Science, Naturally is an independent press committed to increasing science and math literacy in early childhood education. Check out our latest edition of the popular Mystery of the Month series! MYSTERY OF THE MONTH Mystery of the Month is a monthly email that challenges you with one of the mysteries from the books in our One Minute Mysteries series . These award-winning books feature one-page, literature-based math and science brainteasers. Lee esta pagina en español Each story takes just one minute to read and challenges a kid’s knowledge in a variety of science and math disciplines. The brainteasers can be used as independent reading for kids, a guessing game for families, a springboard for school projects, a bell ringer for teachers, or an assessment tool for math and science knowledge and literacy. Educators embrace the mysteries because they help kids extract the important data needed to solve science, math, and logic problems while strengthening and rewarding reading skills. Parents embrace them because they keep their kids excited about learning. Kids embrace them because they are fun! Check out the most recent Mysteries of the Month by clicking the buttons below: May Mystery June Mystery July Mystery Sign up here to get the Mystery of the Month delivered straight to your inbox:

Looking for STEM gift ideas the whole family will enjoy? We have a great selection of books full of full of fun puzzles and questions that are perfect for families to work through together! Gifts for Families Choose from our wide selection of award-winning STEM literature for the perfect gift for the curious kid in your life! This set of fun books blurs the line between entertainment and education. Make math and science fun with these literature-based books. Each mystery takes just one minute to read and features real-world scenarios. The brain teasers challenge kids to use critical thinking skills. Perfect for a long car trip or quick errands. Written by a father-daughter team, this set of entertaining and educational books is great for kids, grown-ups, educators and anyone who loves good mysteries, good math and science, or all three! I Love A Mystery Book Set Click Here to View Click Here to View This set includes the two 101 Things books: 101 Things Everyone Should Know About Math and 101 Things You Everyone Should Know About Science from the award-winning authors Marc Zev, Kevin Segal and Nathan Levy. 101 Things Everyone Should Know... Book Set Deluxe Smart Kid Book Set Keep your kids' brain active with these five clever literature-based, award-winning science and math books. Everyone in the family will love trying to solve these engaging, exciting (and shhh!...educational) brainteasers! Unravel real-life predicaments using everything from decimals to DNA, fractions to fingerprints. Keep the set together or use them as individual gifts. Click Here to View Science Sleuth Book Set You may not put criminals away, but use this set to crack mysteries you see every day! Show off your science skills with the Science Sleuth Book Set. These brainteasers have a clever-twist--you have to tap into your science wisdom and critical thinking skills to solve them. Each mystery takes just one minute to read and challenges your knowledge in biology, chemistry, physics, and earth and space science. Click Here to View Math Madness Book Set Crazy about math... Or wish you were? This book set is just for you! These aren’t your ordinary math books. Kids are challenged to solve math brainteasers and answer questions in sports, cooking, money, travel and more. Kids will see how much math is a critical part of their everyday lives. These fun, educational books are perfect for kids, parents, educators, and anyone interested in knowing the difference between an Olympic event score of 9.0 and Richter scale score of 9.0. Click Here to View

Science Naturally's Event Sales Program allows you to fundraise while offering quality STEM materials to your customers, families, or event participants. Order ahead, send back anything left after the event, and pay 50% off retail for the books you sold. EVENT SALES PROGRAM Our Event Sales Program allows you to fundraise while offering quality STEM materials to your customers, families, or event participants. Perfect for book fairs, conferences, and more! Here's how it works: Select the books you'd like by browsing our store Order any of our books at a 50% discount Return the books that you don't sell Receive your bill after your event Only pay for the books you sold To learn more or to place an order, contact Martha at Martha@ScienceNaturally.com or 1-866-724-8976 "These are some of the most engaging nonfiction books I have ever read!" -Sonya Smith Science Field Coordinator, ATOMS2XP and IMPACT2, Mississippi State, MS "We love the Science Naturally Event Sales Program. It allows us to offer great products to our students with no money upfront." -Doug Tackett PTA Dad Amarillo, TX Download our Book Sale flyer for more information

