The story behind the series
About The STEM Squad
Why the series exists
I grew up in Missouri in the 1970s and '80s, fascinated by science, technology, building things and math. But STEM wasn't taught then the way it is today. My sixth-grade class theme was "The Computer Age," and I had a hand-me-down Timex Sinclair 1000 and big dreams of making games and adventures for kids like me. The computer and my sixth-grade programming skills couldn't keep up with my imagination.
I struggled in school, but I kept learning, kept drawing and kept at the computer. It took me years to see that loving both art and science was a strength. That mix became a career designing software, apps and wearables.
The STEM Squad is the series I wish I'd had: stories that show kids how to observe, why math matters, and how to design, build and try again. I hope it helps a curious kid somewhere feel capable, and want to make the world a little better.
The author
Rick Hollandsworth is a designer and the creator of The STEM Squad. He has spent more than two decades designing digital products, including award-winning apps and wearables built for kids and families. That work taught him how children explore, ask questions, and learn by doing, and it shaped the curious, problem-solving characters in these books. He writes The STEM Squad to show young readers that science, technology, engineering, and math are tools for understanding the world around them.
How the books are made
Every STEM Squad book starts with a real problem a child could meet in their own neighborhood. Each story teaches one STEM idea, and all four kids help solve it.
The stories are written by Rick Hollandsworth. The illustrations are made with AI image tools under Rick's art direction, and each one is chosen, refined and laid out by hand.
What's coming
Season One is ten books. Sofia's Discovery and Tariq's Code are out now, and more are on the way.