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2027 Nonfiction Book Nominees
Using Primary Sources (General Information):
The Library of Congress- Using Primary Sources
City of Leafcutter Ants: A Sustainable Society of Millions by Amy Hevron, 2024
Leafcutter ants are masters at building and running their city. With a population to rival NYC, they employ builders, farmers, nannies, cleaners, and even pharmacists! Brave foragers venture into the trees to bring back slices of leaf to keep the fungus crops growing, while those at home expand the city's tunnel network and tend to the young--and the queen, the city's founder.
Teaching Resources:
Life of a Leafcutter Lesson Plan from Ask a Biologist
Teachers Pay Teachers Leaf Cutter Ants $
Education.com Lesson Plan (Kindergarten level)
Erno Rubik and His Magic Cube by Kerry Aradhya, 2024
In the hills of Budapest, near the banks of the Danube River, lived a quiet boy named Ernő Rubik. He loved books, art, nature, and--most of all--puzzles. And he grew up to create the most popular puzzle in history. This picture book biography explores the experience and interests that inspired the inventor of the Rubik's Cube.
Teaching Resources:
Puzzle Pack from publisher
Teachers Pay Teachers $
Teaching Books
Kid Lit TV Activity Guide
Storymakers (YouTube)
Erno Rubik Wikipedia
How to Eat in Space by Helen Taylor, 2023
A kid-friendly, accessible, and humorous picture book about the sometimes complicated task of eating while in outer space--spoiler: it's not as simple as it seems!
Without a kitchen, plates, or cups, eating in space isn't easy. When food floats (and so do you), remember:
1. Be patient: Preparing a meal without gravity's help takes time.
2. Avoid crumbs: They get everywhere!
3. Clean up after yourself: Today's stray snack could become tomorrow's smelly surprise.
Once you learn the dos and don'ts, you'll be eating like an astronaut in no time!
Teaching Resources:
Food for Spaceflight Activity- NASA
National Agriculture in the Classroom Spice up Space Food
Good in Space Teachers Guide
Lesson Guide from Publisher
Mr. Pei's Perfect Shapes: The Story of Architect I. M. Pei by Julie Leung, 2024
This inspirational story of the Chinese American architect who changed architecture with his forward-thinking shapes shows how his legacy has endured and his structures can still be seen around the world.
Teaching Resources:
Read Aloud (YouTube)
Education.com I.M. Pei Worksheet
Mysterious, Marvelous Octopus by Paige Towler, 2024
Meet one of Earth's most incredible ocean animals in this lyrical, whimsical picture book uniquely layered with photographs, rhyming text, and fascinating facts about octopuses.
Teaching Resources:
Ocotpus Lesson Plans Teachers Pay Teachers $
Octopus Lesson Plans
The Ink-Credible STEAM Adventure Toolkit
Ode to Grapefruit: How James Earl Jones Found His Voice by Kari Lavelle, 2024
Before there was Mufasa...Before there was Darth Vader... There was a young boy names James Earl Jones, who spoke with a stutter and dreaded having to talk in class.
Whenever James tried to voice his thoughts, his words got stuck in his throat. But James figured out a solution for his shame- if he didn't speak, he wouldn't stutter.
And so he was silent...until he wrote his own poem, Ode to Grapefruit, and found a love for poetry.
Lyrical text, stunning art, and compelling backmatter about stuttering pair together for a remarkable picture book about how a boy who refused to speak for eight years learned to manage his stutter through poetry--and grew up to become an EGOT-winning performer with a voice few could forget.
Teaching Resources:
Teachers Pay Teachers $
Read Loud (YouTube)
James Earl Jones wikipedia
The Only Way To Make Bread by Cristina Quintero , 2023
A delicious exploration of all kinds of breads, from sourdough to bannock to bao, that will tickle your taste buds and warm your heart.
What's the only way to make bread?
You might use white flour in your bread, or whole wheat flour or corn flour.
You might use water or milk, maybe an egg or two.
You'll use a handful of this, a dash of that, a bit of this and a splash of that.
Some dough will rise, some dough will bubble. Sometimes it will be sticky, sometimes it will be shaggy.
What's the only way to make bread?
Your way!
This tasty celebration of all kinds of bread will tempt bread lovers big and small. No matter what kind of bread YOU like to make, this book is for you!
Teaching Resources:
Teaching Books
Read Loud (YouTube)
Kids Bread Baking Activities
Time to Make Art by Jeff Mack, 2024
When a little girl asks meaningful questions about creating art, her questions are answered by a diverse group of artists throughout time and history, in this inspiring picture book that encourages young readers to see the artist in themselves.
Teaching Resources:
Teaching Books
Reac Loud (YouTube)
Painting Storytime
To Walk The Sky: How Iroquois Steelworkers Helped Build Towering Cities by Patricia Morris Buckley, 2025
Look to the sky!
High above the ground, generation after generation, Native workers called skywalkers have sculpted city skylines, balancing on narrow beams, facing down terrifying heights and heartbreaking loss. These skywalkers who dared to touch the heavens have built a legacy of landmarks all over the North American continent--and even today, there are Native Americans still climbing up among the clouds, brave enough to walk the sky.
Teaching Resources:
Ms. Readerpants
Teaching Books
Teachers Pay Teachers $
How Mohawk Skywalkers Helped Build Skyscrapers
Wild Places: The Life of Naturalist David Attenborough by Hayley Rocco, 2024
As a boy, David loved exploring the wild places near his home in England, collecting fossils, rocks, and newts. When he grew older, he got a job in television, where he had an idea for a new kind of show: He would travel to wild places all over the world to film animals in their natural habitats. Over the span of seven decades, David's innovative documentaries have been treasured by millions of people.
But as time went on, he noticed the wild places he loved were shrinking. What could David do to help? What could we all do?
This is the story of David Attenborough. It's also the story of our planet, which has changed rapidly over the course of one person's lifetime, and a clarion call for us to do our part to bring back the wild places and protect the creatures who call Earth home.
Teaching Resources:
Teaching Books
Read Aloud (YouTube)
Natural Curriculum- David Attenborough
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