Linda Soules
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Linda Soules is the author and creator of the So You Want To Be A... series, a growing collection of career-exploration books for readers ages 10–14 (and beyond!). The series is envisioned to span more than 180 titles in total, with 50 published to date and new releases on a steady cadence — covering everything from astronauts and marine biologists to magicians, stunt performers, and roller coaster designers. Her philosophy is straightforward: never talk down to kids. Young readers are smarter, more curious, and more capable than the publishing world often gives them credit for, and they deserve books that respect their intelligence while genuinely sparking their enthusiasm. Each title is written to pull back the curtain on a real career — its joys, its challenges, the path to get there — and to leave readers with the sense that the world is wider, more interesting, and more reachable than they imagined.
Before turning to children's publishing, Linda spent 25 years in law and finance, advising hedge funds and sophisticated financial institutions on legal and regulatory matters — a career that taught her precision, discipline, and how to translate intricate subjects into language anyone can use. She brings that same clarity and care to every book she writes, paired with a deep belief that curiosity is the engine of a meaningful life. Linda lives in Seattle with her husband and two children, where the steady rhythm of family life, the natural beauty of the Pacific Northwest, and the questions her own kids ask every day continue to fuel her work. |
So You Want To Be An Astronaut: A Kids' Guide to Space Exploration, NASA Missions, Astronaut Training, and the Brave Explorers Who Travel Beyond Earth
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Have you ever looked up at the night sky and wondered what it would actually take to get there? So You Want To Be An Astronaut answers that question with the honesty young readers deserve. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, it introduces readers ages 10–14 to the real job behind the spacesuit: the years of training, the science and math that make flight possible, the physical demands of launch and microgravity, and the teamwork that keeps a crew alive hundreds of miles above the planet. Readers discover what astronauts study, how they're selected from thousands of applicants, what daily life looks like aboard the International Space Station, and how the field is changing as commercial companies and new missions to the Moon and Mars take shape. The book also spotlights the people who make each mission possible — engineers, flight surgeons, mission controllers — so readers see the many routes into space exploration. Clear, engaging, and grounded in fact, with a glossary and practical next steps for curious kids. Awarded a starred review from Kirkus Reviews, this book invites the next generation to picture themselves at the launchpad — and to start preparing now.
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So You Want To Be A Veterinarian: A Kids' Guide to Animal Medicine, Pet Care, Veterinary Science, and the Compassionate Doctors Who Heal Our Furry Friends
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Have you ever comforted a scared puppy at the vet's office and thought, I could do that job? So You Want To Be A Veterinarian shows young readers what the work actually involves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, it introduces readers ages 10–14 to the real profession behind the white coat: the biology and chemistry that underpin diagnosis, the years of veterinary school and clinical training, the surgical skills, and the calm judgment required when an animal cannot say where it hurts. Readers discover how veterinarians examine patients who bite and squirm, how they read X-rays and lab results, and how they talk with worried families about hard decisions. The book explores the many directions the career can take — small-animal clinics, large-animal and farm practice, zoo and wildlife medicine, research, public health, and emergency care — and highlights the technicians, assistants, and specialists who make a veterinary team work. Clear, engaging, and grounded in fact, with a glossary and practical next steps for animal-loving kids. This book invites the next generation to see themselves in the exam room — and to start preparing now.
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So You Want To Be A Dinosaur Hunter (Paleontologist): A Kids' Guide to Paleontology, Fossil Discovery, Prehistoric Life, and the Real Scientists Who Dig Up Dinosaurs
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Have you ever run your fingers over a fossil and wondered who found it — and how they knew where to dig? So You Want To Be A Dinosaur Hunter shows young readers what that work actually involves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, it introduces readers ages 10–14 to the real science behind the discovery: the geology that tells a paleontologist which rock layers are worth searching, the patient field seasons in heat and dust, the brushes and plaster jackets, and the long lab hours where a fossil is finally freed from stone. Readers learn how bones become fossils in the first place, how scientists date a find and reconstruct an animal that no one has ever seen alive, and why a single tooth or footprint can rewrite what we thought we knew. The book explores where paleontologists work — universities, museums, survey agencies, remote field sites — and highlights the preparators, illustrators, and curators who share the discovery with the world. Clear, engaging, and grounded in fact, with a glossary and practical next steps for fossil-hunting kids. This book invites the next generation into the dig site — and to start preparing now.
