Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

5 Faves: Expository Nonfiction Recommended by Cathy Potter

Giant Squid: Searching for a Sea Monster by Mary M. Cerullo and Clyde F. E. Roper (Capstone Press, 2012).

Cerullo and Roper chronicle the
search for the elusive giant squid in this compelling science mystery.
Photographs, illustrations and sidebars full of interesting squid facts make
this a high-interest title for readers all ages.

 

Look Up!: Bird Watching In Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate (Candlewick Press, 2013)
Written in a conversational tone,
this unique field guide teaches children where and how to look for birds. Cate
details all aspects of bird watching including sounds, shapes, colors and
classifications. The ink and watercolor illustrations of cartoon birds steal
the show.

Scaly, Spotted, Feathered, Frilled: How Do We Know What Dinosaurs Really Looked Like?  by Catherine Thimmesh
(Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Books for Young Readers, 2013)

This is by far the most
interesting and unique dinosaur book I have ever read. Thimmesh shares
scientific theories and recent paleontology discoveries to explore the
question: What did dinosaurs look like? The artistic renderings of feathered
and patterned dinosaurs are amazing.

Why’d They Wear That: Fashion as the Mirror of History by Sarah Albee (National Geographic, 2015).
Albee weaves together history and
science in this survey book about fashion fads from past centuries. The vivid
descriptions, use of humor and interesting subject matter make this a popular
title with middle grade readers.

 

Zombie Makers: True Stories of Nature’s Undead by Rebecca Johnson (Millbrook Press, 2013)

The title of this book is just
screaming to be picked up and read.  In chapters alternating between
narrative and expository, Johnson describes how creatures take over the bodies
and brains of other animals. Parasites, worms and fungus, oh my!

Cathy Potter (@cppotter) is a middle school librarian in
Maine. She co-authors The Nonfiction Detectives blog with her friend, Louise Capizzo. Cathy served on the 2014
Sibert Medal committee and the 2018 Newbery Award committee.

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