Summer Reading for NCCS Upper School Students 2023: Nonfiction

In 1980s Brooklyn, new student JJ Pankowski, an autistic, punk-rock-lover, befriends Pie Velez, an Afro-Latinx math geek and graffiti artist. Grade 5-8

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell. In an era when most research focused on dead specimens, Jeanne was determined to experiment on living animals. And to keep sea creatures alive for her studies, she had to invent a contraption to hold them―the aquarium. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1220)

The struggle for equal rights continues. This account of the Little Rock Nine shows how the United States has come a mighty long way...but still has a long way to go Grade 5-10 (Lexile: 980)

Using Olaudah Equiano's autobiography as the source, the text shares Equiano's life story in found verse. Readers will follow his story from his childhood in Africa, enslavement at a young age, liberation, and life as a free man. Grade 7-10

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This Book Will Save the Planet is a vital and timely illustrated study of the climate crisis that tells us exactly what we can do to help save the world we live in. Grade 7-10

Discover the impacts of the decline of birds on our ecosystems, food systems, and mental health, and what we can do to save them. Grade 7-12 (Lexile: 10300)

Explores the history of vaccinations and the struggle to protect people from infectious diseases, from smallpox—perhaps humankind’s greatest affliction to date—to the COVID-19 pandemic. Highlighting deadly diseases such as measles, polio, rabies, cholera, and influenza, Brown tackles the science behind how our immune systems work, the discovery of bacteria, the anti-vaccination movement, and major achievements from Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, who popularized inoculation in England, and from scientists like Louis Pasteur, Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, and Edward Jenner, the "father of immunology." Timely and fascinating, A Shot in the Arm! is a reminder of vaccines’ contributions to public health so far, as well as the millions of lives they can still save. Grade 4-7

Tells the story of French-born Catherine Leroy, one of the Vietnam War's few woman photographers, who documented some of the fiercest fighting in the 20-year conflict. Despite being told that women didn't belong in a "man's world," she was cool under fire, gravitated toward the thickest battles, went along on the soldiers' slogs through the heat and mud of the jungle, crawled through rice paddies, and became the only official photojournalist to parachute into combat with American soldiers. Later, Leroy was gravely wounded from shrapnel, but that didn't keep her down more than a month. When captured by the North Vietnamese in 1968, she talked herself free after photographing her captors, scoring a cover story in Life magazine. Grade 6-9

The thrilling story of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the US government for her alleged involvement in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Grade 8-12

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell. In an era when most research focused on dead specimens, Jeanne was determined to experiment on living animals. And to keep sea creatures alive for her studies, she had to invent a contraption to hold them―the aquarium. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1220)

From an award-winning author comes a vivid depiction of an act of war from opposing sides of the conflict in World War II--and a rare reconciliation and wish for peace that evolved years later. Grade 5-8

An up close account of the ill-fated Franklin expedition.In 1845, Sir John Franklin set sail from England with two ships in search of the Northwest Passage. Not only did they not succeed, the ships and their crew members vanished, their fate an unsolved mystery for decades. In 10 suspenseful episodes, the captivating story of that doomed polar mission is revealed from the viewpoints of the commander, those back home and the search parties. It's a riveting tale, that in bone-chilling detail answers the question: What really happened in Terror Bay?At last, a story long hidden in the icy Arctic, finally gets to be told. Grade 5-8

The story of one man's remarkable life, and in doing so, explores the trials of the brave Black freedom fighters who defended the world against racism and bigotry, both on the front lines and at home. Grade 5-7 (Lexile: 1090)

A feminist-forward new collection of poetry celebrating the little-known women poets of the Harlem Renaissance--paired with full-color, original art from today's most talented female African-American illustrators. Grade 5-8

n a rich embroidery of visions, musical cadence, and deep emotion, Andrea and Brian Pinkney convey the final months of Martin Luther King's life -- and of his assassination -- through metaphor, spirituality, and multi-layers of meaning.

