We are pleased to introduce you to our latest new genre in NoveList, STEM fiction.
What is STEM fiction?
These are books that emphasize solving problems using tools such as science, technology, engineering, and math. While the STEM term has evolved into STEAM, STREAM, ESTREAM, etc. the original acronym, STEM, is most often used. At the heart of these stories are problem-solving, out-of-the-box-thinking, and overcoming obstacles — life-long skills that children need.
Here at NoveList, we realized that although discovering nonfiction STEM books is fairly straightforward, identifying fiction STEM books can be more challenging. We wanted to come up with a simple way for librarians, educators, and patrons to identify fictional titles that incorporate problem-solving using STEM concepts.
A great example is Iggy Peck, architect, in which a second-grade boy saves the day when he uses his ingenuity and items at hand to create a bridge to rescue his class which has become stranded on an island during a picnic.
Want to check out this new heading for yourself? Here are two quick ways:
1. Do a field code search
To find STEM fiction books using field codes, type in GN STEM fiction in the NoveList search box and set limiters to narrow down your results.
2. Start with a favorite title
Navigate to your favorite STEM fiction book in NoveList (Try either Cece loves science or The miscalculations of lightning girl) and use the “search for more” checkboxes at the bottom of the page to build your search.
This new genre is just one that the experts at NoveList been working on; we regularly add new access points. Do you have ideas for metadata that would make it easier for you to find the books your readers are looking for? Let us know!
Brierley Ash is a Metadata Librarian for NoveList.