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So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer: A Kids' Guide to Game Design, Coding, Storytelling, and the Creative Minds Who Build the Worlds We Love to Play
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Have you ever finished a game and wondered who decided how it should feel to play? So You Want To Be A Video Game Designer shows young readers what that work actually involves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, it introduces readers ages 10–14 to the real craft behind the screen: the rules and systems that make a game fair, the math and logic that drive code, the storyboards and level maps drawn long before anything moves, and the endless rounds of testing that turn a rough idea into something people want to play. Readers learn how a concept becomes a playable prototype, why designers cut features they love, how playtesters reveal problems the team can't see, and what happens when a studio ships to millions of players at once. The book explores the many roles on a development team — programmers, artists, animators, sound designers, writers, producers — and shows how small independent studios and large ones differ. Clear, engaging, and grounded in fact, with a glossary and practical next steps for kids who want to build games, not just play them. This book invites the next generation to start designing now.
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So You Want To Be A Firefighter: A Kids' Guide to Fire Safety, Rescue Operations, First Responder Training, and the Everyday Heroes Who Save Lives
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Have you ever watched an engine race past with its lights flashing and wondered who's inside — and what they're about to face? So You Want To Be A Firefighter shows young readers what that work actually involves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, it introduces readers ages 10–14 to the real job behind the helmet: the academy training and physical tests that come first, the science of how fire spreads and how water and foam stop it, the seventy pounds of gear worn into a burning building, and the split-second decisions made in smoke thick enough to hide a hand. Readers learn what a shift at the station is really like, why firefighters answer far more medical calls than fires, how ladder and engine crews divide the work, and what a search-and-rescue sweep looks like from the inside. The book explores the many directions the career can take — wildland crews, airport and shipboard units, hazardous materials teams, fire investigation, and paramedic work — and honors the dispatchers and mechanics behind every response. Clear, engaging, and grounded in fact, with a glossary and practical next steps for brave kids. This book invites the next generation to start preparing now.
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So You Want To Be A Zookeeper
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The zoo opens at nine. You have been there since five. Before the first family walks through the gate, before the first child presses their face against the glass, you have already fed, observed, recorded, and cared for animals that came from six continents and forty million years of evolution. They do not know what a zoo is. They only know you — your schedule, your voice, your presence. That is not a small thing. That is everything. So You Want To Be A Zookeeper takes young readers ages 10–14 inside one of the most complex and most quietly heroic professions on earth — not the storybook version, but the real one. The daily routines that never vary because the animals depend on them. The specific knowledge of what each creature eats, how it moves, what its behavior signals on a good day and a difficult one. The team of keepers, veterinarians, nutritionists, and conservationists working together to sustain animals whose wild habitats are vanishing. The animal that thrives under your care — and the one that teaches you the limits of what care can do. This is a book about what zookeepers actually do: the behavioral enrichment they design to keep sharp minds engaged, the health monitoring they conduct without the help of a single word from their patients, the conservation programs they support that extend far beyond the zoo’s walls, and the deep expertise they bring to creatures most people will only ever see from a distance. It’s also a book about what the work costs, what it gives back, and why the people who do it arrive before dawn without being asked. The animals are waiting. They always are. And somewhere, so are you.
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So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist: A Kids' Guide to Ocean Science, Sea Creatures, Coral Reefs, and the Curious Scientists Who Explore the Deep Blue
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
What if your office had no ceiling, just miles of blue water above you? Written for the kid who keeps coming back to the tide pool. Marine biologists study life in the ocean, from microscopic plankton to the largest animals that have ever lived. In So You Want To Be A Marine Biologist, readers ages 10–14 discover what the job actually looks like: tagging sharks, tracking whale migrations, restoring coral reefs, running lab experiments, and spending long hours writing up findings so other scientists can build on the work. The book walks young readers through the real path into the field: the science and math classes that matter, volunteer and internship opportunities, undergraduate majors, graduate degrees, and the specialties available, from marine mammalogy and ichthyology to conservation policy and aquarium science. It profiles working marine biologists and pioneers whose discoveries changed how we understand the ocean, and it is honest about the trade-offs: competitive funding, seasonal fieldwork, seasickness, and the emotional weight of studying ecosystems under threat. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, this volume treats readers as capable of real information. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available for classroom and library use.
