Fans pick 100 books like My Dog Is Not a Scientist

By Betsy Ellor, Luisa Vera (illustrator),

Here are 100 books that My Dog Is Not a Scientist fans have personally recommended if you like My Dog Is Not a Scientist. Shepherd is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of The School of Failure: A Story about Success

Helen H. Wu Author Of Long Goes to Dragon School

From my list on children’s reads about perseverance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a children’s book author, illustrator, translator, and book reviewer. I’m the author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema, and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by Mae Besom. I was born and raised in Hefei, China, and moved to the US in my 20s. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, I love to share stories that empower children to understand the world and our connections. Children’s picture books have the potential to pass on the joy from generation to generation. As an art lover, I also find it very entertaining and soothing to simply enjoy the artwork of picture books. 

Helen's book list on children’s reads about perseverance

Helen H. Wu Why did Helen love this book?

It’s a fractured fairy-tale featuring three classic fairy-tale characters: Wolfred, Zinderella, and the Non-Evil Queen. This charming book provides a reassuring, empowering perspective on mistakes and perseverance. The vibrant illustrations match the humorous tone of the story, in whole it reminds kid readers to take their mistakes in stride. In The School of Failure where the trio encounter failure and disappointment, they receive support and encouragement to keep trying, and discover that with patience and persistence, mistakes can also lead to the perfect storybook ending. It sets a supporting role model for schools and classes.

By Rosie J Pova, Monika Filipina (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The School of Failure 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?

A charming fractured fairy-tale about how the road to success is often paved with mistakes and the most important thing is to keep trying.

Once upon a time, there were three hopeful fairy-tale characters: Wolfred, Zinderella, and the Non-Evil Queen. Already rejected from classic fairy-tales, a happily-ever-after for these three seems a world away. So, the trio is headed to the School of Failure. Once there, they discover that with patience and persistence, mistakes can also lead to the perfect storybook ending.

From author Rosie J. Pova and illustrator Monika Filipina comes a sweet and sassy fractured fairy-tale about beloved…


Book cover of Opal's Springtime Birdhouse

Helen H. Wu Author Of Long Goes to Dragon School

From my list on children’s reads about perseverance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a children’s book author, illustrator, translator, and book reviewer. I’m the author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema, and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by Mae Besom. I was born and raised in Hefei, China, and moved to the US in my 20s. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, I love to share stories that empower children to understand the world and our connections. Children’s picture books have the potential to pass on the joy from generation to generation. As an art lover, I also find it very entertaining and soothing to simply enjoy the artwork of picture books. 

Helen's book list on children’s reads about perseverance

Helen H. Wu Why did Helen love this book?

The girl protagonist sets a great example for kids on the power of perseverance even in the face of a setback. During a birdhouse-building contest, Opal’s friends all have endless fancy ideas. They use many fancy items, such as bells, pom-poms, basketballs—and yet Opal feels stuck. Opal chooses to make a simple birdhouse, with a sturdy piece of wood and a few nails and screws. When the judges don’t pick Opal’s birdhouse, Opa is deeply disappointed, but she may still discover that her humble home is just right for someone else. It’s a valuable lesson for young readers to learn to view events from different perspectives.

By Emily Matheis, Albert Arrayas (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Opal's Springtime Birdhouse 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?

A charming picture book tale that showcases how the rewards of our efforts can come from the most unexpected of places.

Bang! Whack! Whirr!

It’s time for a birdhouse-building contest!

Opal’s friends all have endless ideas on how to make their constructions stand out. There are bells, pom-poms, basketballs, and many more materials to use―and yet Opal still feels stuck.

Maybe a simple, sturdy piece wood…a few nails and screws will be just right. But when the judges don’t pick Opal’s birdhouse, she may still discover that her humble home is just right for someone else.

In this charming picture…


Book cover of Humphrey the Egg-Splorer

Helen H. Wu Author Of Long Goes to Dragon School

From my list on children’s reads about perseverance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a children’s book author, illustrator, translator, and book reviewer. I’m the author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema, and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by Mae Besom. I was born and raised in Hefei, China, and moved to the US in my 20s. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, I love to share stories that empower children to understand the world and our connections. Children’s picture books have the potential to pass on the joy from generation to generation. As an art lover, I also find it very entertaining and soothing to simply enjoy the artwork of picture books. 

Helen's book list on children’s reads about perseverance

Helen H. Wu Why did Helen love this book?

