Children's Literature: Nonfiction

Ada Lovelace, the daughter of the famous romantic poet, Lord Byron, develops her creativity through science and math. When she meets Charles Babbage, the inventor of the first mechanical computer, Ada understands the machine better than anyone else and writes the world's first computer program in order to demonstrate its capabilities.

Tells the story behind the creation of "Appalachian Spring," describing Aaron Copland's composition, Martha Graham's intense choreography and Isamu Noguchi's set design.

Young readers learn about the human body and how the skeletal, muscular, respiratory, and circulatory systems function.

Here is a stunning, simple book that will educate readers about how fossil fuels are really buried sunlight--energy caught from the sun by plants that were later trapped deep underground for millions of years.

What are different types of soil made of, and just how is dirt made? In this title, students will get the opportunity to conduct experiments that will help them learn all they ever wanted to know about dirt! Kids will also get the chance to investigate what types of things live in dirt, and they will even get to make their own compost! Using everyday items that kids can easily find around the house, young students will turn into scientists as they carry out step-by-step experiments to answer intriguing questions. Along the way, children will learn important science skills as they investigate dirt and soil, record their observations, and draw conclusions. Dirt includes seven experiments with detailed, age-appropriate instructions, great facts and background information, a "Conclusions" section to pull all the concepts in the book together, and a glossary of science words.

Following his mother, a baby dolphin learns about life under the sea, from catching his first fish to developing his own unique whistle.

In our world there are many faiths. Celebrate faith around the world in its many expressions: praying, singing, learning, helping, caring and more. Photographs from many different cultures and religions traditions highlight the common threads that bring people together in reverence and joy.

When Henri Matisse was a boy, he drew pictures everywhere. And when he grew up, he became a famous artist whose paintings were beloved around the world. Them late in life, a serious illness confined Henri to just his bed and a wheelchair. But amazingly, from there he created some of his finest works , the enormous and breathtaking paper cut-outs.

This playful picture book has the answers. It's a fascinating look at wildlife, weight, counting, and comparisons.

Presents illustrations and the text of the speech given by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963, at the Lincoln Memorial, in which he described his visionary dream of equality and brotherhood for humankind.

Forty years after her death, Janis Joplin remains among the most compelling and influential figures in rock-and-roll history. Her story—told here with depth and sensitivity by author Ann Angel—is one of a girl who struggled against rules and limitations, yet worked diligently to improve as a singer. It’s the story of an outrageous rebel who wanted to be loved, and of a wild woman who wrote long, loving letters to her mom. And finally, it’s the story of one of the most iconic female musicians in American history, who died at twenty-seven.

Tells the story of the Statue of Liberty, the sculptor, the engineer, the newspaper publisher, the poet and many others who had a part in the erection of this monument.

Living Sunlight shows children, teachers and parents the remarkable magic of what makes us human. This informative yet dramatic book will mesmerise readers and help further a child's understanding of the energy we share with all living things in nature. We are all dancing sunlight.

Artist Frida Kahlo finds her own voice and style when her famous husband, Diego Rivera, is commissioned to paint a mural in San Francisco, California, in the 1930s and she finds herself exploring the city on her own.

Detailed illustrations help teach new readers about the edible parts of different plants, including leaves, flowers, stems, roots, and seeds.

An introduction to poverty and hunger answers such questions as what hunger and poverty are, how people around the world are affected by both, and how readers can help them.

Great fun flap book packed with interesting information about space, and the amazing things that float through it - stars, moons, comets, and the planets of our solar system.

This book about the science of snow features photos of snow crystals in their beautiful diversity and includes how snow crystals are formed into different shapes and snow-crystal-catching instructions in the back of the book.

Before the universe was formed, before time and space existed, there was ... nothing. But then ... BANG! Stars caught fire and burned so long that they exploded, flinging stardust everywhere. And the ash of those stars turned into planets. Into our Earth. And into us. In a poetic text, Marion Dane Bauer takes readers from the trillionth of a second when our universe was born to the singularities that became each one of us, while vivid illustrations by Ekua Holmes capture the void before the Big Bang and the ensuing life that burst across galaxies. A seamless blend of science and art, this picture book reveals the composition of our world and beyond -- and how we are all the stuff of stars.

Looks at all the different microbes that inhabit the Earth and examines the varied jobs they do.

Using an "Everyman" player as his narrator, Kadir Nelson tells the story of Negro League baseball from its beginnings in the 1920s through the decline after Jackie Robinson crossed over to the majors in 1947.

Presents an illustrated introduction to the life and work of artist Horace Pippin, describing his childhood love for drawing and the World War I injury that challenged his career.