Why am I passionate about this?

I love encouraging kids to explore engineering, design, and technology! I am a former Google product designer for kids and families. I started writing to address a growing need for coding education, particularly for girls and kids of color. Stories are a wonderful way to demonstrate concepts and to invite kids to approach STEM with creativity and imagination. I picked a range of books for this post, from non-fiction to fantastic, because different kids will respond to different kinds of stories. Through these books, I hope that kids will find inspiration and tools for creative problem-solving, for STEM and beyond.


I wrote

Invent-a-Pet

By Vicky Fang,

Book cover of Invent-a-Pet

What is my book about?

Katie is an ordinary girl who longs for an extraordinary pet--something more spectacular than a simple goldfish. Then one day…

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The books I picked & why

Book cover of Wood, Wire, Wings: Emma Lilian Todd Invents an Airplane

Vicky Fang Why did I love this book?

This non-fiction book about Emma Lilian Todd by Kirsten Williams Larson and illustrated by Tracy Subisak offers an inspiring story about a woman engineer inventing an airplane. The story and illustrations do a fantastic job of showing the real-world process of design thinking, with research and failures along the way. I love the themes of perseverance and the important message that great inventions build upon one another.

By Kirsten Larson, Tracy Subisak (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Wood, Wire, Wings as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 7, 8, 9, and 10.

What is this book about?

NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Book * NSTA Best STEM Book List

This riveting nonfiction picture book biography explores both the failures and successes of self-taught engineer Emma Lilian Todd as she tackles one of the greatest challenges of the early 1900s: designing an airplane.

Emma Lilian Todd's mind was always soaring--she loved to solve problems. Lilian tinkered and fiddled with all sorts of objects, turning dreams into useful inventions. As a child, she took apart and reassembled clocks to figure out how they worked. As an adult, typing up patents at the U.S. Patent Office, Lilian built the inventions…


Book cover of How to Code a Sandcastle

Vicky Fang Why did I love this book?

Josh Funk and illustrator Sara Palacios bring fun into coding with this cute picture book. Pearl and her robot figure out how to build a sandcastle using basic coding concepts such as commands, loops, and functions. It’s a wonderful introduction to code with a fun story that kids will enjoy. You can also check out another adventure with Pearl and her robot in How to Code a Rollercoaster.

By Josh Funk, Sara Palacios (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked How to Code a Sandcastle as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Pearl and her trusty rust-proof robot, Pascal, need to build a sandcastle before summer vacation is over, and they're going to do it using code. Pearl breaks the big we-need-a-sandcastle problem into smaller steps, then uses sequences, loops, and other basic coding concepts to tell Pascal exactly what to do. There are a lot of humorous mishaps along the way, but just when it looks like the sandcastle might never get built, Pearl uses her coding skills to save the day and create something even better: a gorgeous sandcastle kingdom!


Book cover of Bracelets for Bina's Brothers

Vicky Fang Why did I love this book?

This adorable picture book by Rajani LaRocca and illustrated by Chaaya Prabhat is about a girl named Bina who wants to make bracelets for her brothers for Raksha Bandhan, a Hindu holiday. Through this sweet story, the book explores patterns and sequences, introducing kids to math concepts in a fun and playful way.

By Rajani LaRocca, Chaaya Prabhat (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Bracelets for Bina's Brothers as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!

For the Hindu holiday of Raksha Bandhan, Bina is determined to make beaded bracelets for her brothers all by herself. She finds out which colors her brothers like and dislike and sets to work. Working with her every-other-one beading pattern causes Bina to discover something new about patterns--and her brothers.

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with…


Book cover of Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code

Vicky Fang Why did I love this book?

This non-fiction biography by Laurie Hallmark and illustrated by Katy Wu tells the story of computer scientist Grace Hopper. The story is engaging and fascinating, as we learn about Grace’s contributions to computer science, including coining the term “computer bug” and moving code from numbers to the English language. This book is inspiring, enjoyable, and informative for a wide range of ages.

By Laurie Wallmark, Katy Wu (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Grace Hopper as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Meet Grace Hopper: the woman who revolutionised computer coding, coined the term 'computer bug' and taught computers to 'speak English. An ace inventor and groundbreaker, Grace Hopper transformed the world of computer science. This book tells the inspirational story of this amazing woman with a passion for maths, an insatiable curiosity and the firm belief that "it's easier to ask for forgiveness than...to get permission."


Book cover of Made by Maxine

Vicky Fang Why did I love this book?

Written by Ruth Spiro and illustrated by Holly Hatam, this book celebrates the Maker spirit through the story of Maxine, who is determined to help her goldfish march in the pet parade. With fun illustrations, readers will enjoy seeing Maxine’s imaginative inventions as she tries, struggles, and overcomes obstacles to solve the problem.

By Ruth Spiro, Holly Hatam (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Made by Maxine as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 4, 5, 6, and 7.

What is this book about?

Maxine loves making new things from old things. She loves tinkering until she has solved a problem. She also loves her pet goldfish, Milton. So when it's time for her school's pet parade, she's determined to create something that will allow Milton to march with the other animals. Finally, after trying, trying, and trying again, she discovers just the right combination of recycled odds and ends to create a fun, functional - and absolutely fabulous - solution to her predicament.


Explore my book 😀

Invent-a-Pet

By Vicky Fang,

Book cover of Invent-a-Pet

What is my book about?

Katie is an ordinary girl who longs for an extraordinary pet--something more spectacular than a simple goldfish. Then one day Katie comes home to find a gift from her mother: a mysterious machine designed to help her create that one-of-a-kind creature. Each time she feeds different items into the machine, out comes a marvelously colorful new animal--like a purple monkey, rainbow-spotted horse, and green bunny! But none of them is just right. Through trial and error, Katie figures out the formula for her absolutely perfect SURPRISE pet.

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Christmas Actually

By Lisa Darcy,

Book cover of Christmas Actually

Lisa Darcy Author Of The Pact

New book alert!

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Cat lover Traveler Reader Amateur tennis player Foodie

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2023

What is my book about?

Every picture tells a story, but it’s not always the one we expect or remember. Christmas Actually is a festive drama about family and forgiveness and a snapshot of modern family life, addressing Instagram to motherhood and everything in between.

Why Christmas? My publisher wanted my new novel to have a festive theme, specifically set in Australia–sun, surf, sunburn, and prawns. Christmas in Australia is very different from Christmas in the UK, USA, and Canada. We typically wear shorts and t-shirts, eat salad and seafood for Christmas lunch, and play beach cricket in the afternoon. Despite the season, conflicts, secrets,…

Christmas Actually

By Lisa Darcy,

What is this book about?

Time spent with family can be challenging, especially at Christmas actually…

Kate Cavendish is stuck in a rut. That is until a former colleague contacts her and offers her a chance to fulfil her lifelong dream of becoming a successful photographer.

With her focus pulled in all directions by her children, her pregnant sister, her newly-dating mother, and the niggling worry that her husband might be having an affair, Kate is filled with self-doubt.

Then as the countdown to Christmas begins, and memories of her own childhood resurface, Kate’s anxiety deepens – both personally and professionally. Can she move on…


5 book lists we think you will like!

Interested in robots, pilots, and math?

Robots 100 books
Pilots 47 books
Math 276 books