Andrea's stunning poetic requiem, illustrated with Brian's lyrical and colorful artwork -- brings a fresh perspective to Martin Luther King, the Gandhi-like, peace-loving activist whose dream of equality -- and whose courage to make it happen -- changed the course of American history. And even in his death, he continues to transform and inspire all of us who share his dream. Grade 4+ (Lexile: 730)

What can you find in a poem about a robin's nest? Irene Latham ... discovers 'nestlings, ' or smaller poems about [a] ... variety of subjects--emotions, wild animals, natural landmarks on all seven continents, even planets and constellations. Each poem is a ... spark of wonder that will prompt readers to look at the world afresh. Grade 3-8

This artful and accessible guide to the periodic table - the ultimate reference tool for scientists worldwide - names all 118 chemical elements and helps young readers understand the remarkable ways we have learned to use them.

Graphically stunning layouts feature each element's letter symbol and atomic number, exploring its attributes, characteristics, uses, and interesting stories behind its discovery. Complete with a comprehensive introduction, conclusion, and glossary, this is the perfect introduction to chemistry for inquisitive minds. Grade 4-7

"In 1910, Captain Robert Scott prepared his crew for a trip that no one had ever completed: a journey to the South Pole. He vowed to get there any way he could, even if it meant looking death in the eye. Then, not long before he set out, the telegram arrived: "Proceeding to Antarctic - Roald Amundsen." What was to be an expedition had become a race. One hundred and eight years later, Captain Louis Rudd readied himself for a similarly grueling task: the first solo crossing of treacherous Antarctica. Then came the Instagram message: "On Nov. 1, I depart for the ice - Colin O'Brady." What was to be a journey had become a race. For fans of Michael Tougias' The Finest Hours, this gripping tale of two history-making moments is perfect for budding scientists, survivalists, and thrill seekers, Grade 4-8

Searching the cosmos for a new Earth. Using math to fight human trafficking. Designing invisible (and safer) cars. Unlocking climate-change secrets. All of this groundbreaking science, and much more, is happening right now, spearheaded by the diverse female scientists and engineers profiled in this book. Grade 5-8

In 1939, Gustav Kleinmann, a Jewish upholsterer in Vienna, was seized by the Nazis. Along with his teenage son Fritz, he was sent to Buchenwald in Germany. There began an unimaginable ordeal that saw the pair beaten, starved, and forced to build the very concentration camp they were held in. When Gustav was set to be transferred to Auschwitz--a certain death sentence--Fritz refused to leave his side. Throughout the horrors they witnessed and the suffering they endured, there was one constant that kept them alive: the love between father and son. Grade 6-8

On December 7, 1941--'a date which will live in infamy'--the Japanese navy launched an attack on the American military bases at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. The next day, President Franklin Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and the US Army officially entered the Second World War. Three years later, on December 18, 1944, President Roosevelt signed Executive Order 9066, which enabled the Secretary of War to enforce a mass deportation of more than 100,000 Americans to what government officials themselves called 'concentration camps.' None of these citizens had been accused of a real crime. All of them were torn from their homes, jobs, schools, and communities, and deposited in tawdry, makeshift housing behind barbed wire, solely for the crime of being of Japanese descent. President Roosevelt declared this community 'alien, '--whether they were citizens or not, native-born or not--accusing them of being potential spies and saboteurs for Japan who deserved to have their Constitutional rights stripped away. In doing so, the president set in motion another date which would live in infamy, the day when the US joined the ranks of those Fascist nations that had forcibly deported innocents solely on the basis of the circumstance of their birth. In 1944 the US Supreme Court ruled, in Korematsu v. United States, that the forcible deportation and detention of Japanese Americans on the basis of race was a 'military necessity.' Today it is widely considered one of the worst Supreme Court decisions of all time. But Korematsu was not an isolated event. In fact, the Court's racist ruling was the result of a deep-seated anti-Japanese, anti-Asian sentiment running all the way back to the California Gold Rush of the mid-1800s. Starting from this pivotal moment, Constitutional law scholar Lawrence Goldstone will take young readers through the key events of the 19th and 20th centuries leading up to the fundamental injustice of Japanese American internment. Tracing the history of Japanese immigration to America and the growing fear whites had of losing power, Goldstone will raise deeply resonant questions of what makes an American an American, and what it means for the Supreme Court to stand as the 'people's' branch of government. Grade 8+