Can you solve this month's real-life science mystery? “Man, these mosquitoes are eating me alive," Franklin complained, slapping at his arms and legs. ​ The neighborhood kids were playing volleyball in Franklin's back yard. His parents had recently bought the net and set it up, but it was hard to stay out in the... ¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... August Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 More Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Slow Boat “You guys will love this place,” Jesse’s grandfather said. “I go there all the time.” Jesse and his friend Thomas were visiting Jesse’s grandfather, who loved boating and had just bought a new boat. From Jesse’s grandfather’s house along a river, they would be going downstream to a park that had a fishing pier and a restaurant. “How far is it?” Thomas asked as they got on the boat. “20 nautical miles,” Jesse’s grandfather said. “A nautical mile is about 1/6 longer than a land mile, or almost 2 kilometers.” The boat’s speedometer showed the engine was running at 20 knots, which Jesse’s grandfather said meant 20 nautical miles per hour on the trip there, which lasted 48 minutes. They had a fun day, although they didn’t catch any fish. The speedometer showed the same speed on the trip back, which took 1 hour and 20 minutes. Thomas and Jesse climbed out onto the dock while Jesse’s grandfather tied up the boat. “Well, we learned something today,” Thomas said to Jesse. “You mean that we’re no good at fishing?” Jesse said. “Not that. If the distance was 20 nautical miles and the boat was moving at 20 knots, the ride should have taken 1 hour, but it didn’t—in either direction. Either the speedometer is wrong about the speed, or your grandfather is wrong about the distance,” Thomas said. “But which?” REVEAL ANSWER

Can you solve this month's science mystery? As much as Leila missed having Chloe around for their summer vacation, she had to admit that Chloe must be having a great time traveling.  Chloe's father was working on a trade treaty between the United States and other countries bordering the Pacific Ocean... ¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... June Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Tall Tale Challenge Day was one of the highlights of the week at camp. The campers were sent off on all kinds of odd errands, such as finding animal fur, certain kinds of leaves, nuts, and other bits of nature. Dominic and Vincent had ended up with what they were sure was the toughest assignment: figuring out the exact height of the lone tree in the center of the field. They almost had to laugh when they were given only two tools to do it: a yardstick and a large ball of string. “This is impossible,” Dominic said, squinting up at the top of the tree. It was a sunny day. “It can’t be impossible,” Vincent said. “The counselor said that other guys have done it with the same things they gave us.” They thought for a while. “Well, I have an idea,” Dominic said, “but it’s not going to be easy. One of us could hold the ball of string while the other one ties the end to his belt and climbs the tree. We could probably get close enough to the top to estimate how much is left, and then we could add that to the length of string from there to the ground.” “I don’t think we’d like the result of that,” Vincent said. “Why not?” asked Dominic. REVEAL ANSWER

Send Us a Note Your details were sent successfully! Send

Publish Your STEM Book with Science Naturally | Submission Guidelines for Authors | Explore How to Share Your Insights and Contribute to Our World of STEM Literature | Learn Author Requirements and Start Publishing Today! Author & Illustrator Submissions Thank you for your interest in Science, Naturally! While we publish a select number of titles each year, we are always eager to discover manuscripts that reflect our core values. We seek books that nurture young minds through education, positive imagery, and inspiring role models—blending learning with entertainment while thoughtfully connecting to the world of STEM. Above all, our goal is to make science accessible, engaging, and unintimidating for young readers. Authors Manuscript Submissions Form Illustrators If you would like to submit your portfolio to us, please use the following form: If you are submitting a manuscript, please fill out this form: Portfolio Submissions Form Please be aware that we are a small company and response times may vary from a few weeks to a few months. If you have any inquiries or require further information, do not hesitate tocontact us at Info@ScienceNaturally.com. Thank you for considering Science, Naturally! as the platform for your creative endeavors. Note: We do not accept physical submissions. The SN Team

Can you solve this real-world math mystery? Spring had turned the corner and twins Frances and Fiona were pleased that they could start spending time outside in their backyard. The family's yard was sheltered by trees with long branches, perfect for the girls' hobby of bird watching.  ¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... May Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! Finding A Solution Spring had turned the corner and twins Frances and Fiona were pleased that they could start spending time outside in their backyard. The family's yard was sheltered by trees with long branches, perfect for the girls' hobby of bird watching. Frances had the job of mixing sugar in water for their hummingbird feeder. In the past, the girls noticed that more hummingbirds came to the feeder when they used a more sugary mix. This year Frances had decided to make the mix as sweet as possible. In the kitchen, she added sugar to hot water until sugar started collecting in the bottom of the pot even while she was stirring it. Then she filled the feeder with the water solution. "I just love it when we get to see so many hummingbirds!" Frances said as she screwed the lid onto the feeder. The girls hung the feeder on a tree branch where they could watch from their deck. It took a few days for the hummingbirds to start coming, and when they did, the birds left almost instantly each time. The girls went out to check the feeder. "I think I see the problem," Fiona said, scraping powder from the feeding holes. "Where did that come from?" Frances asked. "The birds can't get the mix out of the feeder," Fiona said. "This powder clogging the holes is sugar." "I didn't put any sugar on the outside," Frances protested. "And I stopped adding sugar to the water when the sugar started collecting at the bottom of the water even when I was stirring it. I know that when there's as much sugar as the water can hold, the water is saturated and can't dissolve any more sugar. Isn't that right?" REVEAL ANSWER

