New Children's Nonfiction Book Recommendations
African Icons: 10 People Who Shaped History by Tracey Baptiste, illustrated by Hillary D. Wilson
Every year, American schoolchildren celebrate Black History Month. They study almost exclusively American stories, which are not only rooted in struggle over enslavement or oppression, but also take in only four hundred years of a rich and thrilling history that goes back many millennia across the African continent. Through portraits of ten historical figures - from Menes, the first ruler to be called Pharaoh, to Queen Idia, a sixteenth-century power broker, visionary, and diplomat - African Icons takes readers on a journey across Africa to meet some of the great leaders and thinkers whose ideas built a continent and shaped our world.
Amazon River by Sangma Francis, illustrated by Rômolo D'Hipólito
Beginning with a tiny trickle high in the mountains, smaller streams join until they form the world's largest river. Crossing a continent, it winds through lush rainforest until it meets the ocean. From snapping piranha fish to the giant anaconda, this mighty waterway is home to planet Earth's most incredible ecosystem.
Amelia Earhart Is on the Moon? By Dan Gutman
From the best-selling author of My Weird School: a new entry in the hilarious biography series that casts fresh light on high-interest historic figures. Did you know that Amelia Earhart loved heights so much she built a roller coaster in her backyard? Or that she used to race worms with her sister? Siblings Paige and Turner do-and they've collected some of the most unusual and surprising facts about the legendary pilot, from her childhood in the rural Midwest and the spark of her passion for flying to her record-smashing flights and her infamous disappearance over the Pacific Ocean. Narrated by the two spirited siblings and animated by Allison Steinfeld's upbeat illustrations, Amelia Earhart Is on the Moon? is an authoritative, accessible, and one-of-a-kind biography infused with Dan Gutman's signature zany sense of humor.
The Curse of the Mummy: Uncovering Tutankhamun’s Tomb by Candace Fleming
Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within.
The Deadliest Diseases Then and Now by Deborah Hopkinson
Perfect for young readers of I Survived and the Who Was series! Packed with graphics, photos, and facts for curious minds, this is a gripping look at pandemics through the ages.
Fallout: Spies Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown by Steve Sheinkin
New York Times bestselling author Steve Sheinkin presents a follow up to his award-winning book Bomb: The Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon, taking readers on a terrifying journey into the Cold War and our mutual assured destruction. As World War II comes to a close, the United States and the Soviet Union emerge as the two greatest world powers on extreme opposites of the political spectrum. After the United States showed its hand with the atomic bomb in Hiroshima, the Soviets refuse to be left behind. With communism sweeping the globe, the two nations begin a neck-and-neck competition to build even more destructive bombs and conquer the Space Race. In their battle for dominance, spy planes fly above, armed submarines swim deep below, and undercover agents meet in the dead of night.
The Genius Under the Table: Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain by Eugene Yelchin
Drama, family secrets, and a KGB spy in his own kitchen! How will Yevgeny ever fulfill his parents' dream that he become a national hero when he doesn't even have his own room? He's not a star athlete or a legendary ballet dancer. In the tiny apartment he shares with his Baryshnikov-obsessed mother, poetry-loving father, continually outraged grandmother, and safely talented brother, all Yevgeny has is his little pencil, the underside of a massive table, and the doodles that could change everything. With equal amounts charm and solemnity, award-winning author and artist Eugene Yelchin recounts in hilarious detail his childhood in Cold War Russia as a young boy desperate to understand his place in his family.
John Horse was a famed chief, warrior, tactician, and diplomat who played a dominant role in Black Seminole affairs for half a century. A political and military leader of mixed Seminole and African heritage, Horse defended his people from the U.S. government, other tribes, and slave hunters by serving as a counselor of fellow Seminole leaders, an agent of the U.S. government, a captain in the Mexican army, and a conductor in the Underground Railroad.
Have you ever wondered what makes music, well, music? How is it made? How do we hear it? And why you just can't get that one song out of your head? Find out all the answers to these questions and more in The Science of Song as you see how music and the way we listen to it has changed through the ages. From the earliest animal-bone instruments to the demise (and rise) of vinyl to hologram concerts, this instrumental exploration of the science of music is sure to be a hit!
A graphic novel chronicling the immediate aftermath and rippling effects of one of the most impactful days in modern history: September 11th, 2001. From the Sibert honor and YALSA award-winning creator behind The Unwanted and Drowned City. The consequences of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center in New York City, both political and personal, were vast, and continue to reverberate today. Don Brown brings his journalistic eye and attention to moving individual stories to help teens contextualize what they already know about the day, as well as broaden their understanding of the chain of events that occurred in the attack's wake.
Snoozefest: The Surprising Science of Sleep by Tany Lloyd Kyi and Valery Goulet
A highly readable and fascinating look at why sleep is so important, what's happening in our bodies while we're sleeping (it's a lot more than you think!), and how the science of sleep research has evolved. It probes some of the mysteries about sleep, like why we need sleep, why we dream, and even how long we can go without sleep! It also explains why teens and tweens aren't getting enough sleep - and what school principals can do about it! It's a deep dive into an intriguing topic that's anything but a snore!
Zion Unmatched by Zion Clark and James S. Hirsch
This stunning photographic essay showcases Zion Clark's ferocious athleticism and undaunted spirit. Cowritten by New York Times best-selling journalist James S. Hirsch, this book features striking, visually arresting images and an approachable and engaging text, including pieces of advice that have motivated Zion toward excellence and passages from Zion himself. Explore Zion's journey from a childhood lost in the foster care system to his hard-fought rise as a high school wrestler to his current rigorous training to prepare as an elite athlete on the world stage.