Non-Fiction

The non-fiction category contains factual information. 

Non-fiction can be in the form of stories, biographies, informational texts, or historical moments - just to name a few.

 

 

Around the World

Matt Phelan

  Characters: Colonel Pope, Thomas Stevens / Nellie Bly / Joshua Slocum
Summary: In the first story, Colonel Pope imports bicycles to the U.S. and markets them, as they are not popular (the ones with very large front tires). A miner named Thomas Stevens decides that he is sick of working in the mines after 10 years and decides to ride a bike across America. After completing his 3,700 mile journey, he wants to ride across the world and asks Colonel Pope to fund it- he refuses to make it “professional” but will pay him to write about his journey, and so he embarks. Bicycle styles changed and automobiles were slowly being invented, but Stevens completes 13,500 miles on his bike until he takes a ship home when he reaches the water. His journey took about 2 years and his publishings went on for another 3 or so. 

In the second story, Nellie Bly wants to sail around the world to beat the story about “Around the World in 80 Days” (she says she can in 74) and report on it. She has already impressed people by pretending to be crazy to get into an institution for an expose, and her team finally allows her to go. She leaves the next day with only 2 dresses and a bag. During her journey, she is able to meet the author of the book that she is trying to beat. Later, one of her boats is delayed for 5 days, which will offset her journey- but the people at home are still deeply invested in her story. In addition, another reporter named Elizabeth Bisland starts a journey, trying to beat Nellie’s time. In the end, Nellie arrives home in 72 days- beating both the book and the other woman. 

In the third story, Joshua Slocum has a boat that many people look down upon and say it is no good, but he wants to sail it across the world- alone. One night he gets sick and a different captain helps him keep his ship on track during a storm. He has flashbacks of his deceased wife after seeing her grave from their trip years ago where she died in Buenos Aires, and keeps moving forward, soon celebrating his 52 birthday. The Spray eventually makes it back to the port in three years and two months. When he arrives home, people talk about his madness and eccentricity, and 1909 he sets sail again, never to be seen again.
Theme: Follow your heart and complete your goals

 

 Coming to America: The Story of Immigration

Betsy Maestro

Characters: Americans/Immigrants

Setting: America

Summary: This explains how America is made up of immigrants. It tells the stories of Native Americans, Christopher Columbus and other explorers who brought over Europeans, and slaves who were brought over. Conditions on slave ships and immigration ships are explained. It also tells where they live and moved to throughout the United States. Thousands came every year, especially through Ellis Island, where many were denied. We are a melting pot country! In the back of the book, there are dates and facts about immigration and major immigration points. The book has many more other interesting facts about every type of immigrant throughout the years as a country, and also has cute illustrations which help make the entire story very easy and kid-friendly.

Theme: Immigration

Day of the Dead

Tony Johnston

Characters: Mexican family

Setting: Mexico

Summary: This book has many Spanish words incorporated into it, which are italicized. A family makes empanadas, pick fruit, bake bread, get baked goods, make tamales, cut sugarcane, make mole, and get flowers. They have been doing this for weeks to prepare for the Dia de los Muertos. When the day finally comes, all families come out of their homes at night and walk to the graveyard with all of the things they have been getting and making. They sing and dance and eat in celebration of the deceased one’s lives. The back of the book then explains what the day means in general.

Theme: Holidays, Traditions, Diversity

Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave

Laban Carrick Hill

Characters: Dave

Setting: Some time during slave use/ in the south?

Plot:/Summary: This book introduces you to Dave the potter, a black slave. It mostly focuses on detailing how he made his clay pots and all the skills he had. He engraved some of his pots with quotes/poems and dates, which was uncommon that they would know how to write or read. At the end of the book, there is actual historical information on him and you learn that he was real and that these pots are still being found. Historical information in the end of the story is also included.

Theme: History

 

Do Tornadoes Really Twist? Q & A About Tornadoes and Hurricanes

Melvin and Gilda Berger

Characters: n/a

Setting: n/a

Summary: This book is a factual one that asks many questions about tornadoes. Some examples include: Are they always violent? How many occur a year? Who studies them? How do they get named? The answers are child-friendly and easy to understand. There are also realistic illustrations on each page that relate to the questions on that page.

