AAAS and Subaru are proud to announce the finalists for the 2020 AAAS/Subaru SB&F Prize for Excellence in Science Books in the Hands-On Science Book category. The Prize celebrates outstanding science writing and illustration for children and young adults and is meant to encourage the writing and publishing of high-quality science books for all ages. Longlists for all four categories were announced in September.

The 2020 winner will be selected from among the following finalists.

• Can You Crack the Code?: A Fascinating History of Ciphers and Cryptography, by Ella Schwartz. Bloomsbury Children's Books, 2019.

  Codes can carry big secrets! Throughout history, lots of good guys and lots of bad guys have used codes to keep their messages under wraps. This fun and flippable nonfiction features stories of hidden treasures, war-time maneuverings, and contemporary hacking as well as explaining the mechanics behind the codes in accessible and kid friendly forms.

• George Washington Carver for Kids: His Life and Discoveries, with 21 Activities, by Peggy Thomas. Chicago Review Press, 2019.

  George Washington Carver was a scientist, educator, artist, inventor, and humanitarian. George Washington Carver for Kids tells the inspiring story of this remarkable American. It includes a time line, resources for further research, and 21 hands-on activities to help better appreciate Carver's genius.

• Plantology: 30 Activities and Observations for Exploring the World of Plants, by Michael Elsohn Ross. Chicago Review Press, 2019.

  Plantology contains fun, kid-friendly discussions and activities to explore many topics—from seeds, roots, and sprouts to plant skeletons, leaves, petals, and fruits. It then goes beyond the basics to delve into the unknown world of common weeds, fascinating plant defense systems, and the countless roles plants play in our lives.

• Science in a Jar: 35+ Experiments in Biology, Chemistry, Weather, the Environment, and More!, by Julia Garstecki. Quarry Books, 2019.

  With Science in a Jar, kids and grown-ups need only gather a jar and a few other inexpensive and readily available household objects to begin investigating and confirming the science at work all around them. The 35+ experiments included cover various scientific disciplines: life science, earth science, physical science, weather, and more.

AAAS will provide resources based the 2020 finalists, and once again the books will be offered to schools across the country as part of the Subaru Loves Learning initiative. Through this partnership between AAAS and Subaru, more than 91,000 books were donated in 2019.

Winners will be announced in January and awarded at the 2020 AAAS Annual Meeting in Seattle, W.A., February 13-16, 2020.

The finalists for the Children’s Science Picture Book and Middle Grades Science Book categories were announced earlier in the week.