American Heroes: Four Books Highlight the Fight Against Racism | Nonfiction...
It doesn’t matter to students whether superheroes are real or fictional. It’s all the same battle as long as they fight injustice. These four books bring the struggle against prejudice and inequality...
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The Secret Lives of Presidents: A behind-the-scenes look at the residents of...
Every U.S. president had a mother. Most of them had children and pets. Combine these obvious, but often-unconsidered facts with a touch of humor and they spell can’t-miss booktalks. Start with Beverly...
View ArticleGetting High: These incredible stories will catapult kids to surprising new...
I’m not interested in extinct birds. Or Mars rovers. I’m marginally intrigued by Mohawk ironworkers. But give me a really good book on those topics, and I’m hooked. Phillip Hoose can get me engrossed...
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Books That Explore Our (Very Distant) Past: Ancient skulls and skeletons can...
I love staring at faces in old photos and trying to guess who those sepia-tinted people were. The authors of the following books have the same habit, but they go deeper and further back in time. They...
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The Bear Facts: Books About Cuddly Creatures | Nonfiction Booktalker
Cozy, cuddly, cute—yes, I’m talking about bears. Penguins may be popular, but bears are perennial. And K–4 readers can virtually cuddle away when they stare at the bruins in these colorful books. Lia...
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Flight for Freedom: True stories of courageous individuals who escaped from...
This year marks the 150th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln’s signing of the 1863 Emancipation Proclamation. The document—an executive order rather than a law—was imperfect: the abolition of slavery was...
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Tough Cookies Who Changed the Course of History | Nonfiction Booktalker
Here’s a recipe for stories with tough cookies: take one strong, intelligent woman, mix with adversity, add lack of opportunity and restrictions to education, pepper with patience and resolve, and the...
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What Lies Beneath: Weird and Unusual Marine Life | Nonfiction BookTalker
Animals with transparent guts! Fish that make their own light! An underwater bird? It’s not a horror movie or science fiction. It’s happening right now roughly 36,000 feet below sea level. Booktalk...
View ArticleDeath and Destruction’s Lure: Catastrophes Equal Riveting Booktalks
Young learners know from watching television and listening to grown-ups that disasters can strike anywhere. Show your booktalk listeners a map of North America and point to Canada’s eastern coast,...
View ArticleTo the Rescue!: These incredible new tales can inspire your students to fight...
Michael Tunnell’s latest book did something amazing to my brain. Now I can’t hear the word “candy” without thinking of the word “hero.” This is a delectable combination that I’m certain my booktalk...
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Flashback: Historical Photos Transport Us to the Past | Nonfiction Booktalker
Time travel, as envisioned by authors H.G. Wells and/or Jon Scieszka, isn’t happening anytime soon. But all humans can journey into the past using a simple scientific invention that has been around for...
View ArticleSeriously Scary Stuff | Nonfiction Booktalker
Nothing appeals to young readers like fear, horror, and gore When the young man who is my new neighbor dropped in to use the phone, there, perched upon on my footstool, was Joshua Gee’s Encyclopedia...
View ArticleHistory with a Hook | Nonfiction Booktalker
Famous mysteries that have endured for decades will delight kids A strand of hair, a broken bone, and a girl who hid from the sunlight for two years. They all represent mysteries that have endured for...
View ArticleExtreme Science | Nonfiction Booktalker
The self-sacrifice of some scientists will inspire awe, admiration, and chills You’ve heard of people throwing themselves into their work, right? Well, these books for grades five to eight introduce us...
View ArticleWe’re Just Wild About Harry | Nonfiction Booktalker
Master magician Harry Houdini still fascinates and mystifies kids of all ages Wherever I go to do a booktalk, children still know his name. Not his real name, but the name he gave himself, the name...
View ArticleA Brave New World | Nonfiction Booktalker
The Earth still has many surprises to offer While we might sympathize with Alexander the Great, who wept after his last battle because there were no more worlds to conquer, there’s no need for sorrow....
View ArticleAll the Juicy Details | Nonfiction Booktalker
There’s a lot more to history than names and dates Young readers might think history is all about dead people, unpronounceable names, and forgettable dates. But Steve Sheinkin knows all the good stuff...
View ArticleWhat a Way to Go | Nonfiction Booktalker
Long before flu shots and Band-Aids, a sprained ankle or toothache could lead to lingering illness—even death. Just mention this fact to your students, and they’ll inch closer as you booktalk these...
View ArticleLeader of the Pack: The lives of our former presidents make for a compelling...
Which president was the first to travel in an airplane? (Theodore Roosevelt) Which president weighed only 100 pounds? (James Madison) And the killer question: Which president was the first one born in...
View ArticleTough Cookies: Brave women who broke the mold | Nonfiction Booktalker
Through the centuries, American women have stared at their familiar surroundings to see unfamiliar possibilities. Here’s a bevy of new books about these adventurous lives to share with your young...
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