Fun New Books That Are Also Educational (Shhh!)

Want to keep the learning going outside the classroom? Here are super fun new books that are also educational! Your kids will just know that they’re fun, but you’ll know that they’re learning about science and language arts! So pat yourselves on the back, Mom and Dad, as you watch your kids enjoying books that are also helping their little minds grow.

Disclosure: I received complimentary copies of the books below for review purposes; however, all opinions are my own. This post contains affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase, I receive a small commission at no extra charge to you.

Fun New Books That Are Also Educational (Shhh!)

STEM Books

Friends Stick Together is a sweet new picture book about an unlikely pair that must learn to work together. Rupert is a mild-mannered rhino who loves classical music and cucumber sandwiches. His life is quiet and orderly, until one day Levi the tickbird shows up. Levi is loud and silly, with a tendency to burp the alphabet. Rupert tries every trick he can think of to rid himself of Levi, until one day he finally succeeds – and comes to realize how Levi actually made his life more fun (as well as less itchy). Great book to show how being friends with someone different can challenge us and enrich our lives.

So what does this have to do with STEM? This book is not just about friendship, it’s also sneakily about symbiosis, when different animal or plant species have a close association. In the case of Rupert and Levi, Levi gets to eat Rupert’s ticks, which in turn helps Rupert’s skin feel better. STEM book that’s also fun? Win-win!

Older kids will love the Zoey and Sassafras series, which I have written about previously. (Although I should say that this would make a great read aloud for younger kids as well, especially because it has so many illustrations). The Pod and The Bog and Caterflies and Ice are the latest adventures of Zoey and her cat Sassafras.

Zoey is the coolest kid around, getting to help with magical characters through the power of science! For example, in The Pod and The Bog she must figure out how to help a mysterious glowing seed pod to grow. My kids enjoy finding out about these magical creatives and trying to solve the mystery. I love how Zoey uses the scientific method to test out hypotheses and ultimately arrive at a solution, and that she is using her smarts to help others. This series is a real favorite at our house and an easy choice to include in our list of fun new books that are also educational!

Language Arts

It is hard to imagine a more fun book about punctuation! My kids and I laugh and laugh each time we read Semicolons, Cupcakes, and Cucumbers. It is a picture book, but it is so clever that my older son really enjoys it as well. Trust me, after reading this book, your kids will never look at punctuation the same way again! This is the story of four friends (Period, Question Mark, Exclamation Point, and Comma) who are trying to agree on what to do for fun. It’s not until a mysterious stranger (Semi-Colon) shows up that they realize that they can work together and find activities they all can enjoy!

The personalities of each character come through clearly, and each always speaks using its own punctuation mark. For example, Exclamation Point is the adventurous one, always shouting with enthusiasm, while Period is very matter of fact and really just wants to go to the library. Young readers will laugh out loud as the friends stumble through a series of adventures together before finally finding a fun way to spend the day. Don’t miss the bonus educational activities at the end!

When the picture book Rhyme Crime arrived at our house recently, my five year old grabbed it immediately and went to read it on the couch. A few minutes later he brought it over to me and said I had to stop making dinner and read it immediately because it was hilarious. Turns out he was right! Someone is stealing words – and replacing them with rhymes. For example, when Hammy’s new hat was stolen, he found himself wearing a cat instead! The results are always silly, and the colorful illustrations even more so. The thief finally meets his downfall when he makes the mistake of stealing an orange! This is a fun read, especially for kids that are just learning about rhymes. My toddler loves flipping through it just for the pictures.

Enjoy these fun new books that are also educational with your kids, for a parenting win-win!