Nonfiction Monday Roundup

Welcome to Nonfiction Monday! We’d love to hear about your review of a nonfiction book for children. Nonfiction books for children can be lots of fun. They offer stories that can engage kids as  readers.

We look forward to collecting some recent reads here.  Please leave a comment or add your book in Mr. Linky.

10 AM update: There is definitely a theme building … hint: bats are cracking in ballparks everywhere.

7: PM update: Abby T Librarian is warming up her pitching arm for next week. Check out her mini-roundup of some recent reads, from Matthew Henson to Darwin.

Audience: 4 to 8

Bees, Snails and Peacock Tails: Patterns and Shapes … Naturally by Betsy Franko, illustrated by Steve Jenkins.Heidi Bee Roemer says “This gem of a book is both an audible and visual treat; it will very likely motivate junior scientists to look at nature with a more observant eye and search for hidden shapes in the world around them.” Read the full review at Wild About Nature.

Butterflies and Moths by Nic Bishop. Wendie says “Nic Bishop, you’ve done it again. Beautiful photographs with just enough information to entice the young reader (and us older ones, too) to want to know more.” See her full review at Wendie’s Wanderings.

An Egg is Quiet written by Dianna Hutts Aston, illustrated bySylvia Lon.  Over at Kid Lit Kit, Anastasia Suen recommends pairing this book for K-2 with First the Egg (see below)

Faith by Maya Ajmera, Magda Nakassis, and Cynthia Pon Jill says: “The Global Fund for Children has given us a real treasure with their latest book, Faith. I highly recommend it.” Read the  full review @ the Well-Read Child.

First the Egg by Laura Vaccaro Seeger. This is a great book to pair with An Egg is Quiest. Stop by Kid Lit Kit for all the details.

Hey Batta Batta Swing! by Sally Cook and James Charlton, illustrated by Ross MacDonal. Lori Calabrese says “Written in a fun, conversational style, you’ll discover some fascinating baseball lore, how baseball has changed over the years, and anecdotes and facts that will have you wanting to get out to the ballpark.” Read her full review at Lori Calabrese Writes.

Honk, Honk, Goose! by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Huy Vuon Lee. Shirley Duke says “The roles of male and female goose provide the impetus for this simple story that reveals the life cycle of Canada geese. Read Shirley’s review (with activity) at Simply Science.

Rocks! Rocks! Rocks! by Nancy Elizabeth Wallace. 100 Scope Notes says “A nice addition to the tough-to-join low-level (K-2) nonfiction club…Rocks! Rocks! Rocks! is a title you should keep within easy reach.” Read the full review at 100 Scope Notes.

PebbleGo Anastasia Suen – who is also featured this week as an author – introduces us to PebbleGo, a database with more than 200 short, 5 page books about animals for K-2. These are e-Books for those looking at 21st Century Literacies

Sprout Your Own Leafy Wonders written by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Robert Shadbolt. In her review, Andromeda Jazmon tells us about all the fun she and her boys (4 and 6) enjoyed this: “My little guys were fascinated to watch the flat peat pellets slowly expand as they absorbed the water and grew into fist-sized balls…It has been so exciting every day to watch the progress of our little sprouts!” Read her full review at A Wrung Sponge.

Sprout Your Own Sweet Scents written by Anastasia Suen, illustrated by Robert Shadbolt. Andromeda and her boys had fun with this, too: “I am so excited about these addition to our herb garden. The boys are thrilled to be able to grow such fragrant plants that they can actually add to salads or cold drinks.”  Read her full review at A Wrung Sponge.

Tales of Famous Americans by Peter and Connie Roop. Jennis says “Yay for a collected biography book for the 2nd grade and under set. We need more of these … It’s a fun one that’s a good addition to collections..” Read her full review at Biblio File.

Trout are Made of Trees by April Pulley Sayre, illustrated by Kate Endle. Shirley Duke says “In a simple, concise narrative, this book shows a stream ecosystem and the organisms that support the life in and around it..” Read her full review at Simply Science.

You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax? by Jonah Winter, illustrated by Andre Carilho. Betsy Bird says:  “I am telling you here and now that if you have a kid that loves baseball, or a kid that couldn’t care less, whatever the case may be this is the book for them.” Read the full review at Fuse #8. [Note: Besty says this is for ages 4 to 10]

Audience 9 to 12

After Gandhi: 100 Years of Nonviolent Resistance written by Anne Sibley O’Brien and Perry Edmond O’Brien, illustrated by Anne Sibley O’Brien. We just finished reading this book.  Here were my thoughts “This book is far more captivating than any reference book I remember from my junior and high school days … Pick the book up to read one chapter, and you end up spending an hour looking at others.” Read the Reading Tub’s full review here.

Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip M. Hoose. Visit the ACPL (Allen County Public Library) Mock Sibert blog to learn more about this and other recently published informational books for children.

Lucy Long Ago: Uncovering the Mystery of Where We Came From by Catherine Thimmesh. In Amanda’s review, she says “Accompanied by beautiful photography (the cover is awesome), the text is written simply, easy for kids to read, and is very interesting, never dry. Not only does the reader learn about Lucy, but also about the different jobs of archeologists, paleontologists, anthropologists, etc.” Read her full review at A Patchwork of Books.

My Family and Other Animals, The Drunken Forest, and The Bafut Beagles by Gerald Durrell. Jennifer says “Durrell’s books perfectly capture the insanity of foreign travel, cultural differences, and trying to explain to bewildered government and shipping officials exactly what it is he’s doing with all those weird animals….” Read her review at the Jean Little Library.

Nevermore: A Photobiography of Edgar Allen Poe by Karen Lange. Tricia Stohr-Hunt offers these thoughts: “I can’t say enough about how much I enjoyed this introduction to Poe. Not only is the text engaging, but the marriage of photographs, illustrations, and quotes make it quite a page-turner. Recommended with enthusiasm.” Read her full review at The Miss Rumphius Effect.

Satchel Paige: Don’t Look Back by David A. Adler. Holly tells us “If you have t-ballers or rookies, and even older players, they will enjoy getting a little history lesson disguised as a great story about a great player. I highly recommend this story!” Read her full review at Book Scoops.

Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland by Sally  M. Walker. Amanda offers this:  “it [is] more appealing to your older kids, probably 7th grade and up. The info is more detailed, but very interesting. The forensic anthropology is definitely going to intrigue kids into picking this one up, and learning more about our ancestors is always a plus.” See her full review at A Patchwork of Books.