Nonfiction & Literature Lists
The Common Core includes a list of exemplar texts to illustrate the level of complexity and quality that students should engage with in a given grade band.
You can go beyond the exemplars and help your students build comprehension and fluency with our list of great nonfiction, including informational texts, arranged according to grade level bands and themes.
• Purchase selected titles at a discount
• Purchase selected exemplar titles at a discount
• Check out Knowledge Quest!—for children in PreK to Grade 3.
Select a Grade Band
Grades K–1
Animal Life Cycles
Bird, Butterfly, Eel
James Prosek (Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2009)
Grades K-1
An introduction to bird, fish, and insect migration.
A Den Is a Bed for a Bear
Becky Baines (National Geographic Kids, 2008)
Grades K-1
Factual information and colorful photos about bear hibernation.
Discover More: Animal Babies
Andrea Pinnington (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades K-1
Through photos and text, readers learn about the furry little creatures they love. Comes with a digital companion book.
Discover More: See Me Grow
Penny Arlon (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades K-1
Photos and text describe the maturation process for puppies, elephants, and other animals. Comes with a digital companion book.
It’s Moving Day
Pamela Hickman (Kids Can Press, 2012)
Grades K-1
Readers learn how woodland creatures create and share a variety of homes in the natural world.
Families
All Kinds of Families!
Mary Ann Hoberman (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2009)
Grades K-1
Rhyming text and illustrations explore the ways people, animals, and even objects form families.
Family Pictures
Carmen Lomas Garza (Children’s Book Press, 2005)
Grades K-1
Illustrations depict the everyday life of a Mexican family, with text in English and Spanish.
Who’s in a Family?
Robert Skutch (Tricycle Press, 1997)
Grades K-1
This illustrated book describes all different types of families, including children’s favorite farm animal families.
The Human Body
Discover More: My Body
Andrea Pinnington (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades K-1
The human body is explored in an easy-to-understand way. Comes with a digital companion book.
Me and My Amazing Body
Joan Sweeney (Dragonfly Books, 2000)
Grades K-1
This picture book explains much of human anatomy with simple, colorful illustrations.
Ocean Life
Dolphin Baby!
Nicola Davies (Candlewick Press, 2012)
Grades K-1
A baby calf learns all about life under the sea.
Into the Sea
Brenda Z. Guiberson (Square Fish, 2000)
Grades K-1
The life cycle of a sea turtle
Star of the Sea: A Day in the Life of a Starfish
Janet Halfmann (Henry Holt and Co. LLC, 2011)
Grades K-1
A fascinating sea creature finds sustenance—and fights off prey.
Popular American Symbols
The House That George Built
Suzanne Slade (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2012)
Grades K-1
George Washington was not only “the father of our country”—he had a role in building the White House.
The Story of the Statue of Liberty
Betsy Maestro (HarperCollins, 1989)
Grades K-1
Watercolors depict the major events in the statue’s creation.
True Lives
Henry’s Freedom Box: A True Story from the Underground Railroad
Ellen Levine (Scholastic Press, 2007)
Grades K-1
This Caldecott Honor Book tells the remarkable story of a slave who mailed himself to freedom.
Martin’s Big Words: The Life of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Doreen Rappaport (Hyperion, 2007)
Grades K-1
A pictorial biography of the renowned champion of civil rights.
Me . . . Jane
Patrick McDonnell (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2011)
Grades K-1
The story of Jane Goodall as a young girl and her stuffed animal monkey
Up in the Sky
Looking Down
Steve Jenkins (Sandpiper, 2003)
Grades K-1
Illustrations help depict the many levels of the universe.
The Moon Book
Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 1998)
Grades K-1
Describes the movement and phases of the moon, and how humans have observed and explored it over time
Weather
Clouds
Marion Dane Bauer (Aladdin Paperbacks, 2004)
Grades K-1
Explains all about clouds, including how they are formed
It’s Snowing!
Gail Gibbons (Holiday House, 2012)
Grades K-1
Fascinating facts about snow
What Is Weather?
