Many children love to read books in a series – exploring all or many of them in ones like The Magic Treehouse, opens a new window or My Weird School, opens a new window fiction series.
There are also some series in nonfiction that are very popular though not necessarily as easy to find as they are not shelved in the library in one group as series fiction are. Here are some of the favorite ones that go beyond early readers but not as deeply as an encyclopedia or more detailed nonfiction book:
Who Was...
The Who Was, opens a new window (or Is) books are instantly recognizable by the large-headed illustrations of the subject on the cover as in this biography of Kamala Harris, opens a new window.
There are also What Was... and Where is... books with information on objects, groups, organizations, movements, locations. These are great reads with both current and historical subjects. While everyone would enjoy these, they are very much like our series books, especially suited for grades 2 through 5. They are a wonderful introduction to biographies.
You Wouldn’t Want to...
The You Wouldn’t Want to, opens a new window books explain all the reasons you wouldn’t want to be someone or live without something.
You Wouldn't Want to Live Without Books!
These books cover contemporary topics as well as historical ones with a great sense of humor and funny illustrations while also being packed with information. They are recommended for grades 3 and up.
Eyewitness Guides
The Eyewitness Guides, opens a new window by Dorling Kindersley are packed with photos that give a great overall presentation on a subject in two page chunks. There is no narrative, but they allow you to dig into any particular topic without regard to order – just interest. These are great for all ages – for young children to explore with an adult, for grade school kids to explore at will, or for anyone curious about the subject matter. An example is Ocean:
There are also ones that go in depth within some areas like Shark, opens a new window (who of course live in the ocean):
These books cover subjects across nonfiction including climate, environments, historical events, nations or continents, animals, etc.
Basher Books
The Basher Books, started by Simon Basher, cover basics, opens a new window, science, opens a new window, STEM, opens a new window, coding, opens a new window, geography, opens a new window, and even some history, opens a new window. They have a distinctive illustration style, as in Pandemic:
Like the Eyewitness books, subjects are explored in two-page spreads. One page will have most illustrations while the other provides the information. These are great for grades 3 through 6.
Magic Treehouse Fact Trackers
The Magic Treehouse Fact Checkers, opens a new window are nonfiction companions to the fictional books allowing for exploration of the facts behind the mission in the books. For example, Leonardo Da Vinci is the nonfiction companion to Monday With a Mad Genius.
Hopefully this introduction to nonfiction series will help you to find some fun new reads!
-Kathy Swartz, Youth Services Librarian, Children's Library | Follow @teal_librarian, opens a new window on Bibliocommons
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