ASTC has curated these award-winning, NSTA Recommends books for its members to promote science and math while improving reading and literacy skills for upper elementary and middle schoolers. Check out these resources for your programming and after-school activities. Our literature-based STEM books are perfect tools for museum educators! One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve With Math! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! One Minute Mysteries: 65 Short Mysteries You Solve with Science! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! Preview the book Purchase with ASTC discount here! Leonardo da Vinci Gets a Do-Over Read a sample chapter Download the Free Teacher's Guide Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Bilingual Math Mysteries Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Please reload 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Math Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! 101 Things Everyone Should Know about Science Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! If My Mom Were a Platypus Download the Activity Guide Download our Guide to Hands-On Activities Purchase with ASTC discount here! Ghost in the Water Read a sample chapter Download the Free Teacher's Guide Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Bilingual Science Mysteries Preview the book Purchase the book with ASTC discount here! Please reload Museum educators around the country use our titles to engage, excite, and educate: Literature-based books teach science and math while promoting reading, Fiction and nonfiction titles featuring a diverse group of young heroes, Real-life scenarios make science and math relevant to kids, Potentially intimidating topics become intriguing and accessible to scientists of all ages, Supports problem-based and project-based learning, Extensive Teacher's Guides and Hands-On Activities available for free download, Cross-curricular content provides ample learning opportunities. Our books make great resources for museum educators and our short brainteasers make great content for museum publications. For permissions to reprint, information on bulk discounts, and more information, contact Ali . Learn How Facilitators Use Our Books Extensive Educator Resources and Hands-On Activities Shop at the ASTC Bookstore

Kassandra, Ingrid, Quan, and Ricky are getting ready for their school's Halloween party, but something's amiss with the decorations. Can you use science help them solve this haunting mystery... before it's too late? ¿Hablas español? Haga clic aquí para resolver... Halloween Bonus Mystery Selected from: One Minute Mysteries: 65 MORE Short Mysteries You Solve With Science! Halloween Hippie "Hey, I have an old picture of my grandma looking just like that, only it wasn't a costume to her," Kassandra said as Ingrid walked into the homeroom. "She said they actually thought they looked cool." Their school normally had a dress code, but it was Halloween and everyone had come in wearing costumes. Ingrid was dressed like a hippie. She had a tie-dyed shirt, beads, sandals, and sunglasses with orange lenses shaped like hearts. Ingrid took off the sunglasses for class, but put them back on in the afternoon when it was time to get ready for the Halloween party. The class was decorating the classroom and painting signs for the school parade. Quan, who though he was funny, was hanging decorations upside down. Preston was pretending to sword fight in his pirate costume with a paint brush, and Ricky was playing with fake blood after putting some on his zombie costume. When it was almost time for the parade, Kassandra noticed that one of the signs had been decorated with a red, rather than orange, pumpkin. "Okay, who's the joker here?" Kassandra asked. She looked around the room for a guilty face. REVEAL ANSWER