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So You Want To Be A Spy (Intelligence Agent): A Kids' Guide to Espionage, Codebreaking, Secret Missions, and the Clever Agents Who Protect Our Country's Secrets
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The movies get it wrong. Real intelligence work is patient, procedural, and mostly done at a desk — and that turns out to be the more interesting story. In So You Want To Be A Spy (Intelligence Agent), readers ages 10–14 learn what intelligence agencies actually do: collecting information, verifying it, analyzing what it means, and delivering it to the people who make decisions. The book separates the roles that get blurred together on screen — the case officer who recruits and handles sources, the analyst who assembles fragments into a coherent picture, the linguist, the cryptologist, the technical specialist. Young readers get the real path in: the languages, history, statistics, and computer science classes that matter, the college majors agencies recruit from, and the security clearance process, including what disqualifies applicants and why. The book profiles working intelligence professionals and figures from the field's history, and it is candid about the trade-offs: the secrecy that follows you home, the work you can never discuss, the years of preparation for operations that may never happen, and the ethical weight of the job. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Race Car Driver: A Kids' Guide to Motorsports, Racing Tracks, Speed and Strategy, and the Fearless Drivers Who Rule the Finish Line
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Most people picture the finish line. The real work happens in a go-kart at age eight, in a gym at five in the morning, and in a debrief room breaking down data from a lap that felt perfect and wasn't. In So You Want To Be A Race Car Driver, readers ages 10–14 learn what professional racing actually demands. The book covers the ladder — karting, junior formula series, sports cars, stock cars, open-wheel — and explains how drivers move up, who pays for it, and why funding is often the steepest obstacle of all. Young readers discover the physical side (neck and core strength, heat tolerance, reaction time), the technical side (reading telemetry, communicating with engineers, understanding setup and tire management), and the fact that a driver is one member of a large team. The book profiles working drivers and figures who shaped the sport, and it is honest about the trade-offs: the expense, the travel, the injury risk, the short careers, and the enormous number of talented drivers competing for very few seats. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available for classroom and library use.
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So You Want To Be A Doctor: A Kids' Guide to Medicine, Human Anatomy, Hospital Life, and the Caring Professionals Who Help People Heal
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Before the white coat, there are eleven years of training, thousands of hours of listening to people describe pain, and one skill nobody dramatizes: knowing what you don't know. In So You Want To Be A Doctor, readers ages 10–14 follow the full path into medicine. The book lays out the sequence clearly — undergraduate coursework, the MCAT, medical school, the residency match, and fellowship for those who subspecialize — and explains what each stage actually involves rather than treating it as a blur of studying. Young readers explore the range the profession contains: surgery, pediatrics, emergency medicine, psychiatry, radiology, family practice, pathology, and public health, among others. They learn how diagnosis really works, why communication matters as much as science, and how doctors work alongside nurses, technicians, pharmacists, and specialists. The book profiles working physicians and figures who transformed medicine, and it is candid about the trade-offs: the cost of training, the long hours, the burnout, the mistakes that stay with you, and the patients who don't get better. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series, written for readers who want the real answer. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available for classroom and library use.