It’s a funny egg tale. Humphrey has long known the cautionary tale of his grandfather, Humpty Dumpty. Eggs are fragile and bought specifically to be cracked... but what if they don’t want to be cracked and have their own ambitions and goals for life, like becoming a great egg-splorer? Humphrey’s daring and determination to become a great explorer allows him to come up with creative solutions to his problem. His imagination knows no bounds and creates delightful spreads sure to appeal to readers. This rollicking story expands the famous tale of a fragile egg to a new story about bravery, creativity, and forging your own path.

By Nadia Ali, Valenti Gubianas (illustrator),

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Humphrey the Egg-Splorer 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?

A rollicking story that expands the famous tale of a fragile egg to a new story about bravery, creativity, and forging your own path.

Eggs are fragile and bought specifically to be cracked. . . but what if they don't want to be cracked and have their own ambitions and goals for life like becoming a great egg-splorer? Humphrey has long known the cautionary tale of his grandfather, Humpty Dumpty. Being an egg means he can easily slip and crack at any time . . . but what does that mean for his dreams of becoming an egg-splorer and going…


Book cover of The Most Magnificent Idea

Helen H. Wu Author Of Long Goes to Dragon School

From my list on children’s reads about perseverance.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a children’s book author, illustrator, translator, and book reviewer. I’m the author of Tofu Takes Time, illustrated by Julie Jarema, and Long Goes To Dragon School, illustrated by Mae Besom. I was born and raised in Hefei, China, and moved to the US in my 20s. Being fascinated by the differences and similarities between cultures, I love to share stories that empower children to understand the world and our connections. Children’s picture books have the potential to pass on the joy from generation to generation. As an art lover, I also find it very entertaining and soothing to simply enjoy the artwork of picture books. 

Helen's book list on children’s reads about perseverance

Helen H. Wu Why did Helen love this book?

The girl protagonist loves to make things from her various wild ideas. Her brain is an “idea machine.” Then one day… the girl can’t come up with a single idea for what to make. She tries everything: brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping to shake an idea loose. But nothing works. The author ingeniously captures the ups and downs of the creative process. This book offers a terrific character education lesson in patience and perseverance. It will inspire young makers and visionary creators and encourage them to believe that an idea is sure to come if they just give it the opportunity.

By Ashley Spires,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Most Magnificent Idea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 3, 4, 5, and 6.

What is this book about?

The long-awaited sequel to the runaway bestseller The Most Magnificent Thing that readers have been clamoring for!

The girl in this story, with her dog at her side, loves to make things. Her brain, she says, is an “idea machine,” so full of ideas that she can hardly keep up. But then one day … it isn’t. All of a sudden, the girl can’t come up with a single idea for what to make. She tries everything: brainstorming, gathering new supplies, even jumping up and down on one foot to shake an idea loose. But, nothing. The girl realizes, with…


Book cover of What Is This Thing Called Science?

Bernard Beckett Author Of Genesis

From my list on get your head around consciousness.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m an educator at heart and have been teaching in high schools for over thirty years now. I get a kick out of helping young people see the world anew and think about ideas in ways that at first seem strange and challenging to them, both in the classroom and through my novels. Of course, to be any good at that, I have to be inquisitive and open myself, and there’s nothing like the topic of consciousness to make you feel feeble-minded and ill-informed. It’s such a wondrous topic because it sits at the precise meeting point of so many of our scientific, cultural, artistic, religious, and philosophical traditions.

Bernard's book list on get your head around consciousness

Bernard Beckett Why did Bernard love this book?

Bookshelves groan under the weight of highly skilled science communicators, and through them those of us with no specialist knowledge can learn about evolution, quantum mechanics, neuroscience et al, and then bore people to death with our newfound knowledge. There is, however, a world of difference between the things science discovers and the stories we tell about these discoveries. I love this book because it makes the reader do the hard yards, thinking not just about the breathless new discoveries, but also the very nature of this knowledge, and hence its limits.

By Alan F. Chalmers,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked What Is This Thing Called Science? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Co-published with the University of Queensland Press. HPC holds rights in North America and U. S. Dependencies.

Since its first publication in 1976, Alan Chalmers's highly regarded and widely read work--translated into eighteen languages--has become a classic introduction to the scientific method, known for its accessibility to beginners and its value as a resource for advanced students and scholars.