The thrilling story of Mary Surratt, the first woman to be executed by the US government for her alleged involvement in the plot to assassinate Abraham Lincoln. Grade 8-12 (Lexile: 1140)

Since the late 1800s, it has been believed that Native American civilization has been wiped from the United States. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee argues that Native American culture is far from defeated--if anything, it is thriving as much today as it was one hundred years ago. The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee looks at Native American culture as it exists today--and the fight to preserve language and traditions. Grade 7-12 (Lexile: 1120)

Mary Edwards Walker unabashedly broke gender norms as a surgeon and spy during the Civil War. Grade 7-10 (Lexile: 1180)

Twenty years before women's soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the '76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. Grade 7-12 (Lexile: 1240)

American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was 'discovered' by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus's and other colonizers' arrivals. So, what's the true history. Grade 6-8 (Lexile: 1250)

The struggle for equal rights continues. This account of the Little Rock Nine shows how the United States has come a mighty long way...but still has a long way to go Grade 5-10 (Lexile: 980)

Revealing little-known facts about the fight to teach evolution in schools, this riveting account of the dramatic 1925 Scopes Trial (aka “the Monkey Trial”) speaks directly to today’s fights over what students learn, the tension between science and religion, the influence of the media on public debate, and the power of one individual to change history. Grade 4-7

Using Olaudah Equiano's autobiography as the source, the text shares Equiano's life story in found verse. Readers will follow his story from his childhood in Africa, enslavement at a young age, liberation, and life as a free man. Grade 7-10

Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches-and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers. Grade 6-9 (Lexile: 990)

Explores the music of important times in our history—the stirring pro- and anti-war music of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War; the folk songs and popular music of the Great Depression, the fight for women’s rights, and the Civil Rights movement; and the music of both beloved and lesser-known poets, musicians, and songwriters from Colonial times to the twenty-first century. Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham and Grammy Award–winning artist Tim McGraw present the songs of patriotism and protest that gave voice to the politicians and activists who moved the country forward, seeking to fulfill America’s destiny as the land of liberty and justice for all. Grade 7-12

Interconnected stories present a picture of racial inequality in America, showing systemic discrimination in all areas of society and showing the unbroken line of Black resistance to this inequality. Grade 7-12

An intriguing and fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation. As settlement spread west, communication became even more important to let distant residents feel that they were American; no part of the country was too far away, no village or farm too small to have access to the post. Moreover, the Post Office has always been a public service—it was not originally designed to make a profit or act like a business, but to deliver letters, medical supplies, packages ordered online, and all the things that Americans need at a reasonable cost. Over the centuries, it has also been one of the largest employers in the United States, particularly as a means for African Americans and women to secure stable, middle-class jobs. Grade 5-8

Guides young readers through some of the trickiest topics of our time: food and water waste, our dependency on fossil fuels, and our love of money and stuff. What our planet needs, he argues, is for us to embrace sustainable living. Be the Change is Greenfield's guide to doing just that. He describes his own awareness-raising campaigns (dumpster diving to call attention to food waste, for example, or biking across the United States to highlight fossil-fuel dependency), and then explores how readers can make impactful changes in their own lives. Grade 4-6

Everything seemed set against Chaunte Lowe. Growing up with a single mother in Paso Robles, California, where she experienced food insecurity, homelessness, and domestic abuse, Chaunte couldn't imagine a future that offered a different sort of life. But then, one day, she turned on the TV and there was Flo Jo, competing in the Olympics and shattering records in track and field. Almost immediately, Chaunte knew what she wanted to do. She started running. With the help of a small community of friends, family, and coaches, Chaunte worked as hard as she could - both in the classroom