Ellen Lawrence (Bearport Publishing, 2009)
Grades K-1
Describes different types of weather events, including hurricanes and snowstorms
Grades 2–3
Animals
Discover More: Penguins
Penny Arlon (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades 2-3
Readers get amazing insights into the lives of penguins in icy Antarctica. Comes with a digital companion book.
Extreme Animals: The Toughest Creatures on Earth
Nicola Davies (Candlewick, 2009)
Grades 2-3
How some of the heartiest animals adapt and survive
Insect Detective
Steve Voake (Candlewick, 2012)
Grades 2-3
A picture book describes ants, wasps, dragonflies, and other insects a child might encounter.
Nic Bishop Spiders
Nic Bishop (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2007)
Grades 2-3
Close-up photos and text offer astonishing facts about spiders in this Sibert Honor Book.
Thunder Birds: Nature’s Flying Predators
Jim Arnosky (Sterling, 2011)
Grades 2-3
All about vultures, owls, and other majestic birds
Around the Nation
Brooklyn Bridge
Lynn Curlee (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, 2001)
Grades 2-3
The history behind the famous bridge and its construction
Sit-In: How Four Friends Stood Up By Sitting Down
Andrea Pinkney (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers, 2010)
Grades 2-3
A picture book that tells the story of the historic 1960 sit-in for civil rights in Greensboro, North Carolina
Communities
Orani: My Father’s Village
Claire Nivola (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011)
Grades 2-3
Recounts a young girl’s journey back to her father’s village in Sardinia
Water Buffalo Days
Huynh Quang Nhuong (HarperCollins, 1999)
Grades 2-3
A short chapter book about a Vietnamese boy’s friendship with his family’s water buffalo
Earth’s Resources
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (Dial, 2010)
Grades 2-3
A true story about a young man who built a windmill to bring electricity to his African village
Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm (Blue Sky Press, 2009)
Grades 2-3
Explains photosynthesis and the connection between the sun’s energy and plant life
Famous Americans
Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing
James Rumford (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2004)
Grades 2-3
How an American Indian created a writing system for the Cherokee language in the 1820s
Those Rebels, John and Tom
Barbara Kerley (Scholastic Press, 2012)
Grades 2-3
An entertaining account of the friendship between two opposites—John Adams and Thomas Jefferson
The Solar System
Discover More: Planets
Penny Arlon (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades 2-3
Great photos and age-appropriate vocabulary entice newly confident readers to learn about our place in the solar system. Comes with a digital companion book..
If You Decide to Go to the Moon
Faith McNulty (Scholastic Press, 2005)
Grades 2-3
A picture book that introduces readers to what they might experience on a journey to the Moon
You Are Stardust
Elin Kelsey (Owlkids, 2012)
Grades 2-3
A picture book that teaches children how they are connected with the natural world
The U.S. Government
Smart About the Presidents
Jon Buller (Grosset & Dunlap, 2004)
Grades 2-3
Readers will learn about the floor plan of the White House, presidential perks, and other interesting tidbits about the presidency.
Unite or Die: How Thirteen States Became a Nation
Jacqueline Jules (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2009)
Grades 2-3
Written in the form of a school play, this work outlines the conflicts and compromises that shaped the U.S.
Grades 4–5
Animals
The Case of the Vanishing Golden Frogs: A Scientific Mystery
Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, 2011)
Grades 4-5
Uncovers the mystery of what caused Panamanian golden frogs to disappear about 15 years ago
Nic Bishop: Marsupials
Nic Bishop (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2009)
Grades 4-5
Explores the habitats and life cycles of marsupials, including kangaroos, koalas, and lesser known pouched mammals
American History
The Crossing: How George Washington Saved the American Revolution
Jim Murphy (Scholastic Press, 2010)
Grades 4-5
The gripping tale of how Washington led the colonists to victory at pivotal moments of the American Revolution.
The Giant and How He Humbugged America
Jim Murphy (Scholastic Press, 2012)
Grades 4-5
Students can learn to read like a detective and write like a reporter with this fascinating account of a famous 19th-century hoax.
The Signers: The 56 Stories Behind the Declaration of Independence
Dennis Brindell Fradin (Walker Childrens, 2003)
Grades 4-5
A close-up look at the 56 men who dared to claim independence
The Environment
The Magic School Bus and the Climate Challenge
Joanna Cole (Scholastic Press, 2010)
Grades 4-5
Ms. Frizzle teaches her students the science behind climate change.
Ocean Sunlight
Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm (Blue Sky Press, 2012)
Grades 4-5
This picture book explores the life cycles and food chains within the Earth’s oceans.
A Strange Place to Call Home
Marilyn Singer (Chronicle Books, 2012)
Grades 4-5
A look at 14 animals that live in some of the darkest, deepest, driest, or coldest places on Earth
A Warmer World: From Polar Bears to Butterflies, How Climate Change Affects Wildlife
Caroline Arnold (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2012)
Grades 4-5
A compelling account of how climate change has affected ecosystems and the animals that live in them
Extraordinary Americans
Temple Grandin: How the Girl Who Loved Cows Embraced Autism and Changed the World
Sy Montgomery and Temple Grandin (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2012)
Grades 4-5
A spotlight on a scientist with autism whose work has revolutionized the livestock industry
The Voice That Challenged a Nation: Marian Anderson and the Struggle for Equal Rights
Russell Freedman (Clarion Books, 2011)
Grades 4-5
An account of the career of African-American vocalist Marian Anderson
You Never Heard of Sandy Koufax?!
Jonah Winter (Schwartz & Wade, 2009)
Grades 4-5
A picture biography of baseball player Sandy Koufax
Ecosystems
Coral Reefs
Jason Chin (Flash Point, 2011)
Grades 4-5
A narrator journeys through a coral reef where she learns about plants and animals that live there.
Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story
Thomas F. Yeserski (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2011)
Grades 4-5
Describes the area in New Jersey known as the Meadowlands and how the ecosystem is making a comeback
Famous Americans
Sequoyah: The Cherokee Man Who Gave His People Writing
James Rumford (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2004)
Grades 4-5
How an American Indian created a writing system for the Cherokee language in the 1820s
What to Do About Alice?: How Alice Roosevelt Broke the Rules, Charmed the World, and Drove her Father Teddy Crazy!
Barbara Kerley (Scholastic Press, 2008)
Grades 4-5
The story of a charmingly recalcitrant daughter
The Solar System
13 Planets: The Latest View of the Solar System
David A. Aguilar (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2011)
Grades 4-5
Updated profiles of the planets in our solar system
Cars on Mars: Roving the Red Planet
Alexandra Siy (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2011)
Grades 4-5
Readers follow the journey of two NASA rovers on the surface of Mars.
Earth: The Life of Our Planet
Mike Goldsmith (Kingfisher, 2011)
Grades 4-5
Visual depictions of key eras during the billions of years of Earth’s history
Understanding Weather Patterns
Blizzard!
Grades 4-5
Jim Murphy (Scholastic Press, 2006)
Captures the story of one of the most devastating natural disasters in U.S. history—the Great Blizzard of 1888
Inside Tornadoes
Mary Kay Carson (Sterling, 2010)
Grades 4-5
Through dramatic photos and vivid prose, readers can learn about the most violent storms on the planet.
The Secret Life of a Snowflake
Kenneth Libbrecht (Voyageur Press, 2010)
Grades 4-5
The journey of a snowflake from its creation in a cloud to its soft landing on the ground.
Grades 6–8
American History
Dear Miss Breed
Joanne Oppenheim (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2006)
Grades 6-8
The chronicle of a San Diego librarian who corresponded with Japanese-American children in internment camps in the early 1940s
Flesh and Blood So Cheap: The Triangle Fire and Its Legacy
Albert Marrin (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 2011)
Grades 6-8
An examination of the 1911 Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire in New York City
Up Before Daybreak: Cotton and People in America
Deborah Hopkinson (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2006)
Grades 6-8
A tale of slaves, sharecroppers, and mill workers whose lives tell the history of the cotton industry in America
Animals and Biology
Invincible Microbe: Tuberculosis and the Never-Ending Search for a Cure
Jim Murphy and Alison Blank (Clarion Books, 2012)
Grades 6-8
The history of a deadly disease that has plagued humanity for centuries
Invisible Allies: Microbes that Shape Our Lives
Jeanette Farrell (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005)
Grades 6-8
An exploration of how microbes play a vital role in our lives
Shark Life: True Stories About Sharks and the Sea
Peter Benchley and Karen Wojtyla (Delacorte Books for Young Readers, 2005)
Grades 6-8
Describes real-life encounters with sharks
Archaeology
Mammoth Bones and Broken Stones: The Mystery of America’s First People
David L. Harrison (Boyds Mills Press, 2010)
Grades 6-8
Various theories about how the first people reached North America
Written in Bone: Buried Lives of Jamestown and Colonial Maryland
Sally M. Walker (Carolrhoda, 2009)
Grades 6-8
Scientists study skeletons to learn about the people of America’s colonial past.
