Books about inventions and imagination are an important part of stimulating the minds of kids. Check out our awesome list!
Iggy Peck Architect (Picture Book)
by Andrea Beatty
Kindergarten and First Grade
Ever since he was a baby, Iggy Peck has built towers, bridges, and buildings, which comes in handy when his second grade class is stranded on an island during a picnic.
The Adventures of Beekle the Unimaginary Friend (Picture Book)
By Dan Santat
Kindergarten and First Grade
An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable—he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.
Nino Wrestles the World
(Picture Book)
By Yuyi Morales
Kindergarten and First Grade
Lucha Libre champion Niño has no trouble fending off monstrous opponents, but when his little sisters awaken from their naps, he is in for a no-holds-barred wrestling match that will truly test his skills. Go to officialkidsmag.com to see author Yuyi Morales read the book aloud!
Franky (EBook)*Available digitally on HOOPLA through your Farmington Library account*
By Leo Timmers
Kindergarten and First Grade
Sam has a lot of imagination. He loves robots and looks at the stars, imagining that robots live there. But Sam’s parents are so busy doing mundane, ordinary things like vacuuming and gardening that they have lost all their imagination. Although Sam and his parents speak the same language, they don’t understand each other. Sam wants to share his beliefs and the only one who can understand him is … a robot. Thanks to his imagination, Sam builds Franky out of the ordinary objects his parents use. Although Franky and Sam don’t speak the same language they DO understand each other because they share the same imagination and passion. That’s why they become such good friends.
Imagination Vacation (EBook) *Available digitally on HOOPLA through your Farmington Library account*
By Jami Gigot
Kindergarten and First Grade
Sam has a very busy family. Mom works late; Dad’s projects pile up. Even Sam’s younger sister Marla is always doing something. Everyone in Sam’s family has their own idea of what the perfect vacation would look like. But there’s one thing they all agree on: they just can’t get away right now. So Sam comes up with a different kind of getaway. With a little planning, a few supplies, and a touch of creativity, she finds that her family’s dream vacation wasn’t so far away after all.
Finley Flowers Series (5)
(Chapter Book)
By Jessica Young
Grades 2-3
To win the school’s cook-off and get a year of free pizza, Finley Flowers and her best friend Henry have to come up with a totally original recipe—the only problem is that neither of them has any idea how to cook.
The Questioneers Series: Rosie Revere and the Raucous Riveters & Ada Twist and the Perilous Pants (Chapter Book)
By: Andrea Beaty
Grades 2-3
Celebrate STEM and the power of perseverance in this book series! These are a clever chapter book spin-off of the popular STEM picture books based on the characters Rosie Revere, Iggy Peck and Ada Twist. Just like in the picture books, readers will learn great lessons of: teamwork, brainstorming, persistence, camaraderie, problem solving and STEM.
Frank Einstein Series (6)
(Chapter Book)
By: Joe Scieszka
Grades 2-3
In his Grandpa Al’s garage workshop, child genius Frank Einstein tries to invent a robot that can learn on its own, and after an accident brings wisecracking Klink and overly expressive Klank to life, they set about helping Frank perfect his Antimatter Motor until his arch nemesis, T. Edison, steals the robots for his doomsday plan.
The Imagination Station Series (25) (EBook)
*Available digitally on HOOPLA through your Farmington Library account*
By: Marianne Hering
Grades 2-3
Join two cousins, Beth and Patrick as they hop inside the Imagination Station and step into history. Follow their adventures in the Imagination Station, a time traveling invention created by John Whittaker. In each Imagination Station book, cousins Patrick and Beth head to a different period and learn about the true story and meet the people behind the history.
Crenshaw (Chapter Book)
By: Katherine Applegate
Grades 4-6
Life is tough for ten-year-old Jackson. The landlord is often at the door, there’s not much food in the fridge and he’s worried that any day now the family will have to move out of their home. Again, Crenshaw is a cat. He’s large, he’s outspoken and he’s imaginary. He’s come back into Jackson’s life to help him but is an imaginary friend enough to save this family from losing everything?
Once Was a Time
(Chapter Book)
By: Leila Sales
Grades 4-6
Imaginative, emotional tale of BFFs torn apart in time. As World War II rages in 1940, 10-year-olds Lottie and her best friend Kitty live in Bristol, England, where Lottie’s father, a scientist, is working on a top-secret project involving time travel — which, Lottie suspects, is part of a plan to go back in time to prevent the war.
Gulliver’s Travels (Graphic Novel)
By: Jonathan Swift retold by: Donald Lemke
Grades 4-6
Lemuel Gulliver always dreamed of sailing across the seas, but he never could have imagined the places his travels would take him. His adventures could be the greatest tales ever told, if he survives to tell them.
The Templeton Twins Have an Idea (EBook)
*Available digitally on HOOPLA through your Farmington Library account*
By: Ellis Weiner
Grades 4-6
Suppose there were 12-year-old twins, a boy and girl named John and Abigail Templeton. Let’s say John was pragmatic and played the drums, and Abigail was theoretical and solved cryptic crosswords. Now suppose their father was a brilliant, if sometimes confused, inventor. And suppose that another set of twins-adults-named Dean D. Dean and Dan D. Dean, kidnapped the Templeton twins and their ridiculous dog in order to get their father to turn over one of his genius (sort of) inventions. Yes, I said kidnapped. Wouldn’t it be fun to read about that? Oh please. It would so. Luckily for you, this is just the first in a series perfect for boys and girls who are smart, clever, and funny (just like the twins), and enjoy reading adventurous stories (who doesn’t?!).