PICTURE BOOKS • Ages 4–6
Picture Books Reading Challenge
Blast off into a reading adventure. Read together, explore S.T.E.A.M. stories, and complete the mission.
Registration opens: Sept. 4, 2026
Challenge runs: Sept. 25 – Oct. 16, 2026
Ready to join the challenge?
Need help? Visit Beanstack Help & FAQs.
Explore this page
Your Mission
Start with the Base Goal, then keep reading to reach Bonus Goals and earn more virtual tickets.
Registration opens September 4. During the challenge, readers use Beanstack, an online platform, to track reading and submit virtual tickets.
Base Goal
Read or be read to for 150 minutes
Earn 5 virtual tickets and a reward package.
Bonus Goals
Read or be read to 30 more minutes
Earn 3 virtual tickets each time.
Virtual Tickets
Choose bonus drawings to enter
Use your virtual tickets for bonus drawings.
Rewards & Bonus Drawings
Every reading mission deserves to be celebrated.
Readers who complete their Base Goal earn digital badges, virtual tickets, a certificate of completion, and a reward package.
Keep going beyond the Base Goal to earn extra virtual tickets for bonus drawings.
Sneak peek below: bonus drawing items, reward package goodies, and certificate example. Reward package contents may vary; images show examples of possible items.
Submit virtual tickets by October 17
To enter bonus drawings, submit your virtual tickets in Beanstack by October 17, 2026.
Winners will be notified by email by November 1, 2026.
Author Messages • Ages 4–6
Meet Your Reading Guardians
Your Reading Guardians have special messages to share. Press play and learn about the stories they brought to life.
Watch a Message from Your Reading Guardians
Julia's Message • 1 min. 37 sec.
How do fireflies, jellyfish, and glowworms light up the night?
Dan's Message • 2 min. 9 sec.
How can curiosity about bats become a story about courage?
Featured Books by Your Reading Guardians
Author and illustrator of Luminous
A picture book about bioluminescence, the light made by living things, from fireflies and fungi to deep-sea creatures
2026 Picture Books • Ages 4–6
Pick Your Next Book
Choose a book from the list below and start your reading mission. Most are available at your local library.
Need a printable version? Download the S.T.E.A.M. book recommendations (PDF)
1-2-3 Va-Va-vroom by Sarah Scheerger
100 Bugs!: A Counting Book by Kate Narita
100 Mighty Dragons All Named Broccoli by David Larochelle
Animal Superpowers! by Amy Cherrix
Anno's Counting Book: A Simple Introduction to Math for Young Readers by Mitsumasa Anno
Count the Monkeys by Mac Barnett
Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Helaine Becker
Crash! Boom! A Math Tale by Robie H. Harris
Earth! My First 4.54 Billion Years (Our Universe series, book 1) by Stacy McAnulty
Fiona the Fruit Bat by Dan Riskin
Fly Guy Presents: Space (series) by Tedd Arnold
Galaxy Mapper: The Luminous Discoveries of Astrophysicist Hélène Courtois by Allie Summers
How Do You Earn? A Moneybunny Book by Cinders McLeod
How Do You Spend? A Moneybunny Book by Cinders McLeod
How to Explain Coding to a Grown-Up by Ruth Spiro
I am Albert Einstein (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer
I am Marie Curie (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer
I am Neil Armstrong (Ordinary People Change the World) by Brad Meltzer
Ladybug Launch: Inspired by a True Story of Chinitas in Space by Melissa Trempe
Lemonade in Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money by Emily Jenkins
Magical School Bus series (several subjects) by Joanna Cole
Masked Hero: How Wu Lien-teh Invented the Mask That Ended an Epidemic by Shan Woo Liu
Mountainous by Julia Kuo
Mousetronaut: Based on a (Partially) True Story by Mark Kelly
Mystery Driver: The Story of Alice Johnson and the First Soap Box Derby by Elizabeth Tracy
Not Just the Driver! by Sara Holly Ackerman
Nothing Stopped Sophie: The Story of Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain by Cheryl Bardoe
Numbers Everywhere by Linda Leopold Strauss
Over in the Mangroves by Jyoti Rajan Gopal
Seven Little Ducklings by Annette LeBlanc Cate
Spark: Jim West's Electrifying Adventures in Creating the Microphone by Ainissa Ramirez
The Boy Who Loved Math: The Improbable Life of Paul Erdos by Deborah Heiligman
The Girl With a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague by Julia Finley Mosca
The Glass Pyramid: A Story of the Louvre Museum and Architect I. M. Pei by Jeanne Walker Harvey
The High-Flying, Deep-Diving Adventures of Kathy Sullivan: Astronaut and Oceanographer by Diane Stanley
The Milky Way: Ready-to-Read Level 1 (Our Universe series) by Marion Dane Bauer
We Are One: How the World Adds Up by Susan Hood
What Will Fit? by Grace Lin
Zero the Hero by Joan Holub
Looking for book ideas now?
Visit the S.T.E.A.M. Book Recommendations section on the Resources page to find suggested books by reading level, including past challenge recommendations.
Readers may choose books from any level, but prizes are awarded by age category.
Questions?
Visit the FAQs on the Resources page.
Email steamracetospace@gmail.com.
2025 Bonus Drawing Winners
Congratulations to the 2025 Bonus Drawing winners! These readers won bonus drawing items and an invitation to the Splashdown Celebration.
See what readers earned and which schools were represented.
Analicia H
Walnut Elementary
My First Space Words board book
Artorias W
Fletcher Elementary
Charlesbridge MATH book bundle
Avery S
Montevideo Elementary
30 Second Dance Party button
Ayana S
Running Springs Elementary
Pretend City tickets
Bailey V
West Orange Elementary
Sky Zone guest pass
Caia C
Turtle Rock Elementary
Bazic Products backpack
Chloe Z
St. Johns Episcopal
My First Space Words board book
Cruz V
Jordan Academy of Language and Computer Science
Sky Zone guest pass
Diego M
Las Lomas Elementary
30 Second Dance Party button
Diego V
Linda Vista Elementary (Orange )
Andrea Brown book bundle #1
Elise H
Heritage Oak Private Education
Club for the Future bundle
Emile S
Walnut Elementary
Irvine Lanes giftcard
Gabriel L
Homeschool
Sky Zone guest pass
Hannah A
St. Johns Episcopal
30 Second Dance Party button
Hayley K
Del Lago Elementary
Sky Zone guest pass
Isabelle C
Fletcher Elementary
Illustrated book bundle
James W
Ralph E. Hawes Elementary
Andrea Brown book bundle #3
Julie H
Heritage Oak Private Education
Focus Dance Lessons
Kat K
Santiago STEAM Magnet Elementary
Aquarium of the Pacific tickets
Layla Z
Heritage Oak Private Education
$20 Amazon giftcard
Levi B
Canyon Rim Elementary
Charlesbridge WHOSE book bundle
Liam N
Running Springs Elementary
30 Second Dance Party button
Margaret H
Chapman Hills Elementary
Hope & Inspiration book bundle #1
Maxwell T
Nohl Canyon Elementary
30 Second Dance Party button
Melody P
Walnut Elementary
My First Space Words board book
Nolan J
Heritage Oak Private Education
My First Space Words board book
Sirma Nastasia S
Canyon Rim Elementary
Hope & Inspiration book bundle #2
Sofia V
West Orange Elementary
My First Space Words board book
Thomas C
Oxford Preparatory Academy - Saddleback Valley
Andrea Brown book bundle #2
Wyatt S
Fletcher Elementary
30 Second Dance Party button
