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
Ebook
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 about each...
I survived the attack of the grizzlies, 1967
Tarshis, Lauren
Paper Book
New York Times bestselling author Lauren Tarshis tackles the historic grizzly bear attacks in Glacier National Park in this latest installment of the groundbreaking 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
Ebook
A thrilling graphic novel adaptation of Lauren Tarshis's bestselling I Survived the Shark Attacks of 1916,with text adapted by Georgia Ball and art by Haus Studio!Chet Roscow is finally feeling at home in his uncle's little New Jersey town. He has three new friends, and they love...
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...
Ultimate weird but true! 3
Paper Book
Get ready for even more zany weird-but-true fun with 1,000 all-new wacky facts, photos, and too-strange-to-believe stories in the newest book in the wildly popular series. It's the ultimate in weird-but-true awesomeness!  National Geographic has packed 1,000 more ALL-NEW wild and...
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!
Minecraft : the unlikely tale of Markus "Notch" Persson and the game that changed everything
Goldberg, Daniel
Paper Book
A few years ago, 32-year-old Markus Notch' Persson of Stockholm was an unknown and bored computer programmer. Today, he is a multi-millionaire international icon. Here, the creator of Minecraft opens up for the first time about his life. About his old Lego-filled desk at school. About the first...
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. "These books are, quite simply, brilliant. . . ....
The book of heroines : tales of history's gutsiest gals
Drimmer, Stephanie Warren
Paper Book
Everybody needs a role model! Discover true stories of superstars, war heroes, world leaders, gusty gals, and everyday women who changed the world. From Sacagawea to Mother Teresa, Annie Oakley to...
A hundred billion trillion stars
Fishman, Seth
Paper Book
Did you know that the earth is covered in three trillion trees? And that seven billion people weigh about the same as ten quadrillion ants? Our world is full of constantly changing numbers, from a hundred billion trillion stars in space to thirty-seven billion rabbits on Earth. Can you imagine that...
What was the Titanic?
Sabol, Stephanie
Paper Book
For more than one hundred 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...
Video games : design and code your own adventure, with 17 projects
Ceceri, Kathy
Paper Book
Catch a glimpse inside a school bus and you'll see lots of kids looking down. What are they doing? They're deciding on strategy, building cities, setting traps for monsters, sharing resources, and nurturing critical relationships. Over 90 percent of kids ages 2-17 play video games....
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...
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...
The astronaut's guide to leaving the planet
Virts, Terry
Ebook
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...
Weird but true! dinosaurs : 300 dino-mite facts to sink your teeth into
Paper Book
Weird But True! is going prehistoric! This new addition to the wildly popular, mind-blowing, fact-packed series is taking on the jaws and claws that ruled the Mesozoic world. Calling all dino dynamos! Get ready to devour wacky wonders, facts, stats, and trivia about all things...
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 claws...
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...
Stories for kids who dare to be different : true tales of amazing people who stood up and stood out
Brooks, Ben
Paper Book
From the New York Times bestselling creators behind Stories for Boys Who Dare to Be Different, this book breaks the stereotype that boys will be boys and girls will be girls by celebrating extraordinary people who break the rules and make positive change.<...
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 center 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?
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...

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