Biography
Amelia Lost: The Life and Disappearance of Amelia Earhart
Candace Fleming (Schwartz & Wade, 2011)
Grades 6-8
A compelling chapter book details Earhart’s life and her mysterious disappearance.
Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
Deborah Heiligman (Henry Holt and Co., N/A)
Grades 6-8
An examination of the influence of marriage, romance, and religion on Darwin's work
Kids at Work: Lewis Hine and the Crusade Against Child Labor
Russell Freedman (Sandpiper, 1998)
Grades 6-8
A visual account of how photographs of child laborers in the early 1900s led to changes in child labor laws
The Notorious Benedict Arnold
Steve Sheinkin (Flash Point, 2010)
Grades 6-8
Examines the adventurous life of America’s most infamous traitor
Civil Rights
Black and White
Larry Dane Brimner (Boyds Mills Press, 2011)
Grades 6-8
A spotlight on two key figures in the struggle for civil rights in Alabama
Freedom Riders
(National Geographic Children’s Books, 2005)
Grades 6-8
Details the courageous lives of two Freedom Riders whose passion for justice changed the course of American history
We’ve Got a Job
Cynthia Levinson (Peachtree Publishers, 2012)
Grades 6-8
The story of four of the nearly 4,000 children who boycotted school and marched in protest of segregation in Birmingham, Alabama, in 1963
Wheels of Change
Sue Macy (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2011)
Grades 6-8
A perspective on how women’s use of the bicycle helped bring about social change
Natural Resources
Oil
James Laxer (Groundwood, 2008)
Grades 6-8
How the availability and low cost of oil triggered the development of the world’s leading economies—and now threatens Earth’s future
Sugar Changed the World
Marc Aronson and Marina Budhos (Clarion, 2010)
Grades 6-8
A global history of sugar and its influence on historical events
Ocean Science
Discover More: Ocean and Sea
Steve Parker (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades 6-8
Readers learn about cause and effect through text, photos, and graphics as they explore the sea alongside scientists. Comes with a digital companion book.
Shipwrecks: Exploring Sunken Cities Beneath the Sea
Mary M. Cerullo (Dutton Juvenile, 2009)
Grades 6-8
Underwater explorers discover two shipwrecks and find similarities and differences in the stories behind each.
Tracking Trash: Flotsam, Jetsam, and the Science of Ocean Motion
Loree Griffin Burns (Houghton Mifflin Books for Children, 2010)
Grades 6-8
An oceanographer tracks trash in order to collect data that will help us better understand and protect our oceans.
World Without Fish
Mark Kurlansky (Workman Publishing, 1998)
Grades 6-8
An illustrated chapter book that explains why the fish we eat could disappear in 50 years
Outer Space
Discover More: Night Sky
Giles Sparrow (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades 6-8
What are stars, planets, and galaxies? The mysteries of the night sky are explained in stunning detail. Comes with a digital companion book.
Planet Hunter: Geoff Marcy and the Search for Other Earths
Vicki Oransky Wittenstein (Boyds Mills, 2010)
Grades 6-8
An introduction to “planet hunting”
Space, Stars, and the Beginning of Time: What the Hubble Telescope Saw
Elaine Scott (Clarion, 2011)
Grades 6-8
A history of the universe as seen through the Hubble telescope
Super Stars
(National Geographic Children’s Books, 2010)
Grades 6-8
An intriguing look at some of the brightest and most explosive stars in our galaxy
Space Exploration
Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story
Michael Collins (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 1994)
Grades 6-8
An astronaut describes his extraordinary experiences in space—and the sacrifices that made his career possible.
