Non-Fiction Books Every Classroom Library Needs

As a new school year begins, we want to support teachers as you take an inventory of your classroom library.  Just as important as those read aloud fun fiction books are to engage your class, we encourage you to have use our list of Non-Fiction Books Every Classroom Library Needs. These diverse books will inspire kids to learn more about the world around them from everyday heroes as well as world changing leaders.

Comment below with other new titles to help our readers
find new favorites for their bookshelves at home
and in the classroom!

• Non-Fiction Books Every Classroom Library Needs  •

DEAR RUBY, HEAR OUR HEARTS

DEAR RUBY, HEAR OUR HEARTS
Written by Ruby Bridges and Illustrated by Jay Cabuay
Published by Orchard Books

DREAM BIG:

Michael Jordan and the Pursuit of Excellence

Olympic dreams come true in this inspiring picture book from Michael Jordan's mother, author of the New York Times bestselling Salt in His Shoes.

Long before he became a professional All-Star basketball player, Michael Jordan had dreams of winning an Olympic gold medal–and with dedication and perseverance, that's exactly what he did. This heartwarming picture book, written by Michael's mother and illustrated by Barry Root, gives a rare glimpse into a sports hero's childhood and emphasizes the role that good values play in success. An ideal companion to the New York Times bestselling Salt in His Shoes, this is an inspirational story for sports fans, go-getters, and anyone with big dreams!

THE GIRL WHO THOUGHT IN PICTURES:

The Story of Dr. Temple Gradin

If you've ever felt different, if you've ever been low, if you don't quite fit in, there's a name you should know. Meet Dr. Temple Grandin-one of the world's quirkiest science heroes!

When young Temple was diagnosed with autism, no one expected her to talk, let alone become one of the most powerful voices in modern science. Yet, the determined visual thinker did just that. Her unique mind allowed her to connect with animals in a special way, helping her invent groundbreaking improvements for farms around the globe.

In hardcover, The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin was the first book in the educational Amazing Scientists series about the inspirational lives of amazing scientists. In addition to the illustrated rhyming tale, you'll find a complete biography, fun facts, a colorful timeline of events, and even a note from Temple herself!

THE GIRL WHO THOUGHT IN PICTURES: The Story of Dr. Temple Gradin
Written by Julia Finley Mosca and Illustrated by Daniel Rieley
Published by Innovation Press

MOONSHOT

Simply told, grandly shown, and now with eight additional pages of brand-new art and more in-depth information about the historic moon landing, here is the flight of Apollo 11. Here for a new generation of readers and explorers are the steady astronauts clicking themselves into gloves and helmets, strapping themselves into sideways seats.

Here are their great machines in all their detail and monumentality, the ROAR of rockets, and the silence of the Moon. Here is a story of adventure and discovery–a story of leaving and returning during the summer of 1969, and a story of home, seen whole, from far away.

MOONSHOT
Written and Illustrated by Brian Floca
Published by Atheneum Books

NOTHING STOPPED SOPHIE:

The Story of the Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain

The true story of eighteenth-century mathematician Sophie Germain, who solved the unsolvable to achieve her dream.

When her parents took away her candles to keep their young daughter from studying math…nothing stopped Sophie. When a professor discovered that the homework sent to him under a male pen name came from a woman…nothing stopped Sophie. And when she tackled a math problem that male scholars said would be impossible to solve…still, nothing stopped Sophie.

For six years, Sophie Germain used her love of math and her undeniable determination to test equations that would predict patterns of vibrations. She eventually became the first woman to win a grand prize from France's prestigious Academy of Sciences for her formula, which laid the groundwork for much of modern architecture (and can be seen in the book's illustrations).

Award-winning author Cheryl Bardoe's inspiring and poetic text is brought to life by acclaimed artist Barbara McClintock's intricate pen-and-ink, watercolor, and collage illustrations in this true story about a woman who let nothing stop her.

NOTHING STOPPED SOPHIE: The Story of the Unshakable Mathematician Sophie Germain
Written by Cheryl Bardoe and Illustrated by Barbara McClintock
Published by Little, Brown Books for Young Readers

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