When people ask me how to find great nonfiction books for kids, I
typically list a half dozen national awards. But lately, I’ve noticed a new
trend that’s worth mentioning—more and more states are beginning to create
annual lists of favorite nonfiction books.
The first of these is California’s
Eureka! Nonfiction Book Award, which
has been around for many years. In 2018, it was joined by the Texas Topaz Nonfiction
Gems List. And in 2020, Missouri introduced the Dogwood Titles to honor nonfiction. I hope we see more of these lists popping up
in other states in coming years.
Some of
the nonfiction book review blogs I used to recommend have ceased
publication, but the good news is that I’ve discovered two new ones that I’m
really excited about.
The Curious Kids’ Librarian is
maintained by Amy Broadmoore (@amybroadmoore), a school librarian and Cybils Nonfiction
Award judge. It features nonfiction book reviews and tips for teaching research
skills effectively.
Why We Love
Nonfiction is a new column in Bookology, an incredibly useful
children’s literature ezine. I can’t wait to see how this new feature evolves
over time.
Kids love
nonfiction, and it’s important to have a variety of great resources for finding
just the right nonfiction titles for the students you serve.
2 Responses
Great post, thanks! We can remember this when people ask for nonfiction recommendations.
Thanks for these!