Team Moon: How 400,000 People Landed Apollo 11 on the Moon
Catherine Thimmesh (Houghton Mifflin, 2006)
Grades 6-8
A behind-the-scenes look at the herculean efforts to make the 1969 Moon landing a reality
Young People In History
Hitler Youth: Growing Up In Hitler’s Shadow
Susan Campbell Bartoletti (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2005)
Grades 6-8
The chilling story of Nazi Germany’s Hitler Youth groups during World War II
Navajo Code Talkers
Nathan Aasent (Walker Childrens, 1994)
Grades 6-8
How a once-scorned group became among the bravest, most valuable, and most loyal U.S. soldiers during World War II
Tasting the Sky: A Palestinian Childhood
Ibtisam Barakat (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2007)
Grades 6-8
A groundbreaking memoir set in Ramallah during the aftermath of the 1967 Six-Day War
Grades 9–10
The Arts
e.e. cummings: A Poet’s Life
Catherine Reef (Clarion Books, 2006)
Grades 9-10
A well-researched and informative biography about an unconventional poet
Janis Joplin: Rise Up Singing
Ann Angel (Amulet Books, 2010)
Grades 9-10
A portrait of the singer in prose and photos four decades after her death
Runaway Girl: The Artist Louise Bourgeois
Jan Greenberg (Harry N. Abrams, 2003)
Grades 9-10
An engaging portrait of the life and work of the groundbreaking sculptor
American Culture
Liar’s Poker
Michael Lewis (W. W. Norton & Company, 2010)
Grades 9-10
A riveting tale of Wall Street deceit and greed in the 1980s
A Short Cultural History of the Avant-Garde
Marc Aronson (Clarion Books, 1998)
Grades 9-10
This passionate introduction to modern art examines the avant-garde from its 19th-century origins in Paris to the late 1990s.
American History
The Big Burn: Teddy Roosevelt and the Fire that Saved America
Timothy Egan (Mariner Books, 2010)
Grades 9-10
How a catastrophic fire led to positive changes
Bitterly Divided: The South's Inner Civil War
David Williams (The New Press, 2010)
Grades 9-10
An exploration of the fissures in the Confederacy during America's great moment of crisis
Bootleg: Murder, Moonshine, and the Lawless Years of Prohibition
Karen Blumenthal (Flashpoint, 2011)
Grades 9-10
A fascinating look at the rise and fall of the disastrous social experiment known as Prohibition
Lincoln's Sword: The Presidency and the Power of Words
Douglas L. Wilson (Vintage, 2007)
Grades 9-10
How Lincoln used his eloquence to build his political career—and keep the country united during the Civil War
Love & Hate in Jamestown: John Smith, Pocahontas, and the Start of a New Nation
David A. Price (Vintage Books, 2005)
Grades 9-10
The riveting story of the founding of Virginia
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl
Timothy Egan (Mariner Books, 2007)
Grades 9-10
An account of the dust storms that terrorized the Midwest in the darkest years of the Great Depression
The Civil Rights Movement
Spies of Mississippi
Rick Bowers (National Geographic Children’s Books, 2010)
Grades 9-10
A new look at how white politicians and willing blacks conspired to crush the Civil Rights Movement in the South
Disasters
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster
Jon Krakauer (Anchor, 1999)
Grades 9-10
Heroism and sacrifice triumph over human error and frailty in this bone-chilling narrative about a deadly climb.
Krakatoa: The Day the World Exploded: August 27, 1883
Simon Winchester (Harper Perennial, 2005)
Grades 9-10
This book chronicles the causes, devastation, and lasting effects of the cataclysmic 1883 eruption of the volcano island Krakatoa in what is now Indonesia.
Great Thinkers
Obsessive Genius: The Inner World of Marie Curie
Barbara Goldsmith (W. W. Norton, 2005)
Grades 9-10
Readers will find a blend of science and intrigue in this best-selling biography about a remarkable scientist.
