Kids Nonfiction for Reluctant Readers

Pique your child's interest in reading by introducing books about topics aligned with their curiosities and pursuits.

Updated June 9, 2026
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Ultimate showdown : 5 books in 1!
Pallotta, Jerry
Paper Book
Who Would Win? is back with another exciting bind-up featuring five more books in this action-packed animal series! What if one dangerous animal had a fight with another? Who do you think would win? In this five-book bind-up of the popular Who Would Win? series, kids will learn...
I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
Bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the historic grizzly bear attacks in Glacier National Park in this latest installment of the groundbreaking, New York Times bestselling I Survived series.No grizzly has ever killed a human in Glacier before . . . until tonight. Eleven-year-old Melody...
I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916 : A Graphic Novel (I Survived Graphic Novel #2). I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916: A Graphic Novel (I Survived Graphic Novel #2)
Ball, Georgia
Paper Book
Based on true events! It's the summer of 1916 and the Jersey shore is being terrorized by a Great White shark. Can 10-year-old Chet and his friends survive a swim in the local creek? Chet Roscow is finally feeling at home in Elm Hills, New Jersey. He has a job with his uncle Jerry...
This or that? : the wacky book of choices to reveal the hidden you
Boyer, Crispin
Paper Book
Would you rather walk on hot coals or swim in the Arctic Ocean?  Learn to fly a helicopter or learn to perform open-heart surgery? Be frozen and then thawed out in the future at the age you are now or live forever?Welcome to the Book of Choices, where every answer brings you one step closer to...
National Geographic kids almanac 2026
Paper Book
Packed with incredible photos, tons of fun facts, activities, exclusive National Geographic Explorer interviews, and fascinating features about animals, science, nature, and more! Kids who want to know everything about everything need the National Geographic Kids Almanac!...
Shark lady : the true story of how Eugenie Clark became the ocean's most fearless scientist
Keating, Jess
Paper Book
One of New York Times' Twelve Books for Feminist Boys and Girls! This is the story of a woman who dared to dive, defy, discover, and inspire. This is the story of Shark Lady. One of the best science picture books for children, Shark Lady is a must for both teachers and parents alike! ...
Pokémon big book of facts : with hundreds of facts about the pokémon world.
Beecroft, Simon
Paper Book
Discover more than 1,500 facts about all things Pokémon in this must-have guide Become a Pokémon expert with this fact-packed book full of need-to-know info from the Pokédex. Covering the different Pokémon types, regions, habitats, and more, the Pokémon Big Book of Facts...
Butt or face? : ador-a-butts!
Lavelle, Kari
Paper Book
Are you ready for round four of the hilarious guessing game picture book? Discover fascinating facts about adorable animals while guessing if you're looking at a butt or a face! Butt or Face? Volume 4: Adora-Butts continues the entertaining challenge with a new set of (cute!) animals from...
Donner dinner party : a pioneer tale
Hale, Nathan
Paper Book
In author-illustrator Nathan Hale's Donner Dinner Party, discover the shocking and true story of the ill-fated expedition in this Hazardous Tale from the New York Times bestselling graphic novel series. In the spring of 1846, a group of...
A hundred billion trillion stars
Fishman, Seth
Paper Book
A Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor Book * Winner of the Mathical Book Prize Perfect for curious children, classrooms eager for STEM content, and readers who have devoured Ada Twist, Scientist and How Much Is a Million?, this nonfiction picture book is an excellent...
What was the Titanic?
Sabol, Stephanie
Paper Book
For more than 100 years, people have been captivated by the disastrous sinking of the Titanic that claimed over 1,500 lives. Now young readers can find out why the great ship went down and how it was discovered seventy-five years later. At 2-20 a.m. on April 15, 1912, the Royal...
Are there rainbows in space? : a colorful compendium of seriously cool science
Kanani, Sheila
Paper Book
What color is a polar bear under its fur? How do flamingos turn pink? What is a blue moon? Find the answers to all these fun questions and much more in this fact-filled adventure into the colorful world around us! The science of colors is hard at work all the time--from...
Packing for Mars for kids
Roach, Mary
Paper Book
