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Nickel and Dimed: On Not Getting by in America
— Barbara Ehrenreich
The author relates her experiences in which she
joined the ranks of the working poor to see for
herself how America’s unskilled workers are able
to survive on $6 or $7 an hour.
High School—Business, Economics
Steve Jobs — Walter Isaacson
A biography of Steve Jobs, focusing on his intense
personality and creative success as the founder of
Apple.
High School—Business, Economics
Math/Economics
Money Madness — written by David A. Adler,
illustrated by Edward Miller
A beginning guide to economics that introduces
young learners to the purpose and value of money.
Elementary — Economics, Money
It’s not what you’ve got! Lessons for kids on money
and abundance — written by Wayne Dyer with
Kristina Tracy, illustrated by Stacy Heller Budnick
Discusses ten points to help children develop
healthy attitudes about money.
Elementary — Economics, Money
Show me the money — Alvin Hall
Presents a simple guide to understanding how
finance, economics, and business work.
Elementary/Middle Grades — Economics, Money
Math/Economics
Sir Cumference and the Isle of Immeter: a math
adventure — Cindy Neuschwander; illustrated
by Wayne Geehan
Young Per and her cousin Radius set out to unlock
the secret of Immeter before the sea serpent finds
them.
Elementary — Math, Geometry
From zero to infinity: what makes numbers
interesting — Constance Reid
In a simple to understand style, examines number
theory of the natural numbers, focusing on the
digits themselves.
High School — Discrete
The history of counting — Denise Schmandt-
Besserat; illustrated by Michael Hays
Describes the evolution of counting and the many
ways to count and write numbers.
Elementary — Math, Counting
The grapes of math: mind-stretching math
riddles — Greg Tang, illustrated by Harry Briggs
Illustrated riddles introduce strategies for solving a
variety of math problems by visual clues.
Elementary — problem solving
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming—
Mike Brown
Astronomer Mike Brown describes how his search
for a tenth planet led to the demotion of Pluto to a
dwarf planet.
High School — Earth Science
Murmurs from the Deep: Scientific Adventure in
the Caribbean — Gilles Fonteneau
Recounts the author’s expedition to study
tectonic forces a the center of the Caribbean and
the surprising results that could help scientists
prevent a tsunami disaster.
Middle/High School — Earth Science,
Oceanography
Science
A tree for all seasons — Robin Bernard
Examines the changes that occur in a sugar maple
tree as the seasons progress.
Elementary — Seasons, Weather
Violent weather: thunderstorms, tornadoes, and
hurricanes — Andrew Collins
An introduction to violent weather, featuring
photographs and descriptions and discussing the
work of meteorologists.
Elementary/Intermediate — Weather
Moonshot: the flight of Apollo 11 — Brian Floca
An illustrated account of the flight of Apollo 11 in
1969, the first manned mission to land on the
moon.
Elementary/Intermediate — Space
Phineas Gage: a gruesome but true story about
brain science — John Fleischman
The true story of Phineas Gage, whose brain had
been pierced by an iron rod in 1848, and who
survived and became a case study in how the brain
functions.
Middle/High School — Science
The Hurricanes: One High School Team’s
Homecoming after Katrina — Jere Longman
Discusses the many obstacles conquered by a high
school formed out of several communities ravaged
by Hurricane Katrina.
High School — Earth Science, Health, Psychology
Charles and Emma: the Darwins’ Leap of Faith
— Deborah Heiligman
A biography that provides an account of the
personality behind evolutionary theory and the
affect of his work on his personal wife, such as his
relationship with his religious wife.
High School — Biology
Science
Tell me tree: all about trees for kids — Gail
Gibbons
Provides information about how the different parts
of trees and how they grow. Offers instruction on
how to identify tree species.
Elementary — Plants, Nature
The emperor’s egg — Martin Jenkins, illustrated
by Jane Chapman
Describes the parental behavior of Emperor
penguins, focusing on how the male keeps the egg
warm.
Elementary — Animals
What do you do with a tail like this? — Steve
Jenkins and Robin Page
Looks at the ways in which different animals use
their ears, eyes, mouths, noses, feet, and tails.
Elementary — Animals
The Children’s Blizzard — David Laskin
Presents the true story of the January 1888
blizzard that caught settlers and immigrants off
guard and cost the lives of over 500 people.
Middle/High School — Science
Feynman — Jim Ottaviani
A graphic novel on the life and accomplishments of
Nobel-winning quantum physicist, adventurer, and
musician Richard Feynman.
High School — Physics
Med Head: My Knock-Down, Drag-Out, Drugged-Up
Battle with my Brain — James Patterson and Hal
Friedman
Tells the true story of Cory Friedman and his 13-
year battle with Tourette’s Syndrome.
High School — Biology, Genetics, Health
Stiff: the Curious Lives of Human Cadavers —
Mary Roach
Explores how human cadavers have been used
throughout history, discussing how dead bodies
have benefited every aspect of human existence.
