Alyson at Kid Lit Frenzy hosts Non Fiction Picture Book Wednesday today.

Teachers and librarians have been sharing favorite titles of mostly fiction picture books, and I wanted to make some space for some favorite non-fiction picture books. I tend to read aloud a lot of narrative non-fiction during the year, although I also use a lot of non-fiction articles from sources such as Scholastic News, Ranger Rick, and other journals for kids.

I also noticed that I tend to read a lot of Jeanette Winter’s books to my students. Her books often feature the life story of a person who has made an incredible contribution to the world. They are beautifully and simply illustrated, and highly accessible to my English language learners. This week, I am focused mostly on biographies. So, here are some favorite non-fiction picture books I read to my 5th graders:

This is a beautiful story of young Jane Goodall and the power of patient observation.

This is perfect for sharing Malala’s story with elementary students.

There are many great books about the amazing Wangari Maathai and this is one of my favorites.

Some favorites by other authors:

This is a great read aloud about boxer Joe Louis and America’s feelings about the war with Germany. My students had great discussions based on this book.

Is there anyone who doesn’t love The One and Only Ivan?! This is a picture book by the same author and makes Ivan’s story accessible to a younger audience. This book makes a fantastic school wide read aloud. Great book to launch social action project on ethical treatment of animals.

OK ….gotta run to work! This is just the very tip of the NF iceberg, but you gotta start somewhere! 😉