Nonfiction Books

Aguilar, David A. Seven Wonders of the Milky Way. New York: Viking, 2018.

Our solar system is in the Milky Way galaxy. On a dark night, the Milky Way can be seen as a band of light across the sky. Learn about seven amazing wonders in our galaxy. There is a planet where it rains rocks. And, a distant star whose light keeps dimming, but no one knows why. Could it be aliens?

Alexander, Kwame, Chris Colderley, and Majorie Wentworth. Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets. Somerville, MA: Candlewick Press, 2017.

Kwame Alexander, Chris Colderley, and Majory Wentworth have been inspired by poems they have read. These authors write their own poems based on the works of 20 poets, including Langston Hughes, Robert Frost, and Nikki Giovanni. Their poems might inspire you to write poems your own.

Arnosky, Jim. Look at Me! Wild Animal Show-Offs. New York: Sterling, 2018.

Many animals like to show off. Some animals show off with large, fancy tails. Other animals spread out loose skin around their faces to look scary or impressive. Then there are the animals that use unusual sounds to get attention. The animal world is full of creatures whose behavior says, “Look at me!”

Barton, Chris. What Do You Do with a Voice Like That? New York: Beach Lane, 2018.

Barbara Jordan grew up in Houston, Texas. She seemed like other children, but she didn’t sound like other children. She used her voice at church, in school, and then as a lawyer. However, being a lawyer wasn’t enough for Jordan; she wanted to do more. But what do you do next with a voice like that?

Drane, Henrietta. Around the World in 80 Ways. New York: Dorling Kindersley, 2018.

Throughout time, people have used a variety of ways to get from place to place. On a mountain in winter, you might use skis. In a desert, you might use a camel. In the city, you might ride in a taxi or on a bicycle. If you live near the water, you might use a seaplane. Learn 80 different ways to travel all over the world.

Francis, Angela Sangma. Everest. London: Flying Eye, 2018.

Mount Everest, the tallest mountain in the world, is over 29,000 feet tall. It sits in the Himalayan mountains, partly in Tibet and partly in Nepal. A variety of people and animals live on and around the mountain. Many people have tried to climb Everest; many have failed. Find out what makes this mountain so special.

Furstinger, Nancy. Unstoppable: True Stories of Amazing Bionic Animals. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2017.

Read about Allison, the sea turtle, and her ninja suit. Or, you could read about Chris P. Bacon, a pig with a wheelchair. Or maybe you want to read about Mr. Stubbs, an alligator that needed a new tail. These are just some of the many amazing stories about animals that need help to get around.

Gantos, Jack. Writing Radar: Using Your Journal to Snoop Out and Craft Great Stories. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2017.

Have you ever dreamed of being a writer? Author Jack Gantos shows how to find great story ideas using a journal. He then shows how to turn those ideas into great stories. By sharing funny and weird stories from his own journals, Gantos shows how a simple dinner conversation can lead to a funny tale.

Harris, Chris. I’m Just No Good at Rhyming and Other Nonsense for Mischievous Kids and Immature Grown-Ups. New York: Little, Brown, 2017.

This is a book of poems for everyone, except children who are 11 ½. If you are 11 ½, you should go away and come back when you’re twelve. Everyone else will find funny and crazy poems about such things as what happens when you come down for breakfast without making your bed. Here’s a hint, it’s not good.

McCarthy, Meghan. The Wildest Race Ever: The Story of the 1904 Olympic Marathon. New York: Simon & Schuster, 2016.

In 1904, the Olympics and the World’s Fair took place in St. Louis, Missouri. At the events, people ate hot dogs and ice cream cones for the first time and watched their first marathon. One runner kept stopping to talk to people. Another runner was chased by a dog. And another was given poison to drink. But who would win?

Mosca, Julia Finley. The Girl with a Mind for Math: The Story of Raye Montague. Seattle, WA: The Innovation Press, 2018.

Raye Montague was smart. When she was seven, Raye’s granddad took her to see her first ship. When Raye found out ships were made by engineers, she knew what she wanted to be when she grew up. But first, she would have to overcome all the obstacles people put up because she was a woman and black.

Perrin, Clotilde. Inside the Villains. Wellington, New Zealand: Gecko, 2018.

Every fairy tale has a villain. Maybe the villain is a wolf, a giant, or a witch. Learn more about each villain, like what they eat and read. See how each villain spends their time. Look inside each villain to see what they are thinking, wearing, or hiding. Finally, read a tale for each villain, such as The Wolf and the Seven Little Goats.

Poliquin, Rachel. Beavers: The Superpower Field Guide. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.

Beavers are superheroes in disguise. They have chainsaw teeth, paws of power, and turbocharged super stink. And, they have ever-growing teeth that can kill them if they don’t gnaw things. Those are just some of the superpowers these rodents possess. There is so much more to learn all about wetland warrior beavers.

Singer, Marilyn. Feel the Beat: Dance Poems that Zing from Salsa to Swing. New York: Dial, 2017.

For one girl, incredibly bored while shopping at the mall, a conga line appears. At a wedding, a boy dances bhangra style in honor of his sister. During Carnival, a girl watches her friend dance on a float. Her friend is wearing a hat made of fruit. Learn about dances from all over the world through this collection of poems.

Yolen, Jane. Not One Damsel in Distress: Heroic Girls from World Folklore. New York: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2018.

Atalanta, a huntress, helps slay a wild boar in Greece. Li Chi kills a serpent and saves her Chinese town. In Africa, Nana Miriam, a shaman, defeats a hippopotamus. These are only a few of the tales of women heroes from around the world. The women are smart and brave, and not one is a damsel in distress.