President and founder of Science Naturally, Dia Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science writer. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at universities, libraries, and conferences across the country. Read about her presentations below. President and founder of Science Naturally, Dia Michels is an internationally published, award-winning science writer. Her topics include science and math books for middle grade students, and her passion is fostering curiosity in young minds. A popular speaker, she lectures frequently at universities, libraries, and conferences across the country. Read about her talks below. Creativity, Curiosity, and Critical Thinking Combined Discover Strategies to Build Confidence and Encourage Curiosity In today's fast-paced world, schools encourage kids to memorize facts and learn answers to test questions. Unfortunately, this focus often means children are not learning the critical reasoning skills that are so important for applied science and math, which they will encounter in higher education and in real life. To succeed in life and excel in STEM careers, it is imperative for today's students to learn how to use what they know to deduce what they don't. It's not enough to know the answer, they also need to know the "why". This workshop will teach strategies that help kids get to the all-important "ah-ha!" moment. We'll use short questions and brainteasers as an opportunity for creative At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Use literature-based math and science to develop critical thinking skills and promote curiosity. Implement strategies to build confidence and encourage curiosity in the classroom and beyond. analytical reasoning, with each simple mystery as an example of real-life STEM applications. Hands-on activities and fun worksheets help extend the material. Content is interdisciplinary and supports current curriculum standards. Get inspired to encourage creativity, confidence, and curiosity through science and math! If My Mom Were A Platypus Teaching Science through Mammal Life Cycle Stories There are approximately 5000 species of mammals on our planet. They live and reproduce and raise their young in every conceivable habitat, from icy arctic waters to the unrelenting heat of the desert; they live in caves, in trees, in seawater, in freshwater; some are as small as a grape, others the size of a bus. This lively, hands-on workshop shows teachers how to introduce kids to life cycle curricula through engaging mammal stories. Science and parenting writer Dia L. Michels shares insights about the behaviors and characteristics of mammals from her book If My Mom Were a Platypus . This fascinating introduction to the world of mammals captures the universality of the life cycle. The stories are charming, but more importantly, they convey significant scientific insight. The content aligns directly with the Next Generation Science Standards as well as both primary and middle school curricula. Attendees will leave the room with a new set of tools for teaching—and a keen sense of what makes mammals special! At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Use engaging mammal facts to help kids understand and take interest in a variety of life science concepts (sensory perception, infant identification, habitats, nutrient density, adaptations, ecology, metabolism, anatomy, biomes, and classification). Easily incorporate the lessons and activities from the presentation into their curriculum to spark curiosity in their students. Game Show - kids' edition! Are You Smarter than a Mammalogist ? FOR KIDS! This fun-filled, interactive game challenges your mammal knowledge. What can we learn by exploring how other mammals are born and raised? With a focus on early childhood, we uncover fascinating facts, amazing adaptations, and parenting peculiarities. There are over 6,000 mammal species, ranging in shape, size, and habitat. Learn about the diverse ways babies develop (in a womb, pouch, or egg), survive (are they “nest,” “cache,” “follow,” or “carry” mammals?), and how fast or slow the young grow up (newborn blue whales gain 8 pounds per hour!). Come ready to learn, and leave with an appreciation for the diversity in animal adaptations. Plus, pick up prizes along the way! At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Recognize the fundamental similarities and astonishing differences across the mammal class. Gain a greater appreciation for their inner mammal and deeper understanding of their place in the natural world. Understanding How Special it is to Grow Up Human Classifying Mammals in Meaningful Way for Children Educators teach children that we classify living things so we can make order out of our world. We teach them that they are mammals and tell them that there are four requirements to be a mammal: they must have hair or fur, be endothermic, have a backbone, and the females must raise the young on mother's milk. Most of these characteristics, however, apply to many other members of the animal kingdom. Are there more meaningful ways we can teach students to classify mammals? Dia Michels, author of If My Mom Were A Platypus , explores some mammal attributes that provide a fresh perspective on classification and helps kids understand why being a mammal is so special. At the end of this session the participant will be able to... Identify the core characteristics that make a mammal. Understand why and how scientists classify life on Earth and why these taxonomic classifications may be challenged or changed. Understanding How Special it is to Grow Up Human Preview the content in Dia's own words in this short podcast recorded at ALA 2019: Interested in booking Dia for one of these talks? Email Info@ScienceNaturally.com for more details.

These beautifully illustrated books are the perfect holiday gift idea for parents and younger children. Spark an interest in animals and science by exploring the worlds of several different species and how they interact with their environment and each other! Gifts for Budding Scientists These beautifully illustrated, award-winning books are the perfect gift for a budding young scientist (or animal lover)! Babies Nurse Great gift idea for the budding young scientist and/or animal lover! Perfect for parents of young children. This beautifully illustrated book’s overarching theme of breastfeeding inspires conversations about parenting, biology, habitats, survival, and more, making this book an engaging choice for young children as well as elementary school readers. Click Here to View Cuddled and Carried Beautiful images introduce the reader to attachment in the natural world. Watching mothers lend a paw, wing, flipper, or hand to care for their young fosters empathy, kindness, and compassion. Supplemental back matter and a free Teacher's Guide helps parents, librarians, educators, and healthcare providers creatively describe caretaking, while introducing a range of early science concepts. Click Here to View If My Mom Were a Platypus: Mammal Babies and Their Mothers All mammal mothers feed, protect, and teach their young, even though these tasks can challenge their own needs for survival. But a mammal baby’s journey to maturity varies dramatically depending on whether it is a bear or a bat, a shrew or a seal, a hippopotamus or a human. This fascinating look at life cycles portrays the normalcy of birth and breastfeeding and explores how mothers help 14 different mammals navigate the path from helpless infants to self-sufficient adults. Click Here to View