What is it like to float weightlessly in the air? What happens if you vomit in your helmet during a spacewalk? How do astronauts go to the bathroom? Is it true that they don't shower? Can farts really be deadly in space? Best-selling Mary Roach has the answers. In this...
Extreme survival : how people, plants, and animals live in the world's toughest places
Lerwill, Ben
Map
From the sweltering depths of the Amazon Rainforest to the freezing plains of the Arctic, Earth is filled with extreme places for incredible adventures. But could you survive them? Discover how to navigate the vast Australian outback, keep yourself alive in a...
Weird but true! USA : 300 fascinating facts about the fifty states
Paper Book
It's weird. It's true. And now, it's red, white, and blue! Explore the wonderfully wacky side of the United States of America Weird But True! style. Calling all patriots! Get ready to explore wacky wonders, facts, stats, tidbits, and trivia about America's 50 states and...
Oddball animals : 2,501 fantastic facts about the weirdest, wackiest, and wildest creatures on earth
Mattern, Joanne
Paper Book
From the #1 New York Times bestselling World Almanac comes a colorful, fun-filled book devoted to the odd, fascinating, and unusual animals that share our planet. From the weirdest mammals and birds, to reptiles, amphibians, insects, and fish you may not...
The astronaut's guide to leaving the planet
Virts, Terry
Paper Book
In this exciting book, a former NASA astronaut inspires the next generation of space travellers with answers to all kids' questions on how people become astronauts, how they prepare for space travel, and what it's like to live and work in space. A kid's guide to leaving the planet...
The curse of the mummy : uncovering Tutankhamun's tomb
Fleming, Candace
Paper Book
Award-winning and critically acclaimed author Candace Fleming presents the edge-of-your-seat true story of the search for Tutankhamun's tomb, the Western public's belief that the dig was cursed, and the battle for ownership of the treasures within. Scholastic Focus is the premier...
Counting on Katherine : how Katherine Johnson saved Apollo 13
Becker, Helaine
Paper Book
The bold story of Katherine Johnson, an African-American mathematician who worked for NASA during the space race and was depicted in the film Hidden Figures. You've likely heard of the historic Apollo 13 moon landing. But do you know about the mathematical genius...
What fish are saying : strange sounds in the ocean
Pendreigh, Kirsten
Paper Book
Perfect for curious kids ages 4-8, parents, and educators seeking fun and educational reads! Did you know that fish grunt, shellfish crackle, and some sea creatures even burp and boop to communicate? Dive into a fascinating underwater adventure as one little shellfish guides...
What if you could sniff like a shark? : explore the superpowers of ocean animals
Markle, Sandra
Paper Book
If you could have any ocean animal's superpower, whose would you choose?What if you woke up one morning, and you suddenly had the superpower of an ocean animal? If you could shapeshift like a giant Pacific octopus, you could squeeze through even the smallest gaps. If you could snap your...
A journey under the sea
Foster, Craig, (Filmmaker)
Paper Book
From the creator of the Oscar-winning documentary My Octopus Teacher and his diving partner comes a best-in-class photographic picture book about the wonders of the sea. Here's an ode to the mysteries of the ocean, the animals who share our planet, and the healing power of...
Sharks : 300 fin-nomenal facts to dive into
Paper Book
Whale sharks have tiny teeth covering their eyeballs! It's Weird But True! And this fin-tastic, photo- and fact-packed book in the best-selling series is the most jaw-some yet! Sink your chompers into these wild facts: Great white sharks can detect a single drop of...
Why do elephants have big ears? : questions--and surprising answers--about animals
Jenkins, Steve
Paper Book
Fascinating "Why" questions about animals, and plenty of new ones, take centre stage in the latest book by Caldecott Honor-winning duo Steve Jenkins and Robin Page. Do you know why a camel has a hump? A Zebra has stripes? Or why...
Solar system : by the numbers
Jenkins, Steve
Paper Book
By the Numbers infographic readers, accessible nonfiction packed with full-color cut-paper illustrations from Caldecott honor-winning Steve Jenkins. Solar Systems focuses on ever-astonishing outer space. Through infographics and illustrations readers will learn...
Toes, teeth, and tentacles : a curious counting book
Jenkins, Steve
Paper Book
This latest book by the Caldecott Honor-winning team of Steve Jenkins and Robin Page highlights the numerous strange and fascinating features and appendages from teeth to toes to tongues of all kinds of animals. Did you know... a praying mantis only has one ear?...

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