Curiosity sparks learning. These children’s books about curiosity will encourage kids to remain curious and inquisitive. It’s a character strength that will inspire so much discovery and change in the world.
“We keep moving forward, opening new doors, and trying new things, because we are curious and curiosity keeps leading us down new paths.” – Walt Disney
Here is a sneak peek at what you’ll find in this post.
- Favorite books that focus on the theme of CURIOSITY including a FREE printable book list.
- A list of discussion questions/conversation starters about the character strength- CURIOSITY which you can also print.
- Resources for families to hold a Family Dinner Book Club on the CURIOSITY theme including menu ideas, activities, and a family service project.
BOOKS ABOUT CURIOSITY
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Meet Zoey in Zoey and Sassafras: Dragons and Marshmallows by Asia Citro. She is a super curious young scientist on a mission to help magical creatures. This is a beginning reader chapter book that can also be read aloud in a few sessions. If you enjoy the first story, there are more titles in the wonderful series too.
What Will I Discover? by Tanya Lloyd Kyi inspires kids to ask questions about things they wonder about after learning about some of the questions curious scientists have asked and discovered.
Papa’s Mechanical Fish by Candace Fleming is the story of a man and his family who are spurred by curiosity. An always curious mind can lead to great discoveries. In this case, the man designs a submarine big enough for his whole family to take a trip.
Curiosity The Story of a Mars Rover by Markus Motum explores the fascinating robot that is currently traveling across Mars sending information back to scientists in the United States. It is aptly named- Curiosity.
Have you ever taken a walk and been curious about what is going on in each home as you pass? Windows by Julia Denos works off that premise. A young boy takes his dog for a walk through the neighobrhood early in the evening. The lights in the windows as he passes reveal small snippets of what is going on in each house.
Curiosity allows you to discover new things. That’s just what the plants and a little boy do in The Curious Garden by Peter Brown. They discover new places to grow. The most important discovery was that your own curiosity can spread.
Julian is a Mermaid by Julia Love is a lesson in letting our kids’ curiosity develop and not squelching it based on our own beliefs and biases. Julian is fascinated with the elaborate dress of some women and wants to dress just like one of them. So, he creates his own mermaid dress.
Scientists need a strong sense of curiosity. Ada Twist, Scientist by Andrea Beaty is the story of using the power of curiosity and science to solve questions about the world.
One of the most curious people in the world was Albert Einstein. On a Beam of Light by Jennifer Berne, readers will learn about this brilliant man and how his curiosity started from a very early age.
Before She Was Harriet by Lesa Cline-Ransome highlights a remarkable and courageous woman who was the voice, eyes, and helper of many.
Children who are interested in the world will like exploring Barefoot Books World Atlas by Nick Crane. Fold-out pages and lift the flaps are filled with fun facts about different continents and countries.
The super talented Mac Barnett created Just Because. A child lies in bed and asks question after question after question. Her father creatively answers her questions that lead to more questions. Such a sweet book about the curiosity of a child.
Just to See by Morgane de Cadier is the story of a curious girl who climbs the very tall antlers of a deer. She’s in for quite the adventure.
If you are looking for a book option for older kids, check out the classic The Way Things Work by David Macaulay.
Get your downloadable printable list of all the books on this list below. Take it to the library or copy it for families.
CURIOSITY DISCUSSION STARTERS
Whether you pick one book to read on the list or many, you can use these conversation starters to talk about the character strength of CURIOSITY. You can also print the list out below.
-What things are you curious about in the world?
-How do curious people find the answers to their questions?
-Do you think that animals can be curious too?
-Why do you think that curiosity is a character strength?
-How can you be more curious?
-William Arthur Ward said,
“Curiosity is the wick in the candle of learning.” What does that mean?
PRINT THE CURIOSITY BOOK LIST AND DISCUSSION STARTERS
Print out the book list and discussion starters. Take it to the library or copy it for families.
CURIOSITY FAMILY DINNER BOOK CLUB
This book list and theme make a great start for families to hold their own Family Dinner Book Club.
What is a Family Dinner Book Club?
Each month:
- On the first of each month, we provide all the details for your dinner.
- Sarah from Chef Sarah Elizabeth shares a themed menu to compliment the theme for the month.
- Laura from Sunny Day Family shares an activity and a family service project.
- And, I share a book list that compliments the themes plus conversation starters.
For our theme of CURIOSITY, you have found the book list and discussion starters on this page.
Check out the themed menu from Chef Sarah Elizabeth.—> MENU
And, visit Sunny Day Family for a family service project idea and more activities.—> SCIENCE ACTIVITIES
For even more ideas, like our Family Dinner Book Club Facebook Page.
Cathy says
Curiosity is such an important skill to foster! So many new books to add to my TBR list, Windows looks ESPECially interesting.
Laura says
I love this list! We are big fans of zoey and sassafras.
Jodie Rodriguez says
Yes, we do too. Super excited for the next book in the series to be released.