K-2 Nonfiction Books

If I was building classroom libraries across the K-2 span and wanted to include recently published, high quality nonfiction read aloud texts, these books would be among the first I would order.

Aruego, Jose. (2002). Weird Friends: Unlikely Allies in the Animal Kingdom. Illustrated by Ariane Dewey. San Diego, CA: Harcourt.

Alarcon, Francisco X. (2008). Animal Poems of the Iguazú. Illustrated by Maya Christina Gonzalez. San Francisco, CA: Children’s Book Press.

Argueta, Jorge. (2010). Arroz con leche / Rice Pudding. Illustrated by Fernando Vilela. Toronto: Groundwood Books.

Bang, Molly & Penny Chislholm. (2009). Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life. New York: The Blue Sky Press.

Barasch, Lynne. (2007). Hiromi’s Hands. New York: Lee & Low.

Berne, Jennifer. (2008). Manfish: A Story of Jacques Cousteau. Illustrated by Eric Puybaret. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Bial, Raymond. (2000). A Handful of Dirt. New York: Walker.

Brown, Monica. (2007). My Name Is Gabito: The Life of Gabriel García Márquez. Illustrated by Raul Colon.  Flagstaff, AZ: Rising Moon.

Brown, Monica. (2008). Pelé: King of Soccer / Pelé El rey del fútbol. New York: Rayo.

Cassio, Mark.  (2009). The Story of Snow: The Science of Winter’s Wonder. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Christian, Peggy. (2008). If You Find a Rock. Photographs by Barbara Hirsch Lember. New York: Sandpiper.

Cobb, Vicki.  (2008). Your Body Battles a Skinned Knee. Minneapolis, MN: Lerner.
Cohn, Diana. (2005). ¡Si, Se Puede! / Yes, We Can!: Janitor Strike in L.A. Illustrated by Francisco Delgado. El Paso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.
Crandell, Rachel. (2002). Hands of the Maya: Villagers at Work and Play. New York: Henry Holt.
Crandell, Rachel. (2009). Hands of the Rainforest: The Emberá People of Panama. New York: Henry Holt.
Dotlich Rebecca Kai. (2006). What Is Science? Illustrated by Sachiko Yoshikawa.  New York: Henry Holt.

Fitzgerald, Dawn. (2009). Vinnie and Abraham. Illustrated by Catherine Stock.  Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishers.

Floca, Brian. (2007). Lightship. New York: Athenuem.

Fox, Karen C. (2010). Older Than the Stars. Illustrated by Nancy Davis. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Franco, Betsey. (2009). Zero is the Leaves on the Tree. Illustrated by Shino Arihara. San Francisco, CA: Tricycle Press. 
Gerber, Carole. (2006). Leaf Jumpers. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Gerber, Carole. (2009). Winter Trees. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Goldberg, Dana (ed.). (2012). On My Block: Stories and Paintings by Fifteen Artists. San Francisco, CA: Children's Book Press. 

Grimes, Nikki. (2012). Barack Obama: Son of Promise, Child of Hope. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. New York: Little Brown. 

Hale, Christy. (2012). Dreaming Up: A Celebration of Building. New York: Lee & Low.

from Dreaming Up:  Celebration of Building

Hill, Laban Carrick. (2010). Dave the Potter: Artist, Poet, Slave. Illustrated by Bryan Collier. New York: Little Brown.

Hopkinson, Deborah. (2012). Sky Boys: How They Built the Empire State Building. Illustrated by James E. Ransome. New York: Dragonfly.

Hopkinson, Deborah. (2008). Abe Lincoln Crosses a Creek: A Tall, Thin Tale. Illustrated by John Hendrix. New York: Schwartz & Wade.
Hopkinson, Deborah. (2012). Annie and Helen. Illustrated by Raul Colon. New York: Schwartz & Wade.

Jenkins, Steve. (2009). Down, Down, Down: A Journey to the Bottom of the Sea. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

Jenkins, Steve. (2011). Just a Second. New York: Houghton Mifflin.

King, Martin Luther, Jr. (2012). I Have a Dream. Illustrated by Kadir Nelson. New York: Schwartz and Wade.

from I Have a Dream. Paining by Kadir Nelson.

Kirby, Pamela. (2009). What Bluebirds Do. Honesdale, PA: Boyds Mills Press.

Kirk, Connie Ann. (2004). Sky Dancers. Illustrated by Christy Hale. New York: Lee & Low.

