Non-Fiction Books

2023 Non-Fiction Book Nominees

Using Primary Sources (General Information):
The Library of Congress- Using Primary Sources
Primary Source Nexus
National Archives

111 Trees: How One Village Celebrate the Birth of Every Girl by Rina Singh, 2020

Trees, India, environment, Social Studies

Sundar Paliwal, who is from a small Indian village ruled by ancient customs. As he grows to be a man, Sundar suffers much heartbreak and decides it is time for change to come to his village. Sundar is determined to live in a place where girls are valued as much as boys and where the land is not devastated by irresponsible mining. Sundar's plan? To celebrate the birth of every girl with the planting of 111 trees. Though many villagers resist at first, Sundar slowly gains their support. And today, there are over a quarter of a million trees in his village, providing food, water and opportunities for women to earn a living. His efforts have turned a once barren and deforested landscape into a fertile and prosperous one where girls can thrive.

Lesson Ideas:
Teaching Books
Citizen Kid Teaching Guide
Authors Website
Read Aloud (YouTube)

Awards:
     2022 Yellow Cedar
     Award Ontario Library Association nominee
     2021 Bank Street Best Children’s Book
     2021 Green Earth Book Award
     2021 Social Justice Literature Award
     2020 Book List Editor Choice Book Winner

Read-Alikes:
Butterflies Belong Here: A Story of One Idea, Thirty Kids, and a World of Butterflies –   Deborah Hopkinson
Save the Bees – Bethany Stahl
The International Day of the Girl – Jessica Dee Humphreys
Old Enough to Save the Planet- Loll Kirby

Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson 2019

Woodson, Carter Gordon, historians, African-American historians, Social Studies

Carter G. Woodson was born to two formerly enslaved people ten years after the end of the Civil War. Though his father could not read, he believed in being an informed citizen, so Carter read the newspaper to him every day. As a teenager, Carter went to work in the coal mines, and there he met Oliver Jones, who did something important: he asked Carter not only to read to him and the other miners, but also research and find more information on the subjects that interested them.

Lesson Ideas:
Teaching Guide
Read Across America Teaching Guide
Books4YourKids
Read Aloud (YouTube)

Awards:
     National Council for the Social Studies Carter G. Woodson Book Award (Honor) 2020
      Parents Choice Silver Honor Award
      Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book
      New York Public LibraryTop 10 Books for Kids
    California Reading Association Eureka! Nonfiction Children’s Book Award Silver Honor
     Literacy & Social Justice Special Interest Group/International Literacy Association
          Social Justice Literature Award 2020
     Parents’ Choice Silver Honor Award 2019
     NCSS/CBC Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People 2020
     ALSC Notable Children’s Books 2020
     Northern Lights Book Award (Biography) Northern Dawn Awards 2019
     Literary Arts Eloise Jarvis McGraw Award for Children’s Literatur finalist 2020
     Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year 2020
     National Christian School Association – Children’s Crown Award nominee 2020-2021
     Connecticut Nutmeg Awards nominee 2021
     Delaware State Reading Association Delaware Diamonds nominee 2020-2021
     Greater Kansas City Association of Schol Librarians Great Kids Can Read Award
          nominee 2021-2022
     Kansas National Education Association -State Reading Circl Recommended Reading
          list (intermediate) 2020
     State Library of Louisian and Louisiana Center for the Book - Louisiana Young Readers’
          Choice Award nominee (Grades 3-5) 2021-2022
     Oregon Council of Teachers of English – Oregon Spirit Award Honor 2019
     Pennsylvania School Librarians Association – Pennsylvania Young Reader’s Choice
          Awards nominee (Grades K-3)
     Poetry Center at Passaic County Community College – Paterson Prize for Books for
          Young People Honor book 2020

Read-Alikes:
The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read – Rita Lorraine Hubbard
Midnight Teacher – Janet Halfmann
Carter G. Woodson – James Haskins
Carter G. Woodson: the Father of Black History – Patricia & Fredrick McKissack

Counting on Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Saved Apollo 13 by Heaine Becker 2018

Apollo 13 (spacecraft), mathematician, African-American mathematician, biography, Social Studies

You've likely heard of the historic Apollo 13 moon landing. But do you know about the mathematical genius who made sure that Apollo 13 returned safely home? As a child, Katherine Johnson loved to count. She counted the steps on the road, the number of dishes and spoons she washed in the kitchen sink, everything! Boundless, curious, and excited by calculations, young Katherine longed to know as much as she could about math, about the universe.

