Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Catching Up on 2015 Titles

As 2015 winds down, I am working to catch up on reading nonfiction releases from this year. Here are four that I read recently. 

Brain Games: The Mind Blowing Science of Your Amazing Brain
Jennifer Swanson
National Geographic Kids (September 8, 2015)

Interested in learning about how the brain works but not interested in reading a medical textbook? Swanson provides both young and old readers with information about the brain, and how it works with our memory, emotions, decisions, and actions.  Extra notes, facts and challenges provide readers with layers of information to explore.  

Ebola: Fears and Facts
Patricia Newman
Millbrook Press (August 1, 2015)

Just the mention of the word Ebola can cause a lot of anxiety and fear. Patricia Newman provides readers with information about the history of Ebola outbreaks and facts about the disease. Readers also learn about how doctors and other health care workers are working to contain outbreaks, and prevent deaths. Additional information, a frequently asked questions, and additional resources are included at the end of the book. 

Forgotten Bones: Uncovering a Slave Cemetery
Lois Miner Huey
Millbrook Press (October 1, 2015)

I envy the patience of archeologists. I simply don't have the temperament to participate in a site dig. However, uncovering the mystery behind what is located at a dig is always fascinating. Lois Miner Huey draws in readers as she shares about the slave cemetery discovered in Albany, New York in 2005. Readers are taken through the excavation process, bones studies, and facial reconstruction. The cemetery in Albany was compared to another in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, and New York, New York and information about origins, daily life, and more was pieced together from the bones, DNA, and the burial site. Definitely a worthwhile read.

Animal Planet Animals: A Visual Encyclopedia
Animal Planet
Animal Planet (September 22, 2015)

As a child, I loved looking things up. Without the internet, I was limited to a set of encyclopedias and the library. There is something fascinating about facts and information and when paired with photographs it is a win-win. There are fact boxes, a poster, and even QR codes that allow readers to explore beyond the pages of the book. Oversized and over 300 pages of general facts about hundreds of animals will keep kids flipping through the pages and coming back for more.

All four of these titles are worth adding to a classroom or school library and will appeal to a wide range of students. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:


Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday: Mock Sibert Part III - More Picture Books

Since I do try to read comments and tweets, I am responding to requests for making one more list for those who have decided to join in and give a Mock Sibert Award Challenge a try but need titles that they can easily read and share with their students.  So this post, will include five more picture books. 

If you want to know more about the Mock Sibert Award Challenge, click here. For the a list of my Mock Sibert picks including both picture books and long form titles plus more information about the criteria of the award, click here. 

Here are five additional picture books to add to your list:

A Chicken Followed Me Home!: Questions and Answers About a Familiar Fowl by Robin Page (Beach Lane Books, May 2015) - This question and answer format is just right in providing younger readers with lots of great information about chickens. 

Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews, Illustrated by Bryan Collier (Abrams Books for Young Readers, April 2015) - I found this autobiographical picture book fascinating to read and Collier's illustrations are gorgeous. I wouldn't be surprised if it was honored with a Coretta Scott King Award for story and illustrations.

Poet: The Remarkable Story of George Moses Horton by Don Tate (Peachtree Publishers, September 2015) - Another picture book biography that I enjoyed reading was POET. I loved learning about George Moses Horton and his life and writing. 

Earmuffs for Everyone!: How Chester Greenwood Became Known as the Inventor of Earmuffs by Meghan McCarthy (Simon & Schuster, January 2015) - I am a big fan of McCarthy's work and was particularly intrigued in how she wrote this story. An excellent choice for older students to discuss when thinking about who is really the inventor of something.

I, Fly: The Buzz About Flies and How Awesome They Are by Bridget Heos; Illustrated by Jennifer Plecas (Henry Holt and Co., March 2015) - I thoroughly enjoyed both the humor and information packed into this book. Heos is quite talented in putting the two together. 

This will be my last Mock Sibert post for a few weeks. Happy reading and I hope that you will link up your Mock Sibert predictions so that everyone can read them.  If you do not have a blog, please feel free to share your top Mock Sibert pick in the comments. 

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: