9 Nonfiction Books to Add to Your Classroom Library
I think that most people either fall into the Fiction or Nonfiction camp. For example, I read mostly fiction, while I’m not sure my husband has picked up a novel since tenth grade. Don’t get me wrong, he reads all the time… but not made up stories. His preferred brand of text falls into nonfiction articles on sports, nutrition and education. I will occasionally read a memoir or inspiring business self-help book, but mostly, I stick to fiction. But we are both readers, one no greater, better or grander than the other.
When stocking a classroom library, I think it’s easy to fall into the fiction camp. Most of the books promoted to teachers and librarians are of the made-up variety, but it is important to remember that kids LOVE nonfiction books.
“In the adult publishing world, nonfiction sales are strong because when readers have the power to select their own books, they often choose nonfiction. Our love of facts is what makes the TV show “Jeopardy!” so popular, and it’s the reason the Guinness World Records book is a bestseller year after year. People of all ages love facts, stats and information! But don’t believe just us. In a three-year study published in the journal Teacher Librarian, school librarian Ray Doiron found that when students in grades one through six were given a choice of which books to check out, more than 40 percent opted for nonfiction.”
To read even more insights on this topic (and the suggestion that we adults are what stand in the way of children accessing and choosing nonfiction over fiction, see the full article here.
So, in the spirit of broadening our reading horizons and tapping into our students’ personal interests, here are 9 nonfiction books to include in your classroom library to spark curiosity and wonder. With each book I’ve included a related activity so that you can really make an impact and bring these reading experiences to life.
** Before we dive in, I’ll quickly note that some of these books were intentionally written for the audience of children and others were not. Some are focused primarily on the subjects of “reading and writing” and others are not. A few of these books can be connected to curriculum and some are just for fun, but I’d argue that all can have a place in your classroom library! **
** Also, if you are more of a auditory or visual learner and would rather hear me talk about each book, you can watch this video version of this content. :) **
Improbable Libraries by Alex Johnson
One of the coolest parts of nonfiction books, in my opinion, are the pictures and this book does not disappoint in that department. The author describes this book as a visual journey to the world’s most usual libraries. Now, I’m more of a bookstore girl myself, but even I (the world’s worst library patron - those fines get me every time!) was enthralled by the reading spaces featured in this book. My favorite was the bamboo structure in Koh Kood, Thailand! Get your copy of the book here.
Related Activity: After reading this book, ask students to design their own bookish reading space (either on paper or in real life!).
History Smashers Series by Kate Messner
Written to engage, with fun fonts, illustrations and portions done as a graphic novel, these myth-busting books are sure to be a hit in your classroom. “Smash the stories behind the famous moments in history and expose the hidden truth”. There are currently seven books in the series, with (hopefully) more on the way. If you bought small sets, you could have students work in groups to read, learn and then share what they have learned in a Myth Busters styled presentation.
Related Activity: Choose an event or person from history and (after doing some research) create a comic strip dispelling a common myth or urban legend on the topic.
The Secret Lives of Color by Kassia St. Clair
The cover of this book caught my attention, but it’s contents captured my mind. We think about colors all the time… the color of the car or carpet we’d like to purchase, the color of shoes or belt we should wear with today’s pants, the color of that banana and if we should eat it… or not. But beneath the visual cues and pleasure a color signals in our brain is SO MUCH MORE. The Secret Lives of Color “tells the unusual stories of seventy five fascinating sharks, dyes and hues. From the brown that changed the way battles were fought to the white that protected against the plague.” In this book super interesting tidbits of colorful history are unearthed about this common day aspect of our lives. You could read a page a day as a class, read it yourself to find content connections, hand it off to your history or art obsessed student or simply place it on the shelf and let your most curious student find it themselves. No matter how you or your students read it, you’ll never think of color the same again. Get your copy of the book here.
Related Activity: Pair your reading of this book with my color trivia videos!
True Tales of Childhood by David Stabler
Every great athlete, president, artist, scientist and author comes from somewhere. Each of them were in the 6th grade at some point in time, but, rarely do we think of these famous individuals in that way. This series of books shows kids what these larger than life icons were like when they were their age. In addition to being super interesting, I love that these books are also inspiring! If Peyton Manning had to suffer through the dance unit in PE but still made it to the NFL, then you can too! If Danica Patrick stood up to bullies and Babe Ruth can become a legend after growing up in poverty… then you can too. Everybody starts somewhere and learning the origin stories of these regular people who became household names, creates an amazing reading experience for kids. (The full color illustrations by Doogie Horner also help!). Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Ask students to write their own origin story and then fast forward and write their career “highlight reel” showcasing their some-day/future accomplishments in a field or industry of their choice.
The Art of Harry Potter by Marc Sumerak
This beast of a book is a treasure to behold, and one you’ll need a weight lifting program to properly shelve. It’s a mammoth tome, weighing in at 6.47 pounds. Inside the covers you’ll learn how creators turned the magical world of Harry Potter from words on the page to images on the screen. I was absolutely floored by the concept art. The images artists painted after reading look identical to the final movie version and it’s hard to believe that the story came first, then the art and then, finally, the movie. Interesting movie making facts and behind the scenes information about costumes, props and more await you. Many people read the book first and then watch the movie, but perhaps this book about the movie could inspire some new Harry Potter fans in your classroom! Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Ask students to compare and contrast the Harry Potter books to the movies… or any book and movie duo! Ask them to notice which text details are accentuated or deleted. What is as they hoped it would be and what was disappointing?
Our Story Begins by Elissa Brent Weissman
It’s easy to believe that famous authors were born onto the earth as talented writers or to think that some people are meant to be writers and everything they’ve ever produced is award worthy. But this book shows readers that the authors they now read were once in middle school too. They had dorky school pictures and drew pictures with crayon… just like us. To convince your writers that even the most famous authors had to start somewhere small, this book is perfect! This book includes Linda Sue Park, Kwame Alexander, Brain Selznick and more. Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Write a letter to your favorite author asking them for the advice they would have given their kid-self. (Feel free to ask them other questions too!) I used to do this activity with my 6th graders and for week’s we’d discover fun mail from our favorite writers… envelopes full of answers to our questions, encourage words, and sometimes even bookish swag.
Mightier Than the Sword by Rochelle Melander
“Throughout history, people have picked up their pens and wielded their words--transforming their lives, their communities, and beyond.” This book tells their stories and prompts you to write your own. Each historical profile includes the person’s name, profession, year they lived, and an account of both their written work and the impact it had on the world. At the end of each entry is a writing prompt that “embrace the transformative power of words to bring good to the world.” Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Think about a battle you can fight with written words and then create a flyer or poster with the message you’d like to share and spread!
Atlas Obscura by Dylan Thuras and Rosemary Mosco
Travel in the last two years has been, well, a little complicated. But you don’t need a passport or a big budget to see the amazing places in this book. Atlas Obscura will take you all around the world, showing you the most interesting places and teaching you all about them through incredible illustrations, fascinating facts, marvelous maps and more. Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Ask students to pick one of the places features in the book and create a travel brochure for it. Or, ask students to search for a travel vlog about a place they’d like to travel. On this YouTube channel.
Major Events in American History by Megan Forbes
Sometimes shorter is better. This book “takes young learners through nearly 1000 years of American history, one key event at a time and also offers suggestions for how readers can explore and learn more.” Whether you read this book one entry at a time, pull portions connected to your curriculum, or leave it lay on the shelf for a history buff in the making to discover, you won’t go wrong by adding it to your classroom library. Get your copy here.
Related Activity: Students can follow the “explore more” suggestions to learn more about particular time period of interest.
These are not the only nonfiction books I’d recommend, nor am I saying that they are the only ones worthy of purchase… they are simply ones that I know your readers will love and that I had on hand. The real purpose of this blog post is to remind you not to forget about nonfiction when purchasing books for your classroom library… because if you do, you are missing a huge portion of the readers in your room. And, if it’s been awhile since you dipped your toe into a new genre, I’ll let this serve as a reminder to try something new too.
No matter what you read, I hope it brings you joy and that you’ll come back to me again for more recommendations from the word nerd.
~ Amanda
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