YOUNG ADULT BOOKS (ages 14–18)
S.T.E.A.M. Race to Space Reading Challenge
OCTOBER 3 – 24, 2025
This is a reading challenge unlike any that have ventured before. Not just because there are cool bonuses but because these books are secret worlds that will launch your future in ways you never imagined. Let’s explore some great reads!
Sign up to get information about this year's Reading Challenge.
Your Mission
Base Goal
Read for a total of
210 minutes.
Earn 5 virtual tickets and a reward package
(packages can vary).
Bonus Goals
Read an additional
45 minutes.
Earn 3 tickets.
Tickets
Submit tickets to any of the bonuses found in your Beanstack account.
Final day to submit virtual tickets is October 25, 2025.
Bonuses to Win
Young Adult Bonuses
Be rewarded for your S.T.E.A.M. reading adventure with digital badges, virtual tickets, a certificate of completion and a package of goodies (reward packages can vary). For those who want a greater chance to win bonuses, earn extra tickets by continuing to explore secret worlds hidden inside books!
(Bonuses can only be redeemed through Beanstack and the last day to submit virtual tickets is October 25, 2025. Bonus winners will receive an email notifying them of how to collect their bonus.)
S.T.E.A.M. Reading List
Young Adult Books
Most of the books listed below can be found at your local library. Happy book hunting!
Download the 2025 Young Adult Recommended Reading List PDF.
View the
Recommended Reading Lists from previous years.
The 2025 Young Adult Recommended Reading List
Download the
2025 Young Adult Recommended Reading List PDF.
An Abundance of Katherines by John Green
Art of Exile by Andrea Max
Buildings That Breathe: Greening the World's Cities by Nancy F. Castaldo
Careers for Tech Girls in Math by Gina Hagler
Cress by Marissa Meyer
De-Extinction: The Science of Bringing Lost Species Back to Life by Rebecca E. Hirsch
Earth Day and the Environmental Movement: Standing Up for Earth by Christy Peterson
El nino que alcanzó las estrellas by Elio Morillo
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future by Ashlee Vance
Energy Evolutions series by Robyn Hardyman
Girl Code by Andrea Gonzales, Sophie Houser
Hothouse Earth: The Climate Crisis and the Importance of Carbon Neutrality by Stephanie Sammartino McPherson
Imposter by Cait Levin
In the Shadow of the Moon: America, Russia, and the Hidden History of the Space Race by Amy Cherrix
Into the Deep: Science, Technology, and the Quest to Protect the Ocean by Christy Peterson
Purified: How Recycled Sewage Is Transforming Our Water by Peter Annin
Quake Chasers: 15 Women Rocking Earthquake Science by Lori Polydoros
Radiant Days by Elizabeth Hand
Saving Upper Newport Bay: How Frank and Frances Robinson Fought to Preserve One of California's Last Estuaries by Cassandra Radcliff
Slay
by Brittney Morris
Solving for the Unknown by Loan LeStarfish by Akemi Dawn Bowman
Talentos Ocultos by Margot Lee Shetterly
The Books of Clash series by Gene Luen Yang
The Boy Who Reached for the Stars by Elio Morillo
The Curie Society: Eris Eternal by Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni, et al
The Curie Society: Game of Code by Heather Einhorn, Adam Staffaroni, et al
The Human Microbiome: The Germs That Keep You Healthy by Rebecca E. Hirsch
The Imitation Game: Alan Turing Decoded by Jim Ottaviani, Leland Purvis
The Inventor's Secret by Andrea Cremer
The Universe: The Big Bang, Black Holes, and Blue Whales by Matthew Brenden Wood
The Way Things Work Now by David Macaulay
They Bloom at Night by Trang Thanh Tran
Vaccination Investigation: The History and Science of Vaccines by Tara Haelle
Where Have All the Birds Gone? by Rebecca E. Hirsch
Wild Dreamers by Margarita Engle
Winter by Marissa Meyer, Rebecca Soler
Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
Wonder Women: 25 Innovators, Inventors, and Trailblazers Who Changed History by Sam Maggs
You Had Me at Hello World by Rona Wang
Guardians of the Young Adult Books
