New & Noteworthy Nonfiction for Kids
Kids love nonfiction. Their little brains are like sponges. They yearn for facts and stories from history. It's even better when it's presented in an engaging package. From biographies to pancakes, here are some nonfiction titles to be on the lookout for at your local library.
Brave Ballerina: The Story of Janet Collins by Michelle Meadows
A story in rhyme about the first African American prima ballerina in the Metropolitan Opera.
The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs by Fiona Robinson
A beautiful picture book biography of the botanist and photographer Anna Atkins (1799-1871.)
Dancing Through Fields of Color: The Story of Helen Frankenthaler by Elizabeth Brown
Learn about the life and times of an abstract expressionist painter.
Carter Reads the Newspaper by Deborah Hopkinson
A charmingly illustrated biography of Carter Godwin Woodson. Born to enslaved parent, Carter used to read the newspaper to his father and grew up listening to his family and friends' stories. Later, at Harvard, a professor said, "black people don't have history." In response, Woodson would go on to establish Negro History Week in 1962, later to become Black History Month.
The Promise of Change: One Girl's Story in the Fight for School Equality by Jo Ann Allen Boyce
In 1956, a year before the Little Rock 9, troops escorted twelve African-American students into the newly integrated Clinton High School in Tennessee.
Titanosaur: Discovering the World's Largest Dinosaur by José Luis Carballido
The behind the scenes story of the discovery of the biggest, heaviest creature to ever walk the Earth.
Squirrel’s Family Tree by Beth Ferry
An excellent read-aloud about the intricate relationships in nature.
Can You Crack the Code? : A Fascinating History of Ciphers and Cryptography by Ella Schwartz
Stories of hidden treasures, wartime covert operations, and contemporary hacking.
Degas, Painter of Ballerinas by Susan Goldman Rubin
Through Degas precision, the reader comes to appreciate how much practice is involved in the journey to beginner to prima ballerina.
Grandpa Stops a War: A Paul Robeson Story by Susan Robeson
Based on the true story of Paul Robeson's visit to the front lines of the Spanish Civil War.
Let 'er Buck!: George Fletcher, the People's Champion by Vaunda Micheaux Nelson
In 1911, three men were in the final round of the Pendleton Round-Up. One was white, one was Indian, and one was black. When the judges declared the white man the winner, the audience was outraged. They named black cowboy George Fletcher the "people's champion" and took up a collection, ultimately giving Fletcher far more than the value of the prize that went to the official winner.
Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World by Alice B. McGinty
Explore breakfast in twelve countries.
Have trouble reading standard print? Many of these titles are available in formats for patrons with print disabilities.
Staff picks are chosen by NYPL staff members and are not intended to be comprehensive lists. We'd love to hear your ideas too, so leave a comment and tell us what you’d recommend. And check out our Staff Picks browse tool for more recommendations!