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So You Want To Be A Robot Builder (Robotics Engineer): A Kids' Guide to Robotics, Artificial Intelligence, STEM Skills, and the Innovative Engineers Who Build the Machines of Tomorrow
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
A robot that can fold a towel is harder to build than one that can land a rocket. Understanding why is the beginning of robotics engineering. In So You Want To Be A Robot Builder (Robotics Engineer), readers ages 10–14 learn what the field actually involves: designing mechanical systems, wiring sensors and actuators, writing the code that turns raw sensor data into decisions, and then testing the whole thing until it stops failing. The book explains how mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, and computer science meet in a single machine, and why most robots are built by teams rather than lone inventors. Young readers get a concrete path in — the math and physics that matter, coding languages worth learning, school robotics competitions, maker spaces, engineering degrees, and graduate research. They also see where robots really work: warehouses, factories, hospitals, farms, disaster sites, and ocean floors. The book profiles working roboticists and pioneers of the field, and it is honest about the trade-offs: the long debugging cycles, the prototypes that never work, and the hard questions about automation and jobs. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer): A Kids' Guide to Roller Coaster Engineering, Theme Park Design, and the Creative Minds Who Build Epic Thrill Rides
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Every drop that makes riders scream was calculated years earlier by someone with a spreadsheet, making sure the forces stayed just below the point where fun becomes injury. In So You Want To Be A Roller Coaster Designer (Theme Park Engineer), readers ages 10–14 learn how thrill rides are really made. The book covers the physics — potential and kinetic energy, g-forces, banking, braking — and shows how designers use them to shape a ride's pacing. It also covers the parts nobody sees: structural analysis, safety standards, manufacturing tolerances, permitting, and years of testing before the first rider ever climbs in. Young readers discover that theme park engineering is a team profession combining mechanical and civil engineering, computer simulation, industrial design, and storytelling, plus the ride operators and maintenance crews who keep it running. The book profiles working ride engineers and designers who shaped the industry, and it is candid about the trade-offs: a small field with few employers, projects that get cancelled, budget limits that reshape the best ideas, and the weight of responsibility when thousands of people trust your math. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Pilot: A Kids' Guide to Aviation, Flight Training, Airplanes and Airports, and the Skilled Pilots Who Soar Through the Skies
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The best pilots are not the boldest ones. They are the ones who run the checklist the same way on the thousandth flight as they did on the first. In So You Want To Be A Pilot, readers ages 10–14 learn what flying professionally actually requires. The book explains how airplanes stay up, what pilots monitor in the cockpit, how they read weather and navigate, and how they work with air traffic controllers, dispatchers, mechanics, and cabin crew as part of a much larger system. Young readers get the real path: a private pilot certificate, instrument rating, commercial license, flight instructor work to build hours, and the ratings needed to fly for an airline. The book covers the alternatives too — cargo, corporate aviation, medical transport, firefighting, agricultural flying, bush flying, and military routes — along with the cost of training, the medical certification requirements, and the recurrent testing that never stops. It profiles working pilots and aviators who changed flight, and it is honest about the trade-offs: irregular schedules, nights away from home, seniority systems, and the responsibility carried on every flight. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be An Inventor: A Kids' Guide to Invention, Creative Problem-Solving, Patents and Prototypes, and the Brilliant Minds Who Change the World with New Ideas
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Inventing is not one flash of insight. It is noticing a problem other people have stopped noticing, then failing at it repeatedly until something works. In So You Want To Be An Inventor, readers ages 10–14 learn how invention actually happens. The book walks through the real sequence: identifying a problem worth solving, researching what already exists, sketching and prototyping, testing, and revising — often dozens of times. It explains patents and intellectual property in plain terms, including what can be protected, what the process costs, and why an idea alone isn't enough. Young readers discover that inventors come from many directions — engineering, chemistry, medicine, design, manufacturing, and the workshop — and that most work with collaborators, manufacturers, and investors rather than alone in a garage. The book covers school competitions, maker spaces, engineering programs, and the business side of bringing a product to market. It profiles working inventors and historical figures whose ideas reshaped daily life, and it is candid about the trade-offs: the money spent before anything earns, the ideas that fail, the competition, and the credit that doesn't always land where it belongs. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Magician: A Kids' Guide to Magic, Illusion, Sleight of Hand, and the Performers Who Amaze Audiences with Mystery and Wonder