Lesson Ideas:
Teachers Pay Teachers ($)
Activities and Comprehension Questions
Storybook Guide
Rosie Reads Discussion Questions
Review with Resources
All About Katherine Johnson Powerpoint

Awards:
     Vermont Red Clover Award Master Selection
     Morning Calm Medal nominee
     Towner Award nominee
     Silver Birch Express Award nominee
     Indiana Young Hoosier Book Award nominee
     Junior Library Guild selection
     NSTA Outstanding Science Trade Book
     NCTM Mathematical Honor Book
     Bank Street Cook Prize winner
     NCSS Notable Social Studies Trade Book
     ILA Notable Book for Global Society
     ILA Teachers’ Choice Reading selection
     Amelia Bloomer selection
     Chicago Public Library Best Book of Year

Read-Alikes:
The Story of Katherine Johnson: a Bio Book for Young Readers – Andrea Thorpe
Hidden Figures: the True Story of Black Women and the Space Race Young Readers’
     Edition - Margot Lee Shetterly
A Computer Called Katherine: How Katherine Johnson Helped Put America on the Moon
     Suzanne Slade
You Should Meet: Katherine Johnson – Thea Feldman
Counting the Stars: The Story of Katherine Johnson, NASA Mathemation – Lisa Cline-
     Ransome
The Girl With a Mind for Math: the Story of Raye Montague – Julia Finley Mosca
Human Computer: Mary Jackson, Engineer – Andi Diehn

Crossings: Extraordinary Structures for Extraordinary Animals by Katy Duffield, 2020

Wildlife crossings, conservation projects, animals, environment, Science

Around the world, bridges, tunnels, and highways are constantly being built to help people get from one place to another. But what happens when construction spreads over, under, across, and through animal habitats? Thankfully, groups of concerned citizens, scientists, engineers, and construction crews have come together to create wildlife crossings to help keep animals safe.

Lesson Ideas:
Authors Website
Lesson Plan
Book and a Hug Information
Collaborative Lesson
Bored Panda Lesson Ideas
Wildlife Crossings

Awards:
     Kansas NEA Reading Circle List Primary Title
     Maine Chickadee Award nominee
     Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year selection
     California Eureka! Excellence in Nonfiction Gold Award
     Texas Topaz Nonfiction Reading List
     Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award nominee
     ALA/ALSC Notable Children’s Book
     Missouri Dogwood Reader Award Final nominee

Read-Alikes:
Except Antarctica – Todd Sturgell
     Animal Habitats – Judy Press
     Animal Homes – Ann O. Squire
     A Day with the – Sharon Rentta
     How Animals Build – Moira Butterfield
Animal Architects – Amy Cherrix
If Animals Built Your House – Bill Wise

Dinosaur Lady: The Daring Discoveries of Mary Anning, the First Paleontologist by Linda Skeers, 2020

Bio-nature, dinosaurs, Science/Social Studies

Mary Anning loved scouring the beach near her home in England for shells and fossils. She fearlessly climbed over crumbling cliffs and rocky peaks, searching for new specimens. One day, something caught Mary's eye.
Bones. Dinosaur Bones.
Mary’s discoveries rocked the world of science and help create a brand-new field of study: paleontology. But many people believed women couldn’t be scientists, so Mary wasn’t given the credit she deserved. Nevertheless, Mary kept looking and learning more, making discoveries that reshaped scientific beliefs about the natural world.

Lesson Ideas:
Teachers Pay Teachers (free)
Educator Guide from Publisher
Kids Read STEM Lesson
Rosie Reads Lesson
Mary Anning Biography

Awards:
     Outstanding Science Trade Books, 2015-2022
     SB & F Prize for Excellence in Science Books, 2006-2022
     Notable Social Science Trade Books for Young People, 2015-2022
     The RISE: a Feminist Book Project List, Nonfiction 2021

Read-Alikes:
Fossil Huntress: Mary Leakey, Paleontologist – Andi Diehn
     Gutsy Girls Go for Science Paleontogists: with STEM projects for Kids – Karen Bush Gibson
     When Sue Found Sue: Sue Hendrickson Discovers T-Rex – Toni Buzzeo
     Mary Anning – Marla Isabel Sanchez Vegara
     Fossils for Kids: a Junior Student’s Guide to Dinosaur Bones, Ancient Animals, and
        Prehistoric Life on Earth – Ashley Hall
     Mary Anning’s Curiosity – Veronica Kulling
     Mary Anning: the Fossil Hunter – Dennis Brindell Fradin
     Stone Girl Bone Girl: the Story of Mary Anning – Laurence Anholt
     Mary Anning and the Sea Dragon – Jeannine Atkins
     The Fossil Girl: Mary Anning’s Dinosaur Discovery – Catherine Brighton
     Mary Anning – Sara Spiller

Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming 2020

Bees, Honeybees, bee behavior, Science

A tiny honeybee emerges through the wax cap of her cell. Driven to protect and take care of her hive, she cleans the nursery and feeds the larvae and the queen. But is she strong enough to fly? Not yet! Apis builds wax comb to store honey, and transfers pollen from other bees into the storage. She defends the hive from invaders. And finally, she begins her new life as an adventurer. The confining walls of the hive fall away as Apis takes to the air, finally free, in a brilliant double-gatefold illustration where the clear blue sky is full of promise-- and the wings of dozens of honeybees, heading out in search of nectar to bring back to the hive.

Lesson Ideas:
Authors Website
Teachers Pay Teachers ($)
Publishers Lesson Plan
Book Review and Teaching Ideas
Book Review and Activities

Awards:
     Robert F. Sibert Medal winner
     Orbis Pictus Honor
     Texas Bluebonnet Master List
     AAAS/Suburu Finalist SB & F Prize for Excellence in Science Books
     Cook Prize Honor Book
     A Kids’ Book Choice Award finalist
     New York Public Library Best Bok of the Year
     Horn Book Fanfare Best Book of the Year
     BCCB Blue Ribbon Book
     Book List Editor’s Choice
     ALA Notable Children’s Book
     Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year
     Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection
     Best Book: Kirkus, NPR, Shelf Awareness, SLJ, Publishers Weekly

Read-Alikes:
Explore My World: Honey Bees – Jill Exbaum
     The Honeybee – Kirsten Hall
     Kaia and the Bees – Maribeth Boelts
     Bee and Me – Allison Jay
     The Secret Life of Bees – Moira Butterfield
     Hello Honeybees – Hannah Rogge
     The Bee Book – Charlotte Milner
     The Secret Life of Bees – Moira Butterfield
     The Buzzy Bee Book for Kids: Storybook, Bee Facts, and Activities – Alice McGinty
     Honey Bees: Discover Pictures and Facts about Honeybees for Kids – Bold Kids
     I Am a Bee – Rebecca McDonald
     National Geographic Readers: Buzz, Bee – Jennifer Szymanski

The Last Straw: Kids vs. Plastics by Susan Hood 2021

Plastics, environment, recycling, scrap, Science

There is a growing plastic problem and meet just a few of the young activists who are standing up and speaking out for change.
·       You’ll hear about the “Be Straw Free” campaign, started by nine-year-old Milo Cress.
·       You’ll discover how scientists are using jellyfish snot and munching, crunching caterpillars to break down plastic pollution faster.
·       You’ll meet Xóchitl Guadalupe Cruz López, the eight-year-old girl turning old plastic bottles into solar heaters.

Lesson Ideas:
Activities and Read Aloud
Resources and Further Reading
Read Aloud (YouTube)

Awards:
     2022 Notable Poetry Book – NCTE Award for Excellence
     2021 Chicago Public Library Best Informational Books for K-3

Read-Alikes:
What a Waste: Rubbish, Recycling, and Protecting Our Planet – Jess French
     Save the Ocean - Bethany Stahl
     A Planet Full of Plastic: and How You Can Help – Neal Layton
     Saving Tally: an Adventure into the Great Pacific Plastic Patch – Serena Lane Ferrari
     Harry Saves the Ocean: Teaching Children about Sea Pollution and Recycling – N.G.K. &
          Sylvia Fae
    Earth Ninja: a Children’s Book About Recycling, Reducing, and Reusing – Mary Nhin
     Kids Fight Plastic: How to be a #2minutesuperstar – Martin Dorey
     Plastic Ahoy! Investigating the Great Pacific Garbage Patch – Patricia Newman
     The Mess We Made – Michelle Lord

Mamie on the Mound: a Woman in Baseball's Negro Leagues by Leah Henderson 2020

Johnson, Mamie, woman baseball player, African-American baseball player, Negro League ,Sports, Social Studies

Mamie "Peanut" Johnson had one dream: to play professional baseball. She was a talented player, but she wasn't welcome in the segregated All-American Girls Pro Baseball League due to the color of her skin. However, a greater opportunity came her way in 1953 when Johnson signed to play ball with the Negro Leagues' Indianapolis Clowns, becoming the first female pitcher to play on a men's professional team. During the three years she pitched for the Clowns, her record was an impressive 33-8. But more importantly, she broke ground for other female athletes and for women everywhere.