High School — Biology, Forensics
The Burn Journals — Brent Runyon
Presents the true story of the author, who at 14 set
himself on fire and sustained burns on over 80% of
his body.
High School — Health, Psychology, Sociology
This is your life cycle — Heather Lynn Miller;
illustrated by Michael Chesworth
Bob Beetle follows the life of Dahlia Dragonfly,
providing information on the different stages in the
life of a dragonfly.
Elementary — Animals, Insects
Science
Temple Grandin: how the girl who loved cows
embraced autism and changed the world — Sy
Montgomery
Examines the life of Temple Grandin, whose
childhood diagnosis of autism and love of cows led
her to revolutionize the livestock industry.
Middle/High School — Science, Health
Tweak: Growing Up on Methamphetamines —
Nic Sheff
The author describes his childhood and his
addiction to meth and heroin at a young age.
High School — Biology, Psychology, Health
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks — Rebecca
Skloot
Examines the experiences of Henrietta Lacks,
whose cancer cells were used to create the
immortal cell line known as the HeLa cell.
High School — Biology, Genetics
Beautiful Boy: a Father’s Journey Through his
Son’s Addiction — David Sheff
The author tells the story of his son’s happy early
childhood and the transformation wrought by his
son’s addiction to methamphetamine.
High School — Biology, Psychology, Health
Science
Pick, pull, snap! Where once a flower bloomed —
Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Lindsay Barrett
George
Describes how raspberries, peanuts, corn, and
other foods are produced as various plants flower,
seed, and bear fruit.
Elementary — Plants
Where in the wild? Camouflaged creatures
concealed — and revealed — David M. Schwartz
and Yael Schy, eye-tricking photos by Dwight Kuhn
Poems with clues prompt readers to guess the
identities of ten camouflaged animals. Fact pages
present information on each species.
Elementary — Animals
On the same day in March: a tour of the world’s
weather — Marilyn Singer; illustrated by Frane
Lessac
Highlights a wide variety of weather conditions by
taking a tour around the world and examining
weather in different places on the same day in
March
Elementary — Weather
What Would Lincoln Do?—David Acord
A practical guide to developing effective
communication and problem-solving skills using
the principles that Abraham Lincoln used to solve
some of his most challenging situations.
Middle/High School—Social Studies, Problem
Solving, Sociology
Auschwitz — Pascal Croci
Presents a graphic novel which follows the
experiences of husband and wife who survive their
incarceration at the Nazi concentration camp at
Auschwitz-Birkenau, but lose their daughter.
High School — World History
Social Studies
Outbreak: plagues that changed history —
Written and Illustrated by Bryn Barnard
Examines Some of the world’s worst diseases such
as smallpox, tuberculosis, the Black Death, and
Cholera, and describes how these epidemics
helped to change history.
Middle Grades — Social Studies, Science
Dust to eat: drought and depression in the
1930s — Michael L. Cooper
Presents a photographic chronicle of the 1930s,
focusing on Depression and the dust storms that
crippled the Great Plains, and looks at the effects
of the twin disasters on American society and
domestic policy.
Middle/High School—Social Studies, American
History
Through my eyes — Ruby Bridges
Ruby recounts the story of her involvement, as a
six-year-old, in the integration of her school in New
Orleans in 1960.
Middle Grades — Social Studies
A Stolen Life — Jaycee Lee Dugard
Chronicles the 18 years Jaycee Dugard spent in
captivity, describing what happened after she was
kidnapped at age 11 and her struggle to adjust to
life once she was reunited with her family.
High School—Sociology, Psychology
102 Minutes: the untold story of the fight to survive
inside the Twin Towers — Jim Dwyer and Kevin Flynn
Tells of the men and women who saved themselves
in the final minutes before the World Trade Towers
collapsed on September 11, 2001.
High School—American History
Scandalous: 50 Shocking Events You Should
Know About — Hallie Fryd
Presents the details of 50 scandals in American
history and their effect on American culture and
events.
Middle/High School—American History
Unbroken: a World War II Story of Survival, Re-
silience, and Redemption — Laura Hillenbrand
A biography of Olympic runner and World War II
bombardier, Louis Zamperini.
High School—American History, World History
Social Studies
The Pursuit of Happyness — Chris Gardner
Shares the story of Chris Gardner’s life, focusing
on the time he spent as a homeless single father,
while at the same time building a career as a
stockbroker.
Surviving the angel of death: the story of a
Mengele twin in Auschwitz — Eva Mozes Kor and
Lisa Rojany Buccieri
Details the experiences Eva shared with her twin
sister when they were sent to Auschwitz as
children and were forced to endure medical
experiments under the care of Josef Mengele.
Middle/High School — American History, World
History
The Challenge: How a Maverick Navy Officer and a
Young Law Professor Risked Their Careers to Defend
the Constitution—and Won — Jonathan Mahler
Recounts efforts to defend an accused terrorist
who was tried before a special military tribunal.
High School — American History
The crossing: how George Washington saved the
American Revolution — Jim Murphy
A narrative prose that details George Washington’s
transformation from farmer to military general and
describes how he led the Americans against the
British.
