 
‘We have done some investigations into the changes we see, feel and experience in the climate around us. You might not want to know about these changes, but you need to know about them because this is the world you’re going to leave to us young people when we’re adults!’ 
 
Olivia and her best friends, Ravi and Helga, aka The Climate Crew, start to realise that the problems in the environment around them are all connected to each other, 
and all to do with the way the Earth is being looked after by everybody on it. They need to help. 
 
When they realise that a group called the Knights of Nature, set up years and years ago, believe the same things they do and also want to help, they decide to work together. 
Protecting Alez’s weather and countryside and animals and people – and, well, everything, really! – awaits them.

Xin Li

Lucy Hawking

Stephen Hawking

'We are all time-travellers, journeying togetehr into the future. Be brave. Be determined. Let's work together to make that future a place we want to visit.' 
 
Based on Professor Hawking's 2018 Earth Day address, this inspiring picture asks children everywhere to look up and wonder at the world around them - just as Professor Hawking did his whole life. Including questions and answers to some big science topics, perfectly explained for young readers by Professor Hawking's daughter, Lucy, and beautifully illustrated by Xin Li, this is the perefct read for curious minds.

Lucy Hawking

Books by Lucy Hawking

Series by Lucy Hawking

Princess Olivia Investigates

Articles featuring Lucy Hawking

14 kids’ books for science fans

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