10 Fascinating Nonfiction Books for Kids
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Do you read nonfiction books with your kids? We gravitate toward fiction so I have to intentionally give my kids nonfiction books to read, some of which we read together. Which is what I figure you’re doing, too. So here are new nonfiction books for kids I think you’ll love!
How do I get my kids to read nonfiction?
I often pick out a nonfiction book to read tidbits from. Then see if they want more information. The Almanac is a great choice for this. Dangle info (did you know?) and see what entices them to read further. (Hand them the book and point to the section to read.)
With nonfiction picture books, it’s fun to read them together and discuss. Can you believe . . . ?
Just think how much background knowledge you’re building! This helps your kids in school and in life.
Nonfiction Books for Kids
Fractions In Disguise: A Math Adventure by Edward Einhorn, illustrated by David Clark
Hands down this is my favorite nonfiction math book ever. We follow George Cornelius Factor (a fraction collector) as he goes to bid for a new fraction — 5/9. Suddenly, the room goes dark and the fraction is stolen and it’s up to George to find it. Luckily, he invents a Reducer gun (made of ray gun, calculator, paper clips, a whisk, and computer parts) to help him remove any disguises on the 5/9 fraction. I never imagined fractions starring in a mystery adventure story but here it is! Not only is this entertaining, it’s educational, too.
National Geographic Kids Almanac 2016
Do your kids want this every year? It’s worth it. The information is fascinating and not the same that I can tell. Flip through and you’ll discover fascinating information about animals, pets, nature, history, and culture — it’s packed full plus has now has puzzle and activity pages. Plus, you know how good the photos will be – I love that you can always count on that with National Geographic publications. (I totally wanted to be a National Geographic photographer when I was little!)
Aptly titled with a word that invokes warm melodies, this is such a beautifully photographed and designed book. All pages are black backgrounded so the animal and words shine out like a shadow in the night. From snow leopards to serval, Nocture is 85 animals of 40 different species from around the world. Each animal is explained with it’s habits and habitats. It’s so gorgeous, it could be a coffee table book.
I, Fly The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos, illustrated by Jennifer Plecas
I liked this picture book with comic dialogue about the oft-neglected fly, my kids thought it was kind of gross. 🙂 You see, kids always study butterflies and rarely know that flies metamorphose, too — and Fly wants to convince you that you should really know more about him! Flies are so interesting — they make noise (butterflies don’t) and they have big families (500 maggots) and help solve crimes (age of maggots on a dead body . . . ) just to name a few things.
Feathers: Not Just for Flying by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Sarah S. Brannen
I think this nonfiction picture book actually has the perfect ratio of words to text! It’s informative without being an epic essay and the warm water-color illustrations are gorgeous. You’ll learn that feathers can shade, warm, protect like sunscreen, make high-pitched sounds. You’ll discover examples of birds in the wild with each feather fact. Honestly, I never appreciated feathers before this book. It’s so well-presented, it should be included in all classroom studies on birds.
Winnie The True Story of the Bear Who Inspired Winnie-the-Pooh by Sally M. Walker, illustrated by Jonathan D. Voss
Did you know that Winnie the bear was a real bear? Canadian vet and WWI soldier, Harry Colebourn, rescued a bear who he named Winnipeg and took her with him to training in England. But when he was sent to battle, Harry sent her to the London Zoo so she would be safe from battle. That’s where Christopher Robin and his father, A. A. Milne, met Winnie. You’ll love the photographs of the real Winnie – so cool!
Hippos Are Huge! by Jonathan London, illustrated by Matthew Trueman
Excellent writing and illustrations make this one of the best nonfiction animal books because you don’t realize you’re learning so much about hippos because it’s so interesting and well-layed out! Bigger text pairs with smaller factual text to give readers maximum learning. Hippos are COOL and DANGEROUS — you’ll find out when you read this book.
Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff, illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
A little known piece of Ben Franklin history, we see him use the scientific method to figure out what Dr. Mesmer was really doing. Was it magic, science, or was Dr. Mesmer a fraud? Excellent images, design, and compelling plot!
The Potato King by Christoph Nieman
Simple text and illustrations narrate the ingenious story of the legend of King Fritz of Prussia who learned about potatoes (originally from South America) and tricked his people into wanting to grow it.
50 Things You Should Know About the First World War by Jim Eldridge
Know any kids obsessed with war trivia? (Or adults?) This book is for them, and any others who might be interested. However, I think the facts in this book are presented in such a kid-friendly way that most kids will find the World War I topic info intriguing.
More Nonfiction Books for Kids
Nonfiction Books for 7 Year Olds
Nonfiction Books for 8 Year Olds
Nonfiction Books for 9 Year Olds
Nonfiction Books for 10-Year Olds
Nonfiction Books for 11-Year Olds
Please consider my book “The Knock”. I’m newly published working on getting it into the schools. You can find it on my website carolynwatkinsbooks.com. My book is about parental separation using my e perience to help children cope with their own experiences.
What a great list! I always enjoy sharing engaging non-fiction with my kids and I’m looking forward to getting some of these and reading them. Thanks!
We really liked Feathers Not Just for Flying. Great non-fiction books can be hard to find. Adding these to our library list.
they are- I agree!