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The secret is almost never clever. What makes a trick work is the thousand hours spent making a difficult motion look like no motion at all. In So You Want To Be A Magician, readers ages 10–14 learn what performing magic actually involves. The book covers the craft — sleight of hand, misdirection, scripting, timing, and the psychology of how attention works — and explains why practice in front of a mirror matters as much as the method itself. It also covers the parts audiences never see: building an act, rehearsing patter, reading a room, and recovering when something goes wrong mid-show. Young readers learn the real paths into the field: close-up and street performance, stage illusion, mentalism, children's parties, cruise ships, corporate events, and theater residencies. The book explains how magicians find work, handle booking and pay, and why the community's tradition of protecting secrets still holds. It profiles working magicians and figures who shaped the art, and it is honest about the trade-offs: unpredictable income, constant travel, late nights, and years of performing small rooms before larger ones open up. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Shark Researcher: A Kids' Guide to Sharks, Marine Science, Ocean Conservation, and the Bold Scientists Who Study the Sea's Top Predators
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Sharks have been in the ocean for more than 400 million years. We are only now beginning to learn where they go, and the answers are coming from people who spend far more time on data than in the water. In So You Want To Be A Shark Researcher, readers ages 10–14 learn what studying sharks actually involves: satellite and acoustic tagging, tracking migrations, taking tissue samples, analyzing diet and reproduction, surveying populations, and building the statistical models that turn scattered detections into a picture of a species' life. Young readers get the real path in — biology, chemistry, statistics, and coding coursework, dive certification, boat handling, volunteer and internship work, undergraduate degrees, and the graduate research where most shark science happens. The book also covers the conservation side, where science meets fishing policy and international agreements. It profiles working shark scientists and researchers who changed how the animals are understood, and it is candid about the trade-offs: fierce competition for funding, seasonal fieldwork, long stretches at a computer, seasickness, and the difficulty of protecting species that many people still fear. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Police Officer: A Kids' Guide to Police Work, Law Enforcement, and the Real Heroes Who Protect Our Communities
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Most of a shift is not what television shows. It is talking to people on the worst day of their lives, writing it down accurately, and knowing that how you handle small moments determines whether the community trusts you. In So You Want To Be A Police Officer, readers ages 10–14 learn what the job actually involves: patrol work, responding to calls, taking statements, de-escalating conflict, traffic enforcement, report writing, testifying in court, and the long stretches of routine between emergencies. The book explains the roles inside a department — patrol, investigations, forensics, K-9, school resource officers, dispatch — and how policing fits alongside courts, social services, and emergency medicine. Young readers get the real path in: physical and written entrance testing, background investigation, the police academy, field training, and probation, plus the college degrees and language skills that help. The book profiles working officers, and it addresses the profession's hard realities directly — shift work, danger, the emotional toll, the use-of-force decisions, and the ongoing public conversation about accountability, bias, and reform, presented so young readers can think it through themselves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Chef: A Kids' Guide to Cooking, Culinary Arts, Restaurant Kitchens, and the Creative Chefs Who Turn Ingredients into Masterpieces
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Most of a shift is not what television shows. It is talking to people on the worst day of their lives, writing it down accurately, and knowing that how you handle small moments determines whether the community trusts you. In So You Want To Be A Police Officer, readers ages 10–14 learn what the job actually involves: patrol work, responding to calls, taking statements, de-escalating conflict, traffic enforcement, report writing, testifying in court, and the long stretches of routine between emergencies. The book explains the roles inside a department — patrol, investigations, forensics, K-9, school resource officers, dispatch — and how policing fits alongside courts, social services, and emergency medicine. Young readers get the real path in: physical and written entrance testing, background investigation, the police academy, field training, and probation, plus the college degrees and language skills that help. The book profiles working officers, and it addresses the profession's hard realities directly — shift work, danger, the emotional toll, the use-of-force decisions, and the ongoing public conversation about accountability, bias, and reform, presented so young readers can think it through themselves. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be An Explorer: A Kids' Guide to Exploration, Adventure, World Geography, and the Daring Travelers Who Discover New Places and Cultures
