Book 2 · Chapter book · Ages 9–12
Who Will Build Tomorrow?
Water, energy, materials, AI, and people. Four friends learn how it all connects, and why getting it wrong is how you learn to get it right.
New book
Who will build tomorrow? Maybe you.
Four friends get one big job: help design the playground for a new community center. Their model floods, a fan flattens it, and it breaks on showcase morning. That's when the real building starts.
Out now in hardcover, paperback, and ebook
A STEM chapter book for ages 9 to 12 about curiosity, teamwork, and learning from mistakes.
The series
The books: stories, coloring, one big idea
Engineers, builders, and inventors shape the world we live in, and the world that's coming next. These books help kids see those people, and see themselves.
Book 1 · Illustrated book · Ages 5–10
Girls in Engineering & Construction
Four curious girls grow into engineering and construction leaders, and learn that leadership has no gender and opportunity has no ceiling.
Coloring book · Companion to Book 1 · Ages: all ages
Girls in Engineering & Construction: The Coloring Book
Color in Nya, Sophia, Kelsey, and Lian on the job site, in the lab, and leading the team. A great gift with Book 1 and a screen-free activity for girls of all ages.
Watch
The Building the Future cartoon is here
Episode 1: The Paper Bridge. Can one sheet of paper hold a toy car? Watch, then spot our mistake. Hint: it matters which way the folds run.
- Short episodes made from the books
- Every episode ends with a challenge kids can try at home
- New episodes coming soon
Plays from YouTube. Grown-ups, YouTube's own privacy rules apply once you press play.
The app
The Building the Future app: make your builder, then build
Design your own Future Builder, test paper bridges until they crash, and work through a new thinking question every day. When an answer misses, the app coaches you to the next try instead of just marking it wrong.
- Free to play, no account, no ads
- Nothing about your child leaves the device
- Built from the challenges in the books
The crew
Meet the Future Builders
Every builder sees the world a little differently. That's why they need each other.
The noticerChris
Chris asks questions others walk past. He brings friends together and loves discovering how everyday things work and shape our world.
The protectorKelsey
Kelsey notices what could go wrong and helps make it safer. She loves a good plan and wants everyone to feel safe enough to join in and try.
The inventorKai
Kai is the friend with one more idea to try. He loves building, inventing, and new technology, even when his first attempt works better in his imagination.
The structure builderNya
Nya wonders how the world around her is built, from what lies underground to what rises above it. She loves foundations, testing ideas, and seeing how things fit together.
Ms. Arat
Construction manager and mentor
Mr. Hendricks
Environmental engineer
Ms. Green
Facilities manager
Civil engineeringNya
Studies the foundations that hold up giant facilities.
Mechanical engineeringSophia
Designs the systems that move air, water, and power.
Safety leadershipKelsey
Leads the safety plans that send every worker home at night.
Chemical engineeringLian
Turns raw materials into products we use every day.
This month's challenge
The Paper Bridge
One sheet of paper. One toy car. Can a flat page hold more than you think?
Quiz · 2 minutes
Which Future Builder are you?
Six questions. Find out if you're a noticer, a protector, an inventor, or a structure builder.
Cone hunt
Find the hidden cones
A tiny construction cone is hiding on every page of this site, just like in the book. You found 0 of 6.
Why it matters
Kids need more practice thinking, not just more facts
Reading is slipping, employers want problem solvers, and the people who build our world are retiring faster than they're replaced. These books work on all three.
~40%
of U.S. 4th graders read below the NAEP Basic level in 2024, the largest share since 2002.
The Nation's Report Card~70%
of employers call analytical thinking a core skill. Creative thinking and curiosity are close behind.
World Economic Forum, Future of Jobs 2025349,000
new construction workers the U.S. needs in 2026 alone.
Associated Builders and Contractors36%
of children base their dream job on people they know. Kids can't picture careers they never see.
Drawing the Future, Education and EmployersFor parents
Ten-minute ideas that get kids thinking
Conversation starters, kitchen-table challenges, and a place to send DT your questions.
Parent cornerFor schools and libraries
Classroom sets, author visits, and an educator guide
The story follows the engineering design process taught in grades 3 to 5.
Bring it to your schoolJoin
One fun challenge in your inbox every month
The Future Builders Club is free. Each month you get a hands-on challenge, a Builder Word, and a note from DT. Kids build, parents get the conversation starters.
Give back
Help the next builders get there
DT founded the Each One Teach One Foundation to open doors for young people through scholarships, mentoring, STEM and career exploration, and leadership sessions.
A donation of any size helps a student get to the next step. You can also volunteer or bring the foundation to an event.
The foundation is a separate 501(c)(3) nonprofit. Book purchases are not donations.