Krull, Kathleen. (2008). Hillary Rodham Clinton: Dreams Take Flight. New York: Simon & Schuster.
Landowne, Youme. (2010). Mali Under the Night Sky: A Lao Story of Home. El PAso, TX: Cinco Puntos Press.

Llewellyn, Claire. (2002). Earthworms. Illustrated by Barrie Watts. New York: Franklin Watts. 

Lewin, Ted. (2008). How Much? Visiting Markets Around the World. New York: Harper Collins.

Lewin, Ted & Betsy Lewin. (2008). Horse Song: The Naadam of Mongolia. New York: Lee & Low Books.

Low, William. (2012). Machines Go To Work in the City. New York: Henry Holt.
Martin, Jacqueline Briggs. (2010). The Chiru of High Tibet: A True Story. Illustrated by Linda Winegerter. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

McCarthy, Meghan. (2010). Pop! The Accidental Invention of Bubble Gum. New York: Simon & Schuster.

McCully, Emily Arnold. (2006). Marvelous Mattie: How Margaret E. Knight Became an Inventor. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Messner, Kate. (2011). Over and Under the Snow. Illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal. San Francisco, CA: Chronicle Books.

Mora, Pat. (2009). Book Fiesta! Celebrate Children’s Day/Book Day / Celebremos El día de los niños/El día de los libros. Illustrated by Rafael Lopez. New York: Rayo.
Nivola, Claire. (2008). Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

Nivola, Claire. (2012). Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

from Life in the Ocean: The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle.

Page, Robin & Steve Jenkins. (2010). How to Clean a Hippopotamus: A Look at Unusual Animal Partnerships. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin.

Parker, Robert Andrew. (2008). Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum. New York: Schwartz & Wade.

Pfeffer, Wendy. (2007). A Log's Life. Illustrations by Robin Brickman. New York: Aladdin.
Reynolds, Jan. (2007). Mongolia (Vanishing Cultures). New York: Lee & Low Books.

Roth, Susan & Cindy Trumbore. (2011). The Mangrove Tree: Planting Trees to Feed Families. Illustrated by Susan L. Roth. New York: Lee & Low.

Rumford, James. (2012). From the Good Mountain: How Gutenberg Changed the World. New York: Flash Point.
Sayre, April Pulley. (2005). Stars Beneath Your Feet: The Surprising Story of Dust. Illustrated by Ann Jonas. New York Greenwillow.

Sayre, April Pulley. (2007). Vulture View. Illustrated by Steve Jenkins. New York: Henry Holt.

Sayre, April Pulley. (2010). Turtle, Turtle, Watch Out! Illustrated by Annie Paterson. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge Publishing.

Schaefer, Lola M. (2006). An Island Grows. Illustrated by Cathie Felstead. New York: Greenwillow.

Sheldon, David (2009). Into the Deep: The Life of Naturalist and Explorer William Beebe. Watertown, MA Charlesbridge.

Standbridge, Joanne. (2012). The Extraordinary Music of Mr. Ives: The True Story of a Famous Composer. Boston, MA: Houghton MIfflin 
Stewart, Melissa. (2009). Under the Snow. Illustrated By Constance R. Bergum. Atlanta, GA: Peachtree Publishers.

from  Up, Up, and Away. 

Wadsworth, Ginger. (2009). Up, Up, and Away. Illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne. Watertown, MA: Charlesbridge.

Warren, Sarah. (2012). Dolores Huerta: A Hero to Migrant Workers. Illustrated by Robert Casilla.  Tarrytown, NY: Marshall Cavendish.

Watson, Renee.  (2012). Harlem's Little Blackbird. Illustrated by Christian Robinson. New York: Random House. 
Wells, Robert E. (2010.) What’s So Special about Planet Earth? Morton Grove, IL: Albert Whitman & Company,

Winter, Jeanette. (2007). Tale of Pale Male: A True Story. New York: Harcourt.

Winter, Jeanette. (2008). Wangari’s Trees of Peace. New York: Harcourt Children’s Books.
Winter, Jeanette. (2011).  The Watcher: Jane Goodal’s Life with Chimps. New York: Schwartz & Wade.

Winter, Jonah. (2009). Sonia Sotomayor: A Judge Grows in the Bronx / La juez que creció en el Bronx.  New York: Atheneum.

Yezerski, Thomas F. (2011). Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story. New York: Farrar, Straus & Giroux.

Young, Ed. (2005). Beyond the Great Mountain: A Visual Poem about China. San Francisco, CA: Tricycle Press.