In addition to overall improvements and updates inspired by Chalmers's experience as a teacher, comments from his readers, and recent developments in the field, this fourth edition features an extensive chapter-long postscript that draws on his research into the history of…


Book cover of Understanding Philosophy of Science

Richard Farr Author Of You Are Here: A User's Guide to the Universe

From my list on how science actually works… or doesn’t.

Why am I passionate about this?

I was once an academic philosopher, but I found it too glamorous and well-paid so I became a novelist and private intellectual mentor instead. I wrote You Are Here because I love what science knows, but an interest in how science knows drew me into the philosophy of science, where a puzzle lurks. Scientists claim that the essence of their craft is captured in a 17th Century formula, “the scientific method”... and in a 20th Century litmus test, “falsifiability.” Philosophers claim that these two ideas are (a) both nonsense and (b) in any case mutually contradictory. So what’s going on? 

Richard's book list on how science actually works… or doesn’t

Richard Farr Why did Richard love this book?

There are many short, accessible introductions to what current philosophers of science spend their time arguing about; this is one of the best. It wisely doesn’t cover everything, but instead uses Francis Bacon’s crucial break with the authority of Aristotle as a point of entry into current debates on half a dozen core issues such as inductive inference, progress, and realism.

By James Ladyman,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Understanding Philosophy of Science as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Few can imagine a world without telephones or televisions; many depend on computers and the Internet as part of daily life. Without scientific theory, these developments would not have been possible.

In this exceptionally clear and engaging introduction to philosophy of science, James Ladyman explores the philosophical questions that arise when we reflect on the nature of the scientific method and the knowledge it produces. He discusses whether fundamental philosophical questions about knowledge and reality might be answered by science, and considers in detail the debate between realists and antirealists about the extent of scientific knowledge. Along the way, central…


Book cover of Awesome Science Experiments for Kids: 100+ Fun STEAM Projects and Why They Work

Tami Lewis Brown Author Of Perkin's Perfect Purple: How a Boy Created Color with Chemistry

From my list on inspiring your young scientist.

Why am I passionate about this?

From a girl who defied death to set nearly every aviation record in a rickety bi-plane, to a team of young women who literally invented computer coding with no guidance and very little credit, to a boy who revolutionized chemistry when he used the scientific method to create the color purple from coal tar, I write books about young people who followed their dreams to accomplish amazing things. There’s no reason to wait until you grow up to become a scientist. The books I’ve chosen will inspire your young scientist to explore and invent - right now!

Tami's book list on inspiring your young scientist

Tami Lewis Brown Why did Tami love this book?

Your kiddo is excited about science… now what? Science experiments at home don’t have to be hard or hazardous. Chrystal Chatterton’s Awesome Science Experiments uses ordinary household products or items that are very easy to find. The instructions are step by step and simple to follow. Best of all the concepts are, well, real science. Chatterton explains the ideas in understandable but authentic scientific language—no dumbing things down here. Best of all these projects are a lot of fun!

By Crystal Chatterton,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Awesome Science Experiments for Kids as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it. This book is for kids age 5, 6, 7, and 8.

What is this book about?

Hands-on projects to get kids ages 5 to 10 excited about science.

As kids grow older, they become more curious about the world around them, often asking, “How does this work?” Awesome Science Experiments for Kids teaches young brains the nuts and bolts of the scientific method using fun, hands-on experiments designed to show kids how to hypothesize, experiment, and then record their findings.

With awesome projects like a Fizzy Rocket, Magnet-Powered Car, and Pencil Sundial, kids will have a blast learning to build, design, and think critically―while getting inspired to interact with the world around them and make their…


Book cover of Science Fictions: How Fraud, Bias, Negligence, and Hype Undermine the Search for Truth

Gary Smith Author Of Distrust: Big Data, Data-Torturing, and the Assault on Science

From my list on science’s eroding reputation.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am the Fletcher Jones Professor of Economics at Pomona College. I started out as a macroeconomist but, early on, discovered stats and stocks—which have long been fertile fields for data torturing and data mining. My book, Standard Deviations: Flawed Assumptions, Tortured Data, and Other Ways to Lie with Statistics is a compilation of a variety of dubious and misleading statistical practices. More recently, I have written several books on AI, which has a long history of overpromising and underdelivering because it is essentially data mining on steroids. No matter how loudly statisticians shout correlation is not causation, some will not hear.

Gary's book list on science’s eroding reputation

Gary Smith Why did Gary love this book?