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The map is finished. What's left unexplored is deeper, colder, higher, and stranger — and reaching it takes years of planning for every week in the field. In So You Want To Be An Explorer, readers ages 10–14 learn what modern exploration actually looks like: cave systems, deep ocean trenches, polar ice, remote rainforest, high altitude, and the archaeological and biological questions that justify going. The book covers the work behind an expedition — securing funding, obtaining permits, assembling a team, testing equipment, planning logistics and medical contingencies, and documenting findings so they count as evidence rather than adventure. Young readers learn the paths in: science and geography coursework, wilderness and dive certifications, navigation, languages, photography and filmmaking, and the graduate research or guiding work that gets people onto real expeditions. The book explains why most explorers are scientists, guides, or documentarians first. It profiles working explorers and historical figures, including honest treatment of exploration's complicated legacy, and it is candid about the trade-offs: physical risk, long absences, unreliable funding, expeditions that find nothing, and a responsibility to the people who already live in "unexplored" places. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete: A Kids' Guide to Sports, Training, Competition, and the Dedicated Athletes Who Push Their Bodies and Minds to Be the Best
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The odds are worse than most young athletes have been told. Knowing that early is what makes it possible to build a life around sport rather than staking everything on one outcome. In So You Want To Be A Professional Athlete, readers ages 10–14 learn what elite competition actually requires: structured training and periodization, strength and conditioning, nutrition, sleep and recovery, injury prevention and rehabilitation, and the mental side — pressure, slumps, and competing when you don't feel like it. The book explains how the pipeline works, from youth clubs and school teams through college eligibility, drafts, academies, minor leagues, and international play. Young readers also see the business: contracts, agents, endorsements, unions, and the reality that most professional careers are short and most paychecks are modest. The book covers what comes next — coaching, training, sports medicine, broadcasting, management — and why finishing school matters. It profiles working athletes across several sports and figures who changed them, and it is honest about the trade-offs: injuries that end careers, the cost of youth sports, families who relocate, and the identity question that arrives when playing stops. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Scientist: A Kids' Guide to Science, Experiments, the Scientific Method, and the Curious Minds Who Ask Big Questions and Discover How the World Works
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Science is not a collection of facts. It is a method for being wrong on purpose, carefully, until something survives the testing — and most experiments fail. In So You Want To Be A Scientist, readers ages 10–14 learn how research actually works: asking a question that can be answered, designing an experiment, controlling variables, collecting and analyzing data, and submitting the results for peer review so other scientists can try to knock them down. The book explains replication, uncertainty, and why "we don't know yet" is a legitimate scientific answer. Young readers explore the range the word covers — physics, chemistry, biology, geology, astronomy, neuroscience, climate science, materials — and where scientists work: universities, government labs, hospitals, museums, and industry. The book lays out the real path: math and lab coursework, science fairs, summer research programs, undergraduate degrees, graduate school, and postdoctoral work. It profiles working scientists and figures whose discoveries reshaped the field, and it is candid about the trade-offs: grant funding that is never secure, years of training on modest pay, publishing pressure, and results that take a decade to matter. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Surgeon: A Kids' Guide to Surgery, Human Anatomy, Operating Rooms, and the Steady-Handed Doctors Who Save Lives One Procedure at a Time
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The hardest part of surgery is not the cutting. It is the judgment call before you start — deciding whether to operate at all — and the calm required when something inside the body isn't where the scan said it would be. In So You Want To Be A Surgeon, readers ages 10–14 learn what surgical medicine actually involves: evaluating patients, planning procedures, working with anesthesiologists, nurses, and surgical techs as one team, and managing recovery long after the operating room. The book covers sterile technique, imaging, minimally invasive and robotic approaches, and why the days around a surgery matter as much as the surgery itself. Young readers get the full path: undergraduate coursework, the MCAT, medical school, a surgical residency of five to seven years or more, and fellowship for specialties like cardiothoracic, neurosurgery, orthopedics, pediatric, trauma, and transplant surgery. It profiles working surgeons and figures who changed the field, and it is candid about the trade-offs: brutal training hours, physical strain, the cost of education, decisions made under time pressure, and the patients who don't survive. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be An Actor: A Kids' Guide to Acting, Auditions, Stage and Screen Performance, and the Talented Performers Who Bring Characters to Life