Lesson Ideas:
The Story of Mamie Johnson (YouTube)
Women of the Negro Leagues
Black Women in Professional Baseball

Awards:
     Notable Social Studies Trade Book for Young People 205-2022
     CCBC Choices Award

Read-Alikes:
She Loved Baseball: the Effa Manley Story – Audrey Vernick
     A Strong Right Arm: the Story of Mamie “Peanuts” Johnson – Michelle Y. Green
     Catching the Moon: the Story of a Young Girl’s Baseball Dream – Crystal Hubbard
     The Kid From Diamond Street: the Extraordinary Story of Baseball Legend Edith
Houghton – Audrey Verrick
    What Were the Negro Leagues? – Varian Johnson
Curveball: the Remarkable Story of Toni Stone the First Woman to Play Professional
Baseball in the Negro League – Martha Ackmann
    Remember My Name: My Story from First Pitch to Game Changer – Mo’ne Davis
    Meet the Philadelphia Dolly Vardens: Inspired by the First African American Women’s
Professional Baseball Team – Sabrina A. Brinson

The Oldest Student: How Mary Walker Learned to Read by Rita Lorraine Hubbard, 2020

Walker, Mary, women slaves, freedman-woman, reading, Social Studies

In 1848, Mary Walker was born into slavery. At age 15, she was freed, and by age 20, she was married and had her first child. By age 68, she had worked numerous jobs, including cooking, cleaning, babysitting, and selling sandwiches to raise money for her church. At 114, she was the last remaining member of her family. And at 116, she learned to read.

September 8, 2022 – International Literacy Day

Lesson Ideas:
Read Aloud (YouTube)
Teachers Pay Teachers ($)
Educators Guide from Publisher
Texas Bluebonnet Awards Activities and much more
Choose to Read Ohio Toolkit
Overview and Activities
The Power of Reading
Author Interview and more
Read Across America using Diverse Literature
Book It Discussion Guide

Awards:
     Comstock Read Aloud Book Award winner 2021
     Texas Bluebonnet Award winner 2022Fauj
     Minnesota Book Award nominee 2022
     Rhode Island Children’s Book Award nominee 2022
Tennessee Volunteer State Book Award nominee 2021
     Virginia Young Readers Program Award nominee 2021
     ALSC Notable Children’s Books Selection 2021
     Bank Street College Best Children’s Book of the Year selection 2021
     Cooperative Children’s Book Center Choices selection 2021
     Notable Books for a Global Society Award selection 2021
     Ohio Ohioana Book Award finalist 2021

Read-Alikes:
The Power of Her Pen: the Story of Groundbreaking Journalist Ethel L. Payne – Lesa Cline-
          Ransome
     Carter Reads the Newspaper – Deborah Hopkinson
     Nasreen’s Secret School: a True Story from Afghanistan – Jeanette Winter
     Poet: the Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton – Don Tate
     Fauja Singh Keeps Going: the True Story of the Oldest Person to Ever Run a
          Marathon – Simran Jeet Singh
     Lillian’s Right to Vote – Jonah Winter
     One Hundred Steps: the Story of Captain Sir Tom Moore – Captain Tom Moore

Try It! How Frieda Caplan Changed the Way We Eat by Mara Rockliff, 2021

Food and drink, fruits and vegetables, food and drink-cooking

In 1956, Frieda Caplan started working at the Seventh Street Produce Market in Los Angeles. Instead of competing with the men in the business with their apples, potatoes, and tomatoes, Frieda thought, why not try something new? Staring with mushrooms, Frieda began introducing fresh and unusual foods to her customers—snap peas, seedless watermelon, mangos, and more!

Lesson Ideas:
Read Aloud (YouTube)
Activity Guide from Publisher
Ag in the Classroom Lesson Plan
Oklahoma Agriculture in the Classroom Lesson Ideas
Authors website

Awards:
     Smithsonian Magazine 10 Best Children’s Books of 2021
     Tablet Magazine Best Jewish Children’s Books of 2021
     Missouri Dogwood Award nominee 2022-2023
     California Reading Association Eureka! Nonfiction Honor Book 2021

Read-Alikes:
Grow: How We Get Food From Our Garden – Karl Beckstrand
I Can Eat a Rainbow – Olena Rose
Eating the Alphabet – Lois Ehlert
To Market, To Market – Nikki McClure
Carrots Like Peas – Hannah Elliot
The Ugly Vegetables – Grace Lin
Edible Colors – Jennifer Vogel Bass
Oliver’s Vegetables – Vivian French
The Vegetables We Eat – Gail Gibbons
The Fruits We Eat – Gail Gibbons