Steve Jobs
Walter Isaacson (Simon & Schuster, 2011)
Grades 9-10
The roller-coaster life of an inventor who changed our world forever
Human Biology
Every Bone Tells a Story: Hominin Discoveries, Deductions, and Debates
Jill Rubalcaba and Peter Robertshaw (Charlesbridge Publishing, 2010)
Grades 9-10
How and why the discovery of four members of the human family tree sparks dissent
The Ghost Map
Steven Johnson (Riverhead, 2007)
Grades 9-10
Why the city of London became a perfect breeding ground for cholera in 1854
Memoirs
The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer (William Morrow, 2010)
Grades 9-10
Why the author sees used motor parts, old bicycle wheels, and other discarded objects as instruments of opportunity
Grace: A Memoir
Grace Coddington (Random House, 2012)
Grades 9-10
The youthful adventures of one of the world's most famous fashion editors
Technology
Discover More: Technology
Clive Gifford (Scholastic Nonfiction, 2012)
Grades 9-10
Readers can explore the science behind today’s smart technology. Comes with a digital companion book.
Grades 11–CCR
The Civil Rights Movement
Carry Me Home
Diane McWhorter (Simon & Schuster, 2002)
Grades 11-CCR
A journalist recalls the momentous events in the spring of 1963 in Birmingham, when child demonstrators faced down police dogs and fire hoses in nonviolent marches for equality.
Coming of Age in Mississippi
Anne Moody (Bantam Dell, 2004)
Grades 11-CCR
A memoir by the daughter of tenant farmers who went on to play an active role in the Civil Rights Movement.
Exploing the Universe
A Brief History of Time
Stephen Hawking (Bantam, 1998)
Grades 11-CCR
A brilliant physicist helps nonscientists understand the origins of the universe.
The Elements: A Visual Exploration of Every Known Atom in the Universe
Theodore Gray (Black Dog and Leventhal, 2012)
Grades 11-CCR
Photographic representations of the 118 elements
The Planets
Dava Sobel (Viking, 2005)
Grades 11-CCR
A riveting exploration of the planets’ origins and oddities
Great Scientists
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
James Watson (Touchstone, 2001)
Grades 11-CCR
A chronicle of the thrilling race to discover the building block of life
The Flight of the Iguana: A Sidelong View of Science and Nature
David Quammen (Scribner, 1998)
Grades 11-CCR
Essays on topics ranging from giant earthworms and cheetahs to the Papago Indians’ survival in the desert
Memoirs
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Jeannette Walls (Scribner, 2006)
Grades 11-CCR
The daughter of stubbornly nonconforming parents recalls her nomadic life.
A Long Way Gone, Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Ishmael Beah (Farrah, Straus and Giroux, 2008)
Grades 11-CCR
The heartbreaking story of a child soldier from Sierra Leone
An Open Book: Coming of Age in the Heartland
Michael Dirda (W. W. Norton & Company, Inc., 2003)
Grades 11-CCR
An acclaimed writer re-creates his boyhood in rust-belt Ohio.
Molecular Science
Napoleon’s Buttons: How 17 Molecules Changed History
Penny Le Couteur and Jay Burreson (Tarcher, 2004)
Grades 11-CCR
An account of 17 molecules whose discovery helped determine what we now eat, drink, and wear
The Radioactive Boy Scout: The Frightening True Story of a Whiz Kid and His Backyard Nuclear Reactor
Ken Silverstein (Random House, 2005)
Grades 11-CCR
The tale of a brilliant young man whose obsession turns catastrophic
Natural Resources
The Big Thirst: The Secret Life and Turbulent Future of Water
Charles Fishman (Free Press, 2012)
Grades 11-CCR
An exploration of our strange and complex relationship to the most vital substance in our lives
Salt: A World History
Mark Kurlansky (Penguin, 2003)
Grades 11-CCR
An entertaining look at how salt has shaped civilization from the very beginning
Technology
Alone Together: Why We Expect More From Technology and Less From Each Other
Sherry Turkle (Basic Books, 2012)
Grades 11-CCR
How technology is transforming human relationships
The Shallows: What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains
Nicholas Carr (W.W. Norton & Co., 2011)
Grades 11-CCR
An exploration of some of the Internet’s negative consequences