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Acting is mostly auditioning. The performance is the reward at the end of a process built almost entirely on hearing no. In So You Want To Be An Actor, readers ages 10–14 learn what the profession actually involves: script analysis, voice and movement training, memorization, rehearsal, taking direction, and the difference between playing to a theater balcony and playing to a camera six inches away. The book covers cold reads, self-tape auditions, callbacks, and how casting decisions really get made — often for reasons that have nothing to do with talent. Young readers learn the paths in: school and community theater, conservatory and university programs, scene study classes, headshots and reels, agents and managers, unions, and the range of work available — stage, film, television, commercials, voice acting, motion capture, and theme parks. The book is clear about the business side, including how actors get paid and why most hold other jobs. It profiles working actors and figures who shaped the craft, and it is honest about the trade-offs: unstable income, constant rejection, irregular hours, and long stretches between roles. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Stunt Performer: A Kids' Guide to Stunts, Action Choreography, Safety Training, and the Fearless Performers Who Make Movie Magic Look Real
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The goal of a stunt is to look dangerous and be as safe as engineering allows. Everything that appears spontaneous on screen was rehearsed, measured, and rigged by people whose whole job is controlling risk. In So You Want To Be A Stunt Performer, readers ages 10–14 learn what the work actually involves: falls, fights, fire burns, wire work, driving, and water sequences, plus the preparation behind each one — rigging, pads and airbags, camera angles, timing with the stunt coordinator, and the safety meetings that happen before anyone moves. The book explains how stunt performers match the actors they double for and how a stunt team functions on set. Young readers learn the paths in: gymnastics, martial arts, diving, rock climbing, horseback riding, precision driving, and dance, followed by stunt training programs, union membership, networking, and years of small jobs. The book also covers stunt coordinating and second-unit directing as career progressions. It profiles working stunt performers and figures who shaped the field, and it is candid about the trade-offs: injuries that accumulate, unpredictable work, physical careers with a time limit, and credit that rarely reaches the audience. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Toy Designer: A Kids' Guide to Toy Invention, Product Design, Prototyping, and the Creative Minds Who Dream Up the Toys We Can't Stop Playing With
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
A toy has to survive a five-year-old, a shipping container, and a safety lab. Designing one is engineering disguised as play. In So You Want To Be A Toy Designer, readers ages 10–14 learn how toys really get made: observing how children actually play, sketching concepts, building rough prototypes, testing them with real kids, and revising based on what breaks or bores them. The book follows a product from idea through CAD modeling, materials selection, tooling, factory production, packaging, and the safety testing every toy must pass before it reaches a shelf. Young readers discover how many skills the field draws on — industrial design, mechanical engineering, illustration, sculpting, child development, and marketing — and where designers work: large toy companies, game studios, small independent shops, and freelance invention firms that pitch ideas to manufacturers. The book covers art and design programs, engineering coursework, portfolio building, and internships. It profiles working toy designers and figures behind toys readers know, and it is honest about the trade-offs: most concepts never get made, cost targets that shrink good ideas, licensing pressure, and tight production deadlines. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Singer: A Kids' Guide to Singing, Vocal Training, Music Performance, and the Talented Artists Who Share Their Voices with the World
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The voice is the only instrument you can damage by using it badly. Learning to sing professionally is largely learning to protect the thing you're making the sound with. In So You Want To Be A Singer, readers ages 10–14 learn what the work actually involves: breath support, range and registers, pitch and ear training, diction, and the vocal health habits — rest, hydration, warm-ups, knowing when not to sing — that determine how long a career lasts. The book covers reading music, working with accompanists and bands, microphone technique, and the difference between singing in a studio and singing to a live room. Young readers explore where singers work: opera and classical, musical theater, choral ensembles, touring and club performance, session and backup singing, worship music, voiceover, and teaching. The book lays out real paths — school choir, private lessons, conservatory and university programs, auditions, competitions, and how singers get booked and paid. It profiles working singers across genres and figures who shaped them, and it is candid about the trade-offs: rejection, unstable income, travel, vocal injury, and the years most performers spend building an audience. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Voice Actor: A Kids' Guide to Voice Acting, Character Voices, Animation and Video Game Recording, and the Talented Performers Behind Our Favorite Characters
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
