In 2024, ASLA’s inaugural Introduce a Girl to Landscape Architecture initiative quickly gained momentum with students of all backgrounds, paving the way for its expansion into ASLA's STEM Literacy by Design program. Since then, more than 30 ASLA chapter representatives nationwide have registered to host STEM Literacy by Design events. Alongside a growing library of nature-inspired children’s books, the program also features a Meet the Authors webinar series that brings stories to life for young readers.

This year, STEM Literacy by Design continues to flourish with the addition of three new titles for pre-K, elementary, and middle school audiences. Each book was thoughtfully chosen to complement our new Schoolyards in Bloom educational poster and will be included in the Schoolyards in Bloom Launch Party toolkit for participating chapter representatives.

Below is the complete list of featured children’s books.

• A is for Aquifer by Ann English, ASLA
• Emma's Dream Job: Landscape Architecture by Xiao Cui, ASLA
• NEW: It Starts with a Bee: Watch a tiny bee bring the world to bloom by Words & Pictures and Jennie Webber
• Monsters Love Native Blooms by Yiwei Huang, ASLA, Chloe Kennedy, ASLA, Kayla Kramer, ASLA, Molly Wimberg, ASLA, Wanting Zhang, ASLA
• Sam the Landscape Architect by Shannon Gapp, ASLA, Bolton & Menk
• NEW: The Pollinator Victory Garden: Win the War on Pollinator Decline with Ecological Gardening; Attract and Support Bees, Beetles, Butterflies, Bats, and Other Pollinators by Kim Eierman
• NEW: Who Am I? In the Garden Children's Board Book (Pre-K) Touch and Feel Sensory Book by Little Hippo Books and Mel Matthews
• Wonderland of Weeds by Yuqi Zhang, ASLA and Xinran Ma, ASLA

Discover more about our STEM Literacy by Design program and register to host a launch party with your local school.

Please direct questions to Lisa J. Jennings, Senior Manager, Career Discovery and Diversity.