STEAM Booklist: Engineering, picture book biographies

Isaac Newton by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Boris Kulikov Obsessive, vindictive, and secretive, Issac Newton was also brilliant as he invented calculus and figured out the scientific explanation of gravity in 17th-century England, a time of plague, the Great Fire of London, and two revolutions.

The shape of the world : a portrait of Frank Lloyd Wright / K.L. Going ; [illustrated by] Lauren Stringer A little boy who loves to find shapes in nature grows up to be one of America's greatest architects, Frank Lloyd Wright

The boy who invented TV : the story of Philo Farnsworth by Kathleen Krull and illustrated by Greg Couch This fascinating picture-book biography of Philo Farnsworth covers his early interest in machines and electricity, leading up to how he put it all together in one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century.

Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine by Heather Lang and illustrated by Raúl Colón Lang’s portrait commemorates the centennial of Ruth Law’s record-breaking flight from Chicago to New York grades

Whoosh! : Lonnie Johnson's super-soaking stream of inventions by Chris Barton and illustrated by Don Tate. Lonnie Johnson always tinkered with something. As a kid, he built rockets and launched them in the park amid a crowd of friends. As an adult he worked for NASA. But nothing is as memorable in the minds of kids as his most famous invention (to date): the Super-Soaker.

So you want to be an inventor? by Judith St. George and illustrated by David Small Presents some of the characteristics of inventors by describing the inventions of people such as Alexander Graham Bell, Thomas Edison, and Eli Whitney.

Who Says Women Can’t Be Computer Programmers? the Story of Ada Lovelace by Tanya Lee Stone and illustrated by Marjorie Priceman "Known as "The Enchantress of Numbers" by many inventors and mathematicians of the 19th century, Ada Lovelace is recognized today as history's first computer programmer; grades 1-3.

The world is not a rectangle : a portrait of architect Zaha Hadid by Jeanette Winter A biography of architect Zaha Hadid, who grew up in Baghdad and went on to design buildings all over the world.

The Fabulous Flying Machines of Alberto Santos-Dumont by Victoria Griffith and illustrated by Eva Montanari While the Wright Brothers were gliding over Kitty Hawk, the charming Brazilian Alberto Santos-Dumont was making his own mark on the history of flight.

John Deere, that's who by Tracy Nelson Maurer and illustrated by Tim Zeltner In 1836, John Deere—then a young, white Vermont father and blacksmith—moved to Illinois to settle debts brought on by two forge fires—and wound up inventing a superior plow.

George Washington Carver by Tonya Bolden With imagination and intellect, George Washington Carver developed hundreds of unexpected products from everyday plants. Carver was trailblazing scholar, innovative scientist, pioneering conservationist, and impassioned educator.

Spic-and-Span!: Lillian Gilbreth's Wonder Kitchen by Monica Kulling and illustrated by David Parkins Lillian Gilbreth was the first woman elected to the National Academy of Engineering. A leading efficiency expert, she was also an industrial engineer, a psychologist, an author, a professor, and an inventor.

Maya Lin : artist-architect of light and lines by Jeanne Walker Harvey and illustrated by Dow Phumiruk The bold story of Maya Lin, the artist-architect who designed the Vietnam War Memorial.

Electrical wizard : how Nikola Tesla lit up the world by Elizabeth Rusch and illustrated by Oliver Dominguez An introduction to the life and contributions of Nikola Tesla covers his innovations in the field of alternating current and his role in the development of such inventions as remote controls, fluorescent lights, and cell phones.

Grace Hopper : queen of computer code written by Laurie Wallmark and illustrated by Katy Wu This is a children's book biography of Grace Hopper, who played a prominent role in the early days of computers.

Timeless Thomas : how Thomas Edison changed our lives by Gene Barretta