There is no costume, no set, and no scene partner in the room. Everything the audience believes has to arrive through sound alone. In So You Want To Be A Voice Actor, readers ages 10–14 learn what the job actually involves: cold-reading scripts, taking direction through headphones, matching timing to picture, sustaining a character across dozens of takes, and protecting a voice that has to sound the same tomorrow. The book covers breath control, articulation, character development, and the technical side — microphone technique, booth etiquette, and the home studios most working voice actors now record from. Young readers learn where the work lives: animation, video games, audiobooks, commercials, e-learning, documentary narration, dubbing, and toys and apps. The book lays out real paths in — acting and improv training, voice coaching, demo reels, agents, unions, auditioning from home — and explains honestly how casting works and how performers get paid. It profiles working voice actors and figures who shaped the field, and it is candid about the trade-offs: heavy competition, irregular income, invisible credit, and ongoing questions about AI-generated voices. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver: A Kids’ Guide to Deep Sea Diving, Underwater Exploration, Ocean Mysteries, and the Daring Divers Who Discover What Lies Beneath the Waves
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
Going down is the easy part. Coming back up is physics, and getting it wrong can be fatal — which is why professional diving is one of the most procedure-bound jobs there is. In So You Want To Be A Deep Sea Diver, readers ages 10–14 learn what working underwater actually involves: pressure and gas physics, decompression schedules, breathing mixtures, surface-supplied gear versus scuba, saturation diving and life in a pressurized chamber for weeks at a time, and the topside team of supervisors, tenders, and medics who make every dive possible. Young readers discover where divers work — offshore energy, underwater welding and construction, ship husbandry, bridge and dam inspection, salvage, scientific research, public safety recovery, aquariums, and film — and the real path in: swimming and fitness, commercial dive school, certifications, medical clearance, welding and rigging skills, and years of entry-level tending before supervising. The book profiles working divers and figures who advanced the field, and it is candid about the trade-offs: decompression sickness and long-term health effects, cold and near-zero visibility, weeks away from home, and physically demanding work with a limited career span. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Vaccine Developer (Immunologist): A Kids’ Guide to Vaccines, Immunology, Medical Research, and the Determined Scientists Who Protect the World from Disease
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
A vaccine works by teaching the immune system to recognize something it has never met. Building one means understanding a defense system that took hundreds of millions of years to evolve — and then proving your version is safe for millions of healthy people. In So You Want To Be A Vaccine Developer (Immunologist), readers ages 10–14 learn how the work really happens: studying how pathogens infect cells, identifying antigens, testing candidates in the lab, running preclinical studies, and moving through Phase I, II, and III clinical trials with tens of thousands of volunteers. The book explains manufacturing, cold chain distribution, regulatory review, and the safety monitoring that continues long after approval. Young readers get the path in — biology, chemistry, statistics, and lab coursework, undergraduate degrees, PhD or MD training, postdoctoral research — and see where immunologists work: universities, government agencies, hospitals, and pharmaceutical companies. The book profiles working researchers and figures whose vaccines changed history, and it is candid about the trade-offs: candidates that fail after years of work, uncertain funding, the pace of outbreak response, and the challenge of public mistrust. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter (Archaeologist): A Kids' Guide to Archaeology, Ancient Civilizations, Lost Artifacts, and the Adventurous Scientists Who Uncover History Buried Beneath Our Feet
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Children's Nonfiction (Middle Grade)
The gold is not the find. Where an object sat in the ground, what was beside it, and which layer it came from tell the story — and a treasure hunter who digs it up destroys the answer. In So You Want To Be A Treasure Hunter (Archaeologist), readers ages 10–14 learn how the real work goes: surveying a site, using ground-penetrating radar and remote sensing, laying out a grid, excavating in careful layers, recording every position, and then spending far more time in the lab and archive than in the field. The book covers dating methods, conservation, and why publishing findings is part of the job. Young readers see where archaeologists actually work — universities, museums, government agencies, and cultural resource management ahead of construction — and the path in: history and anthropology coursework, field schools, undergraduate degrees, and graduate research. The book profiles working archaeologists and figures who shaped the discipline, and it is honest about the harder questions: looting and the antiquities trade, colonial collecting, repatriation, and working with descendant communities whose ancestors are being studied. Field seasons are hot, funding is thin, and most discoveries are small. Part of the award-winning So You Want To Be A… series. A free Teacher's Companion Guide is available.
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