Encourage learning with these brain boosting books for curious kids. These engaging books can make kids more interested in reading and grow a love of learning.

Remember when your kids hit that lovely “why” stage of development?  😉

This insatiable curiosity set in something fierce when both my kids were around age 3 – most especially in my youngest, who turned out to have a deep love for all things science related. Ever since, she’s had an unquenchable desire to understand how things work and why everything is the way that it is!  Here are some of our all time favorite brain boosting books she has enjoyed at every age and stage that help satisfy her hunger for learning.  Be sure to bookmark this list for the curious kids in your life!

Early Learners

Tinkerlab: A Hand’s on Guide for Little Inventors  –  55 playful experiments that encourage tinkering, curiosity, and creative thinking from the creator of Tinkerlab.com—hands-on activities that explore art, science, and more.  For children two and up.

Rosie Revere, Engineer  –  This celebration of creativity and perseverance is told through rhyming text, which gives momentum and steady pacing to a story, consistent with the celebration of its heroine, Rosie. She’s an imaginative thinker who hides her light under a bushel (well, really, the bed) after being laughed at for one of her inventions. Then she finds encouragement from a great-great aunt whose laughter is a celebration rather than a judgment. The pairing of the wisdom of an older woman and the enthusiasm of a young girl works beautifully.

Iggy Peck, Architect  –  ingenious storyline, clever text, spectacular illustrations — resulting in a hilarious read-aloud for kids and grown-ups alike.

Middle Learners

Big Book of Why  –  This is one of my favorite brain boosting books to satisfy the most curious of kids and provokes a great way to encourage interest and knowledge about a wide range of subjects, as well as to stimulate reading. Kids will be desperate to share what they’ve learned with their parents, teachers, and friends…and anyone else who will listen.

National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia: 2,500 Animals with Photos, Maps, and More!  –  Featuring 2,500 species and packed with stunning color photographs, amazing animal facts, maps, and more, the new National Geographic Kids Animal Encyclopedia is the most comprehensive on the market today, amazing and entertaining readers, while providing them with authoritative information about the animal kingdom.

National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016  –  This New York Times bestseller is packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, crafts, activities, and fascinating articles about animals, science, nature, technology, and more. New features include a special section on animal friends; an updated “Fun and Games” chapter filled with all-new games, jokes, and comics; all new weird-but-true facts, crafts, and activities; a new special “16 Facts” feature in every chapter; updated reference material, and much more!

Older Learners

An Uncommon History of Common Things  –  Every page of this quirky compendium catalogs something fascinating, surprising, or serendipitous. A lively, incomparably browsable read for history buffs, pop culture lovers, and anyone who relishes the odd and extraordinary details hidden in the everyday, it will inform, amuse, astonish—and alter the way you think about the clever creatures we call humans.

Science of Everything: How Things Work in Our World  –  National Geographic answers all the questions about how things work–the science, technology, biology, chemistry, physics, and mechanics–in an indispensable book that reveals the science behind virtually everything.  Divided into four big realms–Mechanics, Natural Forces, Materials & Chemistry, Biology & Medicine–The Science of Everything takes readers on a fascinating tour, using plain talk, colorful photography, instructive diagrams, and everyday examples to explain the science behind all the things we take for granted in our modern world.

National Geographic: Who’s Who in the Bible  –  Written by best-selling author Jean-Pierre Isbouts, Who’s Who in the Bible is the ultimate reference guide to the men and women in the Bible, featuring more than 2,000 entries spanning Genesis to Revelation.  From the fall of Adam and Eve to Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, the key events of the Bible are expressed through the lives of hundreds of people. Told through exquisite art and artifacts, intriguing sidebars, and unique family tree features, this illuminating volume tells the stories of Biblical characters and highlights their greater meaning for mankind.

What are your favorite brain boosting books?  Always up for hearing your recommendations!  For more fun books for kids, check out this post or for a treasure trove of alternative ways to educate your child, click here!