Ritchie was part of a team that attempted to replicate a famous study led by a prominent psychologist, Daryl Bem, claiming that people did better on a word memorization test if they studied the words after taking the test.

Ritchie and his co-authors attempted to replicate this study and found no evidence supporting Bem’s claim. This is but one example of a scientific crisis in that attempts to replicate influential studies published in top peer-reviewed journals fail nearly half the time. Ritchie explains and illustrates the reasons for the current replication crisis in science.

By Stuart Ritchie,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Science Fictions as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

An insider’s view of science reveals why many scientific results cannot be relied upon – and how the system can be reformed.

Science is how we understand the world. Yet failures in peer review and mistakes in statistics have rendered a shocking number of scientific studies useless – or, worse, badly misleading. Such errors have distorted our knowledge in fields as wide-ranging as medicine, physics, nutrition, education, genetics, economics, and the search for extraterrestrial life. As Science Fictions makes clear, the current system of research funding and publication not only fails to safeguard us from blunders but actively encourages bad…


Book cover of “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!”

Ali Almossawi Author Of An Illustrated Book of Loaded Language: Learn to Hear What's Left Unsaid

From my list on other subjects that will teach you how to think.

Why am I passionate about this?

When I was in middle school, I’d spend much of my time in class daydreaming. Imagining myself in, say, a debate with someone I disagree with and going through a litany of scenarios where I’d try to convince that other person to change their mind. It’s a lot of fun. (My teachers would likely disagree.) When I grew older, I did more of that on my daily walks, and then about 11 years ago, I decided to start writing about creative ways to teach someone something they’re vehemently opposed to or just ambivalent about. I’ve published four books since then on this topic.

Ali's book list on other subjects that will teach you how to think

Ali Almossawi Why did Ali love this book?

I read this book during my last year in college. I finished it in one day and figured there was no better personification for teaching in an unconventional way than the charismatic Richard Feynman.

I loved the story in one chapter about people attending his talks, being totally mesmerized, and then not being able to say what the lesson was about afterward. How we say something really is more important than what we say.

By Richard P. Feynman,

Why should I read it?

6 authors picked “Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Richard P. Feynman, winner of the Nobel Prize in physics, thrived on outrageous adventures. In this lively work that "can shatter the stereotype of the stuffy scientist" (Detroit Free Press), Feynman recounts his experiences trading ideas on atomic physics with Einstein and cracking the uncrackable safes guarding the most deeply held nuclear secrets-and much more of an eyebrow-raising nature. In his stories, Feynman's life shines through in all its eccentric glory-a combustible mixture of high intelligence, unlimited curiosity, and raging chutzpah.

Included for this edition is a new introduction by Bill Gates.


Book cover of The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark

Simon Lailvaux Author Of Feats of Strength: How Evolution Shapes Animal Athletic Abilities

From my list on change the way you think about biology.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a scientist and biologist. Learning about evolution changed my life and put me on a path to studying it as a career. As a child, I was a voracious reader, and as an undergraduate, I read every popular science book on biology I could get my hands on. In retrospect, those books were almost as important to my education as anything I learned in a lab or lecture theatre. When writing for a general audience, I try to convey the same sense of wonder and enthusiasm for science that drives me to this day.

Simon's book list on change the way you think about biology

Simon Lailvaux Why did Simon love this book?

Less about biology specifically and more about the general value of the scientific method and rationalism; I think that this book should be read by everyone. Never smug or condescending, Sagan and Druyan show how easily one can be misled by mystical thinking and illustrate the many dangers of credulity.

From cargo cults to baloney detectors, this book is a primer for life in the modern world and how to recognize and protect against disinformation and one’s own biases. I have more than once bought copies of this book for people who are overly enthused about crystals.

By Carl Sagan, Ann Druyan,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Demon-Haunted World as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A prescient warning of a future we now inhabit, where fake news stories and Internet conspiracy theories play to a disaffected American populace

“A glorious book . . . A spirited defense of science . . . From the first page to the last, this book is a manifesto for clear thought.”—Los Angeles Times

How can we make intelligent decisions about our increasingly technology-driven lives if we don’t understand the difference between the myths of pseudoscience and the testable hypotheses of science? Pulitzer Prize-winning author and distinguished astronomer Carl Sagan argues that scientific thinking is critical not only to the…


Book cover of The School of Failure: A Story about Success
Book cover of Opal's Springtime Birdhouse
Book cover of Humphrey the Egg-Splorer

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