Read Around the Subject STEM Recommended Reading List Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy #1 by Douglas Adams* Seconds before the Earth is demolished to make way for a galactic freeway, Arthur Dent is plucked off the planet by his friend Ford Prefect, a researcher for the revised edition of The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy who, for the last fifteen years, has been posing as an out-of- work actor. Together this dynamic pair begin a journey through space aided by quotes from The Hitchhiker's Guide ("A towel is about the most massively useful thing an interstellar hitchhiker can have") and a galaxy-full of fellow travellers: Zaphod Beeblebrox—the two- headed, three-armed ex-hippie and totally out-to-lunch president of the galaxy; Trillian, Zaphod's girlfriend (formally Tricia McMillan), whom Arthur tried to pick up at a cocktail party once upon a time zone; Marvin, a paranoid, brilliant, and chronically depressed robot; Veet Voojagig, a former graduate student who is obsessed with the disappearance of all the ballpoint pens he bought over the years. Catalyst by Laurie Halse Anderson* Kate Malone is a self-confessed science and maths geek. Meticulous with planning her life. She’s on top of it all; methodically handling her boyfriend, her parents, her work and school life. Her life is on the brink of change as she’s applied to the Massachusetts’s Institute of Technology and is eagerly awaiting their response. Science and technology are her life and her devotion, but she soon discovers that things change as suddenly and as quickly like the Big Bang. Crazy Creatures by Gill Arbuthnott The bird that fights by being sick on you. The frog that can kill 1,500 people. The Bee Blanket of Death. And many more fabulous facts are there in this laugh-out-loud collection of amazing but true animals. Barrington Stoke specialises in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers. Mad Scientists by Gill Arbuthnott From the man who ate everything, to the cat that's both alive and dead...A hilarious but informative look at some of science's strangest ideas - and thinkers! Barrington Stoke specialise in books for reluctant, struggling and dyslexic readers. Body Owner's Handbook by Nick Arnold How does your auto-repair function work? Where's your top-of-the-range sensory equipment? What's your rear gas and waste disposal? Bulging Brains by Nick Arnold What does a fresh brain really smell like? Might chopping your brain in half not be fatal? Are girls or boys smarter? 'Bulging Brains' puts the brain under the spotlight. It explains how brain surgery is performed, and includes fantastic fact files, curious quizzes, teacher tests and crazy cartoons. Chemical Chaos by Nick Arnold This series looks at the nastier side of science. 'Chemical Chaos' tells the stories of experiments that went horribly wrong, reveals the secrets of some very strange scientists, and shows readers how to try some experiments for themselves. Deadly Diseases by Nick Arnold What happened when a nurse drank diarrhoea? Why does deadly cholera make your skin turn blue? Which scientist used eyeballs as food for bacteria? Evil Inventions by Nick Arnold Readers will discover why someone invented the bottom-stabbing bike saddle and why you would need a toilet snorkel. Explosive Experiments by Nick Arnold Which scientist blew up his barbie in an experiment? Who tried - and failed - to get rid of his fingerprints with acid? How did scientists track down the chemical cause of cheesy socks? All these questions are answered in the one guide that no aspiring horrible scientist should be without. Frightening Light by Nick Arnold Science with the squishy bits left in! What stops your eyeballs from falling out? Why can dead bodies make ghostly glowing lights? How can a laser beam sizzle human flesh? Get the awful answers in Frightening Light! Killer Energy by Nick Arnold Why do space loos spray out frozen peas? Which chilling chemical can preserve your pets? Who built a dodgy steam-powered plane? Nasty Nature by Nick Arnold Science with the squishy bits left in: Why do vultures have bald heads? What kind of frog lives in a toilet? How do vampire bats slurp blood? Get the awful answers in Nasty Nature Ugly Bugs by Nick Arnold What do slugs do with their slime? Why do flies throw up on your tea? How do insects drink your blood? Get the awful answers in Ugly Bugs! I, Robot (short stories) by Isaac Asimov Earth is ruled by master-machines, but the Three Laws of Robotics have been designed to ensure humans maintain the upper hand: 1) A robot may not injure a human being or allow a human being to come