Middle Grades — Social Studies, American
History
Signing Their Lives Away: the Fame and Misfortune of
the Men Who Signed the Declaration of Independence
— Denise Kiernan and Joseph D’Agnese
Introduces readers to the lives of 56 men who
signed the Declaration of Independence.
Middle/High School—American History
The Bedford Boys: One American Town’s
Ultimate D-Day Sacrifice — Alex Kershaw
Chronicles the experiences of the young men from
Bedford, Virginia who invaded Normandy’s Omaha
Beach on D-Day.
High School—American History/World History
Social Studies
Persepolis — Marjane Satrapi
Contains comic strip images in which the author
shares the story of her life in Tehran, Iran under
control of the Islamic regime.
High School — World History
Jesus Land — Julia Scheeres
The author recalls her upbringing in a strict
religious Midwestern town, her education in the
Dominican Republic, and the trials of adolescence
and racism.
High School — American History
Left for Dead: a Young Man’s Search for Justice
for the USS Indianapolis — Pete Nelson
Recalls the sinking of the USS Indianapolis at the
end of WWII, the navy cover-up and unfair court
martial of the ship’s captain.
Middle/High School—American History, World
History
When Marian sang: the true recital of Marian
Anderson, the voice of the century — libretto by Pam
Munoz Ryan; staging by Brian Selznick
An introduction to the life of Marian Anderson,
extraordinary singer and civil rights activist, who was the
first African American to perform at the Metropolitan
Opera.
Elementary/Middle Grades—Social Studies
If the world were a village: a book about the
world’s people — written by David J. Smith; illus-
trated by Shelagh Armstrong
Breaks down the population of the world into a col-
lection of one hundred representative people and
describes what one would find in this global vil-
lage.
Elementary/Middle Grades — Social Studies
Social Studies
The notorious Benedict Arnold: a true story of
adventure, heroism & treachery — Steve
Sheinkin
An introduction to the life of Benedict Arnold that
highlights not only his traitorous actions, but also
his heroic involvement in the American Revolution.
Middle/High School — American History
Ghosts of War: the True Story of a 19-Year-Old
GI — Ryan Smithson
Ryan Smithson recounts the experiences he had
serving his first tour of duty as an Army engineer
in Iraq.
High School — American History, World History
Chasing Lincoln’s Killer — James L. Swanson
Recounts the 12-day pursuit and capture of John
Wilkes Booth, that also examines the impact of
Lincoln’s death on those close to him.
High School — American History
First They Killed My Father: a Daughter of
Cambodia Remembers — Loung Ung
Tells of the author’s experiences after her family
was forced to flee Pol Pot’s Khmer Rouge Army.
Middle/High School—World History
Fair Game: How a Top Spy was Betrayed by Her
Own Government — Valerie Plame Wilson
A memoir of an ex-CIA agent that discusses her
training and her identity leak by the White House.
High School—American History, American
Government
Simeon’s Story: an Eyewitness Account of the
Kidnapping of Emmett Till — Simeon Wright with
Herb Boyd
Written by the cousin of Emmett Till and reveals
details of the night Emmett was kidnapped and
reflects on how the crime and trial affected his
family and community.
Middle/High School—American History
Social Studies
Book list compiled by
Robyn Young
School Librarian
Twitter: @ahsbooks
Images and summaries adapted
from Follett TitlePeek.
Special thanks to Deborah Clark,
Dennis LeLoup, Mary Ann Olson,
Leslie Predy, Anna Rolwing, and
Elizabeth Winningham for
elementary and middle school
suggestions.
From the Common Core Standards:
(http://www.corestandards.org/)
Literary Non-Fiction includes the subgenres of
exposition, argument, and functional text in the form of
personal essays, speeches, opinion pieces, essays about
art or literature, biographies, memoirs, journalism, and
historical, scientific, technical, or economic accounts
(including digital sources) written for a broad audience.
Texts illustrating the Complexity, Quality, and Range of
Student Reading (from the Common Core Standards):
Grades 9-10
“Speech to the Second Virginia Convention” by
Patrick Henry (1775)
“Farewell Address” by George Washington (1796)
“Gettysburg Address” by Abraham Lincoln (1863)
“State of the Union Address” by Franklin Delano
Roosevelt (1941)
“Letter from Birmingham Jail” by Martin Luther King,
Jr. (1964)
“Hope, Despair, and Memory” by Elie Wiesel (1997)
Grades 11-12
Common Sense by Thomas Paine (1776)
Walden by Henry David Thoreau (1854)
“Society and Solitude” by Ralph Waldo Emerson
(1857)
“The Fallacy of Success” by G. K. Chesterton (1909)
Black Boy by Richard Wright (1945)
“Politics and the English Language” by George Orwell
(1946)
“Take the Tortillas Out of Your Poetry” by Rudolfo
Anaya (1995)
At a curricular or instructional level, texts need to be
selected around topics or themes that generate
knowledge and allow students to study those topics or
themes in depth.
