Hard to Believe It's True: 10+ Nonfiction Titles for Magical Realism Readers

Summer is here! And that means loads of time for kids to experience books in all their glory. This is also a great time to encourage kids to read the books they choose (without having to worry about school assignments) and to try out new genres that they might be interested in learning more about. This series will offer titles for toddlers to teens and include a variety of formats. Each week will focus on a different genre and will follow the same format:

• • Mondays – Titles for Ages 3-7
  • Tuesdays – Middle Grade Titles for Ages 8-12
  • Wednesdays – Young Adult Titles for Ages 13+
  • Thursdays – Nonfiction pairings
  • Friday – Recap of the Week

Nonfiction
Beauty and the Beak: How Science, Technology, and a 3D-Printed Beak Rescued a Bald Eagle by Deborah Lee Rose and ‎ Jane Veltkamp
After being injured, learn how a biologist, engineer and dentist were able to create a 3D printed beak for a bald eagle.

The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors by Chris Barton
Meet the brothers who couldn’t be more different and how they created brand new colors that have a high level of intensity – Day-Glo.

Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton
An unconventional form of camouflage during World War I led to beautifully designed ships that were harder to target in the waters.

Escape!: The Story of The Great Houdini by Sid Fleischman
The biography of one of the world’s greatest escape artists, Harry Houdini.

Mesmerized: How Ben Franklin Solved a Mystery that Baffled All of France by Mara Rockliff
“Discover how Benjamin Franklin’s scientific method challenged a certain Dr. Mesmer’s mysterious powers in a whimsical look at a true moment in history.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Owen and Mzee: The True Story of a Remarkable Friendship by Craig Hatkoff, Isabella Hatkoff, and Paula Kahumbu
Learn about an orphaned baby hippopotamus and a 130-year-old turtle who became friends in unexpected ways.

Phineas Gage: A Gruesome but True Story About Brain Science by John Fleischman
In 1848 while at work, Phineas Gage had a thirteen pound iron rod pass through his brain in an accident and lived eleven years after and became a textbook case on brain science.

Pink Is For Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating
Most people think pink is a girly color, along the same lines as sparkles and rainbows, but you’ve probably never seen these pink animals before!

Tricky Vic: The Impossibly True Story of the Man Who Sold the Eiffel Tower by Greg Pizzoli
The unbelievable true story of a con artist who sold the Eiffel Tower to a scrap metal dealer in 1925!

Two Truths and a Lie: It’s Alive! by Ammi-Joan Paquette and‎ Laurie Thompson
Can you pick out these crazy, but true facts from the lies? Learn all about the living world and see if you can separate the truth from the lies!

The Unicorn Cookbook by Alix Carey
Unicorns live on a steady diet of rainbows and glitter and this cookbook is filled with recipes to let out your inner unicorn!