Theme: Hurricanes and Tornadoes

 Francis Scott Key and the Star Spangled Banner

Lynea Bowdish

Characters: Francis Scott Key

Setting: War of 1812

Summary: This book tells the story of how the star spangled banner came to be. Francis was aboard a ship and saw a battle. He was captured on it because the British couldn’t let him go until the battle was over, so he could not tell anyone about their plans. Rockets lit up the night sky that night. When he woke up, the American flag was still standing and the Americas won. He wrote a poem about it to the tune of a song he knew. His poem was printed and everyone sang it and loved it. The entire song is in the back of the book.

Theme: American history

Henry's Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad

Ellen Levine 

Characters: Henry, Nancy, Dr. Smith

Setting: South, Philadelphia

PlSummary: Henry is a young slave boy, who doesn’t even know his birthday. One day, his family’s ill master tells Henry that he is giving him to his son because he is a good worker. He leaves his family while wishing he were free like the bird above him. In his new factory, the master beats the slaves if they make a mistake. When Henry is older, he meets Nancy, who he soon marries when their masters agree. They are lucky to live together and have three children, but Nancy is worried her master will sell them. The next day, his friend James tells him that his wife and kids were sold to the slave trade- and he must continue to work through his grief. Henry decides to send himself away in a box to a place with no slaves with the help of James and a man named Dr. Smith who is against slavery. Needing an excuse to stay home from work, Henry badly burns his hand on purpose, and the next morning Dr. Smith sends him to his friend in Philadelphia. No workers handle the box with care, and Henry is thrown around, upside down, and smushed, but he stays quiet. He finally gets delivered to the friend in Philadelphia, and considers his birthday to be the day he is free at last!

Theme: History, Perseverance 

 

Killer Whales

Seymour Simon

Setting: Oceans
Characters: WhalesSummary: This is an easy reader book about killer whales. It is an informational book, that gives the reader information on them such as what they like to eat, that they don’t hunt people, their size, where they live, etc. and filler pages that just say they are “exciting to watch and learn about”.
Theme: Whales

 

My Great Aunt Arizona

Gloria Houston

  Characters: Arizona

Setting: A small town, rural area

Summary: As a child, Arizona has her hair in braids and wears long dresses. She likes to grow flowers, read, and be carefree with her little brother Jim. They go to school in a one room schoolhouse. When her mother dies, Arizona takes care of the family until they get a step-mother. She can finally leave her family and go to school to become a teacher. When she returns, she teaches in the one room schoolhouse with her braided hair and long dresses and reading of books. She inspires all of her students with the far away places in the books, and makes their schoolhouse a delightful place. She teaches for 57 years until she dies, but she lives on in everyone’s mind.

Theme: Remembering loved ones, Follow your goals

 

 Snowflake Bentley

Jacqueline Briggs Martin

Characters: Snowflake Bentley, his family

Setting: His house, outside in the snow

Summary: This is the true story of Snowflake Bentley. As a boy, Willie Bentley loved snow. He looks through his microscope and loves to share the pictures he takes of snowflakes. Bentley wants a better camera but it is too expensive, yet his parents spend their savings on buying him the newest one. His photos start out bad but he slowly improves them and gives them as gifts and to his friends, as well as hosts slideshows. He was a snowflake expert but never got rich from his knowledge or photos that show every snowflake is unique. Bentley died after getting pneumonia while trying to get some great snow photos. People will always remember him and his statue. There are also facts about him throughout the story on the edge of the pages.

Theme: Biography, Passion

We the Kids: The Preamble to the Constitution of the United States

Dave Catrow

Characters: n/a

Setting: n/a

Plot:/Summary: The illustrator writes a forward in the book to explain why he decided to illustrate this and to talk a bit about the Constitution. Then there is a page that has easier definitions of some words like what the preamble is or what “secure the blessings of liberty” means. The book then tells you to follow the dog in the story, and each page is illustrated brightly using a few kids, the dog, and some lines from the Constitution. The dog somewhat acts out what the lines mean.

Theme: Learning about the Constitution

 

What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?

Steve Jenkins and Robin Page

Characters: Various animals   

Setting: n/a

Plot:/Summary: This book shows about 5 animals and a specific body part like a nose or a mouth, and encourages the reader to guess what the animals do with them on each page. The next page shows the whole animals and it explains how they use it. The whole book goes on like this. In the back pages, there are more details about every animal found in the book.

Theme: Learning about animals