4th and 5th graders (ages 9-10) who love nonfiction will enjoy the variety of subjects on this nonfiction summer reading list made just for them! Young readers can pick their favorite subject like science, art and history, or read a sampling of books on a range of topics!
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Table of contents
General Nonfiction
FACTopia (series) by Kate Hale
The outstanding FACTopia series includes several themed volumes. (Read them all!) The short and fascinating details of outrageous facts peak in these books peak kids' curiosity. What I love about FACTopia! is that it takes readers on a journey rather like a game, in which the reader is led down a trail of information which is all somehow connected, but still distinct. Think of it as "400 degrees of Kevin Bacon."
MORE: If your child never tires of facts choose books from our list of Fact Books for Kids.
How to Be a Genius: Your Brain and How to Train It from DK Publishers
Wouldn't we all love to know the answer to that question!!! My older son also loves the companion book, How to Be a Math Genius. The book explains the facts behind how the human brain processes and stores information, as well as including a plethora of puzzles, brain teasers and activities to keep growing minds busy (and learning).
MORE: Books about the Brain!
Engineering and Science
Built to Last by David Macaulay
is a hugely long book that may indeed keep your kids busy all summer. Lots of detail, intricate illustrations and lengthly explanations of structures will suck kids in. Kids who like to build and engineer stuff will be fascinated. Younger kids who may be daunted by the length and depth of the book will enjoy Macaulay's My Readers Series. Each of these books looks at a single machine, such as the jet engine, the eye, or the toilet (that's right).
MORE: Nonfiction Audiobooks for Kids
To Burp or Not to Burp: A Guide to Your Body in Space by Dave Williams and Loredana Cunti
It's a legitimate question! Do astronauts burp in space? Kids love knowing about the logistics of being in a gravity-free environment. This book will tell them all the details!
Moonshot: The Flight of Apollo 11 by Brian Floca
is a lovely, oversized book about the historic 1969 adventure to the moon. Floca's illustrations bring the wonder and drama of the flight to children, to whom a space adventure now seems commonplace.
MORE: Space Books to Turn Your Kids into Astronauts!
Stephen Biesty's Cross-Sections Castle by Richard Platt and Stephen Biesty
This book is just what the title suggests, an examination of 14th century castle life with illustrations depicting cross-sections of castles. Tons of information about the construction of castles and medieval life lie within.
MORE: Fiction and Nonfiction about Castles
Into the Unknown: How Great Explorers Found Their Way by Land, Sea, and Air by Stewart Ross
Find it: Amazon
Kids will love the fold out illustrations and the detailed drawings in this book. It is absolutely chock full of information. Ross includes fourteen different explorations and looks at the persons, equipment, and geography involved, answering every kid's persistent desire to know how the explorers accomplished such dangerous feats!
Nature and Biology
Eye to Eye: How Animals See The World by Steve Jenkins
If your child enjoys books about animals, I highly recommend searching out Steve Jenkins' books. He has written many fascinating picture books at different reading levels and they all include his stellar cut paper collage illustrations.
MORE: Nonfiction Books about Animals
Dear Wandering Wildebeest: And Other Poems from the Watering Hole by Irene Latham, illustrated by Anna Wadham
Wildebeest is such a fun animal name, but it's not the only animal kids will love to read about! How about the oxpecker, the impala or the ever popular dung beetle? With some entrancing onomatopoeia and informative side notes about the animals and their habitat, kids will keep coming back to this collection of nonfiction poetry again and again.
MORE: Nonfiction Poetry for Kids
The Wheel of the Year by Jessica Roux
It may be summer, but there's no reason not to learn about how nature changes reveals its wonders during every season! I liked this book not just for the information it provided but because it encourages kids to go outside, keep a journal, and observe the natural world. The guide also includes crafts and activities.
The Elephant Scientist by Caitlin O'Connell and Donna M. Jackson
Scientist Caitlin O'Connell studied elephants in Africa and made important discoveries about their behavior and how they communicate with each other. This is actually a really fascinating book, full of information not just about O'Connell, but about elephants and their habitat. Adults will enjoy reading it just as much as the kids.
Human Body Theater: A Non-Fiction Revue by Maris Wicks
A tour through the human body, graphic novel style? Yes, please! This nonfiction graphic novel teaches kids about every inch of the body and how it works. This is an excellent choice for kids who may be reluctant readers, but who love facts and informational books. It's also really fun!
MORE: Books about the Human Body
Poop Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up by Sarah Albee
This book declares it is the "number one book on number two." There is a ton of information about waste, sewage systems, excrement and their place in history and culture in this book.
MORE: Books about Poop!! (It's the book list you didn't know you needed.)
History and Social Sciences
Can You Believe It? How to Spot Fake News and Find the Facts by Joyce Grant, illustrated by Kathleen Marcotte
Grant's book aims to teach kids media literacy so they are able to separate fact from fiction. Six chapters take kids through a fairly comprehensive process wherein they learn about responsible journalism, research techniques, locating quality sources, the perils of errors in the internet age and more. Page layouts, with informative sidebars and illustrations, will appeal to young readers.
MORE: Books about Censorship and Media Literacy
It's Up to You, Abe Lincoln by Leila and Tom Hirschfeld
Find it: Amazon
Are your kids tired of the same old nonfiction format? Try this title on for size! 10 chapters cover ten important moments from Lincoln's life and his decisions surrounding each one. Each chapter is written as if the narrator is speaking directly to Honest Abe. The chapters discuss Lincoln's tough decisions and their repercussions with humor. But despite the seeming irreverence, the reader comes away with a wealth of knowledge about the serious and complex issues Lincoln faced. Highly recommended.
Ick! Yuck! Eew!: Our Gross American History by Lois Miner Huey
Find it: Amazon
I've never met child who didn't love to hear about gross stuff! So while they are "eew-iing" and "yuck-ing" and "gross-ing" sneak in a bit of history, too.
Black Heroes of the Wild West by James Otis Smith
Yes, indeed, there were many Black heroes in the Wild West and they led fascinating lives, as this graphic novel will show you. Smith shares the tales of Mary Fields, aka “Stagecoach Mary,” Bass Reeves, the first black Deputy U.S. Marshal west of the Mississippi, and Bob Lemmons, a talented horseman. The stories are fascinating, and Smith shares interesting historical facts and background in extensive endnotes.
MORE: Nonfiction Graphic Novels
Brick by Brick by Charles R. Smith Jr., illustrated by Floyd Cooper
This picture book that will get your kids thinking about the White House in an entirely new light. This is a fascinating book for adults, too and we will all do well to remember that slaves were a large part of the work force that hauled the bricks and erected one of our nation's most famous symbols of freedom. Smith uses poetry to tell the story of the slaves, their labor and how many of them went on to purchase their freedom. (Side note: I love when non-fiction books are written as poems.) Cooper's illustrations capture the faces of history.
MORE: Books about African American History
Kahoʻolawe: The True Story of an Island and Her People by Kamalani Hurley, illustrated by Harinani Orme
If your child ever expressed a wish to visit the tropical paradise better known as Hawai'i, first have them read this informative picture book about its history. Beginning with its beginnings as a volcanic eruption, Hurley and Orme take readers on a journey through time to the present day.
Arts and Sports
How to Be a Color Wizard: Forage and Experiment with Natural Art Making by Jason Logan
This is not just a book about the intersection of art and science, it's a fun activity book for kids who want to get out there and experiment while making art. Kids will learn about color in the natural world as well as try out recipes for how to make their own paints, inks and dyes from found materials.
Fearless Firsts: Athletes Who Changed the Game by James Buckley Jr. and Ellen Labrecque, illustrated by Steffi Walthall
For kids who love sports and just want to read a little bit between innings, this collection of short biographies is just the things. Young readers will recognize many of the names, but will also learn about some new-to-them trailblazing athletes.
We Are the Ship: The Story of Negro League Baseball by Kadir Nelson
What would summer be without a baseball book? This book is a fascinating narration of the history of the Negro League, its talented players, the struggle of the teams' owners and the important role the League played in the history of the sport in America. Kadir's text is engaging, and as always, his illustrations will amaze you and draw you into the emotional life of this historical period. A must read for all baseball lovers.
Action Jackson by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
This picture book will inspire your children to look at the process that goes into art. It takes upper elementary kids along on Pollock's journey while creating a single work of art, "Number 1, 1950."
A Splash of Red: The Life and Art of Horace Pippin by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet
Horace Pippin was a self-taught painter. He was shot in the arm during WWI, but he worked steadily to learn how to use his arm again to create art. Readers come away with a strong sense of how Pippin used art to interpret the world. Pippin suffered from poverty, the psychological and physical costs of war, but still, his talent propelled him to create. Winner of the Schneider Family Book Award.
More summer reading lists:
Stacey Loscalzo says
What a great list. I have to admit that I have not shared much non-fiction with my girls and as a result, guess what their least favorite type of book... Maybe this list will motivate me to change my pattern!
Jenny says
My non-fiction lover and I thank you for these ideas!
Even in Australia says
I'm looking for a book about architectural styles appropriate for K-1st grade. Any ideas?
Erica MomandKiddo says
Hmm, I'm not sure. Isabel Hill has two books - Building Stories and Urban Animals. Do you know those?
Even in Australia says
Yes, we own both of those! I esp. love Urban Animals, but it's not exactly what I'm looking for. I found a couple of out-of-print books online that I'll look into. I read a class a book about what was different and the same for their great-grandparents, grandparents, etc. and for each it showed the house, the style of dress, the mode of transport, the type of doll. (Really, it was about what is eternal - the sky was blue, the grass was green - but the kids were interested in the buildings!) The buildings shown were mid-century modern, Victorian, and something I couldn't identify, more nondescript. I'd like to build on that interest but they don't want to hear about arches and windows; they want to hear that Victorian houses had lots of stairs and maybe back and front stairs for the family and the "help" etc.
Erica MomandKiddo says
What is the name of that book, do you know? It sounds cool.