Holiday Gift Guide 2023: Nonfiction Kidlit

 

For the last five months, I have the opportunity to read 90+ nonfiction books for children (elementary, middle school, high school).  I do tend to favor picture books. I believe that they make great coffee table books for readers of all ages. They are great conversation starters.  I learn a great deal about a variety of topics from reading these books, which can inspire me to read college-level books on the same topic. 

I also end up giving copies of some of the books to families with young readers. You might find a title that will make a great holiday gift or birthday gift for a young person in your life: your own child, niece/nephew, grandchild, neighborhood kid, a child from your faith community.  

Yes, it was painful to select just 10 from the nearly 100 nonfiction kidlit books I have read during the second half of 2023. I hope that you have the opportunity to read at least one of these titles so that you can give a copy of that book to a child (or a local school). 

Listed by the age of the target audience. 

Meet the Bears. Author Kate Peridot, Illustrator Becca Hall. Published 27 June 2023 by Welbeck Children’s.

The overt narrative depicts a parent helping a child identify the species of a teddy bear. However, the book teaches young readers about the scientific principles of definition and classification. The illustrations set each of the eight species of bears into their habitat, and there is a great map of the world that depicts the types of bears found on 4 of the 7 continents.