I will admit that I am not as familiar with juvenile non-fiction as I am with fiction titles. I always have a few students who prefer to read biographies or history books, so I am trying to expand my non-fiction knowledge. I have put together a starter list and am hoping to build it this year. Please let me know what else I can include.

Just a reminder, non-fiction is usually more difficult for children to read than fiction. If your child is reading for pleasure, definitely choose books that are below his/her reading level to keep the comprehension (and enjoyment) high.

While the majority of the titles are intended for a “school aged” audience, there are many that adults will love. I had a father and son read Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World this past school year and both raved about the story.

Biographies: Older Readers– 4th grade through high school

• Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart by Candace Fleming
• Escape! The Story of the Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
• A Schoolteacher in Old Alaska: the Story of Hannah Breece by Jane Jacobs

Autobiographies: Older Readers– 4th grade through high school

• Chapters: My Growth as a Writer by Lois Duncan (out of print, copies available through Amazon)
• Boy by Roald Dahl
• A Girl from Yamhill by Beverly Cleary
• My Life in Dog Years by Gary Paulsen

History: Older Readers– 4th grade through high school

• Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World by Jennifer Armstrong
• Chasing Lincoln’s Killer by James L. Swanson
• Blizzard of Glass: The Halifax Explosion of 1917 by Sally M. Walker

Series: Younger Readers– 1st grade through 6th grade (** I included titles that are familiar to me from each of the series, but there are many more from which to choose.)

• Who Would Win? by Jerry Pallotta
  • Komodo Dragon v. King Cobra
  • Tyrannosaurus Rex v. Velociraptor
• Step Into Reading (levels 3, 4, and 5) by various authors, Random House Publishers
  • Pompeii… Buried Alive by Edith Davis
  • Moonwalk by Judy Donnelly
  • Abe Lincoln’s Hat by Martha Brenner
• If You Lived at the Time of … by various authors, Scholastic Books
  • If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution by Kay Moore
• Interactive History Adventures (You Choose Books) by various authors, Capstone Press Publishers
  • Colonial America by Allison Lassieur
  • Life as a Viking by Allison Lassieur
• Who Was … by various authors, Grosset & Dunlap
  • Who Was Walt Disney? by Whitney Stewart
  • Who Was Paul Revere? by Roberta Edwards