Popular Science: 10+ Nonfiction Titles for Readers Who Like Science Fiction

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
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine by Laurie Wallmark
Daughter of famous poet, Lord Byron, Ada wrote the world’s first computer code – something no one had ever seen before!

The Boo-Boos that Changed the World by Barry Wittenstein
Earle Dickson’s wife was quite accident prone, so he created the first Band-Aid that was later tested by the Boy Scouts and soon became a household staple.

Elon Musk and the Quest for a Fantastic Future: Young Readers’ Edition by Ashlee Vance
“South African born Elon Musk is the renowned entrepreneur and innovator behind PayPal, SpaceX, Tesla, and SolarCity. Musk wants to save our planet; he wants to send citizens into space, to form a colony on Mars; he wants to make money while doing these things; and he wants us all to know about it.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Hidden Figures Young Reader’s Edition by Margot Lee Shetterly
The story of four African American female mathematicians that worked at NASA during the 1950s as human computers.

The Hole Story of the Doughnut by Pat Miller
A fourteen year old cabin boy created doughnuts while aboard the schooner Achorn, in 1843.

Isaac the Alchemist: Secrets of Isaac Newton, Reveal’d by Mary Losure
A look at Isaac Newton’s early life and how he became known as the father of physics, a brilliant mathematician and a revolutionary scientists.

Mae Among the Stars by Roda Ahmed
“Little Mae’s curiosity, intelligence, and determination, matched with her parents’ encouraging words, paved the way for her success at NASA as the first African American woman to travel in space.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Mr. Ferris and His Wheel by Kathryn Gibbs Davis
Learn how George Ferris created amusement park’s iconic Ferris Wheel presenting at the 1893 World’s Fair.

Pop!: The Invention of Bubble Gum by Meghan McCarthy
“Gum. It’s been around for centuries; from the ancient Greeks to the American Indians, everyone’s chewed it. But the best kind of gum; bubble gum! wasn’t invented until 1928, when an enterprising young accountant at Fleer Gum and Candy used his spare time to experiment with different recipes.” (Taken from Goodreads)

Solving the Puzzle Under the Sea: Marie Tharp Maps the Ocean Floor by Robert Burleigh
At a time when it was seen as bad luck to have a woman on board a ship, Marie became the first person to chart the ocean floor.

Whoosh!: Lonnie Johnson’s Super-Soaking Stream of Inventions by Chris Barton
“You know the Super Soaker. It’s one of top twenty toys of all time. And it was invented entirely by accident. Trying to create a new cooling system for refrigerators and air conditioners, impressive inventor Lonnie Johnson instead created the mechanics for the iconic toy.” (Taken from Goodreads)