Drawbots
Ages 7 and up. 45 to 60 minutes.
Roz wakes up as a robot on an island and has to work out what a robot is for.
Read The Wild Robot, Peter Brown
Bring stories to life with Sparks
Hands-on group activity packs for in-branch programs, outreach and events.
Every child builds a project from the story and takes it home.
Most programs cost $4.20 to $6.95 per child.
Summer 2027: iREAD and CSLP themes covered.
Books and builds for Summer 2027
Most libraries follow one of two national themes. Sparks fit both. Every Spark comes with a book to read first and a build to follow.
Reading Expands Our Universe
iREAD 2027 theme. Science fiction, with robots, flyers and spinners.
Sparks are a featured product in the iREAD summer reading program.
Strawbots
Ages 7 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Penny Rose has just moved to a new town, and the little robots she builds are her only company until they come to life.
Read Weird Little Robots, Carolyn Crimi
Flying Machines
Ages 6 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Five young dragons raised in a hidden cave are given the job of ending a war.
Read Wings of Fire #1, Tui T. Sutherland
Electric Vehicles
Ages 8 and up. 45 to 60 minutes.
Nikola Tesla found ways to put electric current to work, from lighting a World's Fair to electrifying a city.
Read Electrical Wizard, Elizabeth Rusch
Mysteries Await at Your Library
Collaborative Summer Library Program (CSLP) 2027 theme. Clues, hidden pictures and secret mechanisms.
Mazes
Ages 5 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Mel falls past one tree creature after another before she learns to fly.
Read Mel Fell, Corey R. Tabor
Eyelusions
Ages 7 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Walter Wick's Optical Tricks fools your eyes with impossible objects, phantom images and magical mirrors.
Read Walter Wick's Optical Tricks, Walter Wick
Scene Machines
Ages 7 and up. 45 to 60 minutes, or two sessions.
Hugo hides in a train station keeping the clocks running while a mechanical man and a stolen key pull his secret life into the open.
Read The Invention of Hugo Cabret, Brian Selznick
Crankie Contraptions
Ages 6 and up. 45 to 60 minutes.
Jordan fills his sketchbook with cartoons about his first weeks at a new school, one scene after another.
Read New Kid, Jerry Craft
See all 17 pairingsShow fewer
More for Reading Expands Our Universe
Blendies
Ages 5 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Yellow and Blue mixed and made Green.
Read Mixed, Arree Chung
Hypnotizers
Ages 5 to 10. 20 to 30 minutes.
Vincent paints swirls until they seem to spill off the canvas.
Read Vincent Can't Sleep, Barb Rosenstock
More for Mysteries Await at Your Library
Linkages
Ages 5 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Sloth and Sengi use levers and pulleys to try to break out of the zoo.
Read How Machines Work, David Macaulay and Sheila Keenan
More book pairings
Monster Mouths
Ages 5 to 10. 30 to 45 minutes.
Max sails to an island where the Wild Things roar and gnash their terrible teeth.
Read Where the Wild Things Are, Maurice Sendak
Straw Structures
Ages 5 and up. 30 to 60 minutes.
The lighthouse stands through fog, ice and storms while the keeper keeps the light lit.
Read Hello Lighthouse, Sophie Blackall
Screen Machines
Ages 6 and up. 45 to 60 minutes.
In Cat Kid Comic Club, the baby frogs each make their own comic and learn that mistakes are part of practice.
Read Cat Kid Comic Club, Dav Pilkey
Art Machines
Ages 5 to 10. 30 to 45 minutes.
Papa the inventor builds a fish-shaped machine after his daughter wonders what it is like to be a fish.
Read Papa's Mechanical Fish, Candace Fleming
Wind-Up Vehicles
Ages 7 and up. 30 to 45 minutes.
Lupe, Flapjack and Elirio fix up a junker for the car contest.
Read Lowriders in Space, Cathy Camper
Monster Claws
Ages 8 and up. 45 to 60 minutes.
Scientists copy animals to build machines that grab and lift, like a bionic tool shaped like an elephant's trunk.
Read Beastly Bionics, Jennifer Swanson
"FutureMakers has made the concept of hands-on STEAM education fun and exciting for the children of DC. The kits sparked joy and were reusable so children could explore their own interpretations of the engineered structures. The pre-made kits were easy to distribute and helped DCPL create fun and safe programs this summer."
Tora BurnsReading Programs CoordinatorDC Public Library
Made for library programs
- Programs and events Run a build at a branch program, a family night or a summer reading event. Read the story, then every child builds from it.
- Outreach Take Sparks to school visits, community events, partner sites and the bookmobile. Kits are packed one per child and ready to hand out.
- Take-and-make Hand out kits for families to pick up and build at home, with the instruction sheet inside.
Any staff member can lead. An instruction sheet comes in every kit, with a video guide online.
"FutureMakers has contributed to our Library's goals of providing access and equity to high-quality STEAM learning opportunities for the community. The materials and activities provide hands-on playful learning and inspire creativity and exploration. The pre-made kits are a hit in virtual and in-person programs and are an easy and affordable way to distribute "take and make" resources to families and community partners."
Emily St. GermainManager of Library STEAM ProgramsCambridge Public Library
Log in for library resources
A free account gets you the library program planner, the Summer 2027 theme sheet, a one-page plan for every book, flyer templates and project photos for your marketing.
It is the same free account teachers use, so it also opens each Spark guide's slides, printables and educator videos.
You're in
Your downloads are ready, and every book card now has its one-page plan.
What a free account gets you
Library program plannerProgram steps, room setup and sign-up text.
Log in to download
Summer 2027 theme sheetBoth themes with the Sparks and books that fit.
Log in to download
One-page plan: Where the Wild Things Are + Monster MouthsA plan like this for every book on the page.
Log in to download
Event flyer templateEdit it in Canva for your branch. One for every Spark.
Log in to download
Project photos for marketingPhotos of every Spark project for your program guide, flyers and social posts.
Log in to download
Your downloads
"FutureMakers has been an integral partner with Baltimore County Public Library throughout the years. They have empowered our staff to reach broader audiences with STEM programming through their training, programming, and kits. FutureMakers worked with us to develop ways to use their kits to train teens to be mentors to younger youth in a fun, educational, and engaging way!"
Conni StrittmaterYouth and Family Engagement ManagerBaltimore County Public Library
Ready to give Sparks a try? Need a quote? Want to place an order?
Get a quote
For purchase orders and orders for many branches. The quote builder makes a PDF in about two minutes.
Get a quoteAll purchases can be tax exempt. See tax-exempt purchases.
Questions
Can we pay with a purchase order?
Yes. The quote builder makes a PDF quote in about two minutes, on Net 30 terms, and your business office can issue a purchase order against it. A quote is valid for 90 days. Tax-exempt libraries enter their tax ID on the quote.
Can one order cover many branches?
Yes. A library system can place one system-wide order. The quote builder goes up to a 300+ learner multi-site tier. If kits need to reach more than one address, write to sales@kidsmakethingsbetter.com.
How far ahead should we order for summer?
Orders ship within one business day. Your own purchasing process is usually the longest wait, and a quote stays valid for 90 days, so quote early and order when your budget opens. Leaders build a sample before the first program, so order with time to spare.
What do we write in a grant report?
Our libraries page has sample wording for an IMLS or LSTA report: the number of kits, the Spark used, and what each child built and kept.