By Sara E. Hoffmann, School & Library Series Managing Editor

There’s a lot of discussion these days around encouraging girls to pursue STEM. I think that’s great. I’m a firm believer that it’s critical for girls to grow up knowing they belong in STEM fields every bit as much as their male counterparts do.

And I also believe encouraging girls in STEM is only half the story. The other half, as I see it, is about encouraging young people of both genders in whatever their passion may be, whether it’s robotics or English literature or world geography or dance. I believe that every child’s passion is legitimate. And I think respect and true equality come only when we as a society value a wide variety of pursuits and career paths.

Fortunately, I work for a company that provides resources for kids who love everything from science and math to geography and poetry. Included in this blog post is just a small sampling of titles from our list, perfect for inspiring everyone from nature lovers to dancers.

Happy reading—and may we all do our part to encourage kids to follow their passions.

For more nonfiction featuring STEM topics, read this blog post.