to harm. 2) A robot must obey orders given to it by human beings except where such orders would conflict with the First Law. 3) A robot must protect its own existence as long as such protection does not conflict with the First or Second Law. But what happens when a rogue robot’s idea of what is good for society contravenes the Three Laws? Finding Wonders: Three Girls Who Changed Science by Jeannine Atkins* A gorgeously written novel in verse about three girls in three different time periods who grew up to become ground-breaking scientists. Maria Merian was sure that caterpillars were not wicked things born from mud, as most people of her time believed. More than a century later, Mary Anning helped her father collect stone sea creatures from the cliffs in southwest England. Intrepid and patient, she eventually discovered fossils that would change people’s vision of the past. Across the ocean, Maria Mitchell longed to discover a new comet and after years of studying the night sky, she finally did. Told in vibrant, evocative poems, this stunning novel celebrates the joy of discovery and finding wonder in the world around us. The Handmaid's Tale (14+) by Margaret Atwood Offred is a Handmaid in the Republic of Gilead. She may leave the home of the Commander and his wife once a day to walk to food markets whose signs are now pictures instead of words because women are no longer allowed to read. She must lie on her back once a month and pray that the Commander makes her pregnant, because in an age of declining births, Offred and the other Handmaids are valued only if their ovaries are viable. Offred can remember the years before, when she lived and made love with her husband, Luke; when she played with and protected her daughter; when she had a job, money of her own, and access to knowledge. But all of that is gone now... Sightseeing in Space: 2 New Adventures by David Bailey The Doctor, Amy, and Rory join an undersea exploration ship on the planet Hos in The Underwater War. When a virus infects the crew, they discover the ship is hiding a dangerous secret! In Terminal of Despair, the TARDIS crew find themselves trapped in a quarantined spaceport where the waiting passengers have lost all hope of ever getting home. Can the Doctor save them? Mystery Of Silas Finklebean by David Baldacci Adam Spanker, determined to get even after his previous defeat, has challenged Freddy to bet on the winner of the annual science competition. Freddy was convinced he'd win - being a scientific genius who brought five French fries to life ...until he discovered that Adam had joined forces with science wiz Harold. Can Freddy and his French fry friends come up with another spectacular experiment to save the day? Chase #1 by Linwood Barclay Chipper is a very special dog. As part of a top-secret, multi-million-dollar experiment to create the ultimate canine spy technology, Chipper's whole life has been spent within the walls of a secret organisation known only as The Institute. Chipper is supposed to be more machine than mutt, but something's wrong and The Institute knows it. He's about to be terminated. Across the state, twelve-year-old orphan Jeff Conway is working all hours at his aunt Flo's lakeside cabin business. He misses his parents, his old life, and the dog he had to leave behind. When Chipper escapes and his and Jeff's paths collide, dog and boy find themselves tangled up in the most dangerous game of chase imaginable... Winner of the Arthur Ellis award for Best Kid's Crime Novel. Danger, secrets and thrilling suspense in Linwood Barclay's action-packed first novel for children. Get ready to run . an edge-of- your-seat thriller with bite from international bestselling author Linwood Barclay, in his first novel for 9-12-year olds. The Red Blaser Girls by Michael D Beil * Sophie, Margaret, and Rebecca are all students at St. Veronica's when their routines are broken by the appearance of a ghostly face in a window across the courtyard! The face turns out to be a woman in need of help: she is estranged from her daughter but might be able to repair the relationship if the girls can help her solve a scavenger hunt full of logic puzzles and geometry equations. But the girls aren't alone in their quest, so they'll have to work fast to get to the treasure first! Full of twists, turns, and laugh-out-loud moments, this is sure to be a favourite with math and mystery loving Mighty Girls. The Martian Race #1 (14+) by Gregory Benford March 2015. Nasa's first manned voyage to Mars is about to launch. But disaster strikes - the rocket explodes, killing the entire crew, and the US government abandons the project.