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100 Must Read Non-Fiction Books for Kids

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This comprehensive list of non-fiction books for toddlers, preschoolers, elementary aged kids, tweens, and teens gives you the best books to capture your kid’s interest in science, history, biographies, and more!

collage image of non fiction books with text overlay: 100 non fiction must read books for kids and tweens from The Moments At Home

I’m a huge nerd when it comes to books, and so are my kids. We love reading all genres and encouraging other readers.

I can’t possibly list every non-fiction book that’s great for kids in a list of just 100 things so there will be many I’ve left out. We own many of these and the library has introduced us to the rest. I bet your kids will find some new favorite books here!

I chose these books based on my kids’ experience reading the book, a book in the same series, and from reviews online. The list is split into categories starting by age, then by genre. Some do overlap, but I’ve only listed them once in the 100 Things list.

Non-Fiction Books for Babies, Toddlers, and Preschoolers

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

1. Sharks (Science for Toddlers)

2. Our Solar System (Science for Toddlers)

3. National Geographic Kids Look and Learn: Dogs

4. My Big Dinosaur Book (Board Book)

5. Explore My World: Frogs

6. Hello My World! Solar System

7. Hello My World! Backyard Bugs

8. Hello My World! Dinosaurs

9. Dinosaur A-Z

10. My Big Animal Book (Board Book)

11. First 100 Trucks and Things that Go

12. My First 100 Words and Sticker Book

13. Numbers and Shapes (First 100)

14. First 100 Animals Sticker Book (First 100)

15. Touch and Feel Tractor

16. Touch and Feel Fire Engine

17. Slide and Find Trucks

18. First Numbers, Colors, Shapes Sticker Book (First 100)

19. Touch and Feel Dinosaurs

20. Touch and Feel Puppy

21. Noisy Farm

22. Baby Touch and Feel Animals

23. Touch and Feel Farm

24. National Geographic Little Kids First Big Book of Why

25. Big Science for Little People

Non-Fiction Books for Elementary and Middle School

Science

26. The Everything Kids Science Experiment Book

27. Kitchen Science Lab

28. Science LEGO: A LEGO Adventure in the Real World

29. National Geographic Readers: Storms!

30. Science Encyclopedia: Atom Smashing, Food Chemistry, Animals, Space, and More!

31. Forces: Physical Science for Kids

32. Ultimate Bug-Opedia

33. National Geographic Animal Encyclopedia

34. Space Encyclopedia

35. Marine Science for Kids

36. Energy: Physical Science for Kids

37. Science: A Visual Encyclopedia 

38. Albert Einstein and Relativity for Kids

39. Rosie Revere-Engineer

40. The Skeleton Book: Get To Know Your Bones, Inside and Out.

41. Waves: Physical Science for Kids

42. Bugs: A Stunning Pop-Up Look at Insects, Spiders, and Other Creepy-Crawlies

43. Ultimate Oceanpedia: The Most Complete Ocean Reference Ever

44. The Wondrous Workings of Planet Earth: Understanding Our World and Its Ecosystems

45. National Geographic Kids Everything Rocks and Minerals

46. My Book of Rocks and Minerals

47. The Elements Book: A Visual Encyclopedia of the Periodic Table

48. National Geographic Kids Everything Weather: Facts, Photos and Fun that will Blow you Away!

Biographies

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

49. Who Was Rosa Parks?

50. Who Was Walt Disney?

51. Who Was Neil Armstrong?

52. Who Was Albert Einstein? 

53. Frank Lloyd Wright for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities

54. Time for Kids: Thomas Edison: A Brilliant Inventor

55. I Am Jane Goodall (Ordinary People Change the World)

56. Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges in their Youth to become Stars

57. Who Was Anne Frank?

58. Issac Newton and Physics for Kids: His Life and Ideas with 21 Activities

59. DK Biography: John F. Kennedy: A Photographic Story of a Life

60. Alexander Graham Bell for Kids: His Life and Inventions with 21 Activities

61. George Washington (TIME for Kids, Non-Fiction Readers)

62. Anne Frank: A Light in the Dark (TIME for Kids Non-Fiction Readers)

63. Martin Luther King Jr. (TIME for Kids Non-Fiction Readers)

64. DK Biography Gandhi: A Photographic Story of a Life

65. Susan B. Anthony (Time for Kids Non-Fiction Readers)

66. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls

67. Goodnight Stories for Rebel Girls 2

Geography

Must read non-fiction books forkids.

68. Geography of the World

Ancient Civilizations

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

69. Everything Ancient Egypt

70. DK Eyewitness Books: Ancient Greece

71. You Are There! Ancient China 305 BC

History

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

 

72. Locomotive

73. Native American History for Kids: With 21 Activities

74. DK Eyewitness Books: North American Indian: Discover the Rich Cultures of American Indians

75. Little Readers: Bold Women in Black History

76. The Youngest Marcher: The Story of Audrey Faye Hendricks: A Young Civil Rights Leader

77. DK Eyewitness Books: Civil War

78. National Geographic Kids Everything WW1

79. DK Eyewitness Books: WW2

80. History Year by Year: A History of the World, from the Stone Age to the Digital Age

81. American Civil War: A History from Beginning to End

82. Her Right Foot

83. A Kid’s Guide to the American Revolution

Must Read Chapter Books for Tweens and Teens

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

84. A Long Walk to Water

85. Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl

86. I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World

87. My Journey to the Stars

88. Brown Girl Dreaming

Fun, Funny, Gross and Weird Non-Fiction Books

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

89. The Kid Who Invented the Popsicle and Other Surprising Stories about Inventors

90. Weird History: A Twisted Tour of America’s Bizarre Past

91. Food Fight: A Mouthwatering History of Who Ate What and Why Through the Ages

92. Gross Facts about the Middle Ages

93. Gross Facts about the American Colonies

94. Gross Facts about the U.S. Civil War

95. Gross Facts about Pirates

96. That’s Gross!: Icky Facts that will Test your Gross-Out Factor

97. America’s Horrible Histories#1: Who are you Calling a Woolly Mammoth? (Funny by True History)

Pre-Teen and Teen Motivation and Inspiration

Must read non-fiction books for kids.

98. Chicken Soup for the Soul:Just for Preteens: 101 Stories of Inspiration and Support for Tweens

99. The Success Principles for Teens: How to get from where you are to where you want to be.

100. Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul

Tell me about your favorite non-fiction books for kids in the comments!

 

collage image of 100 non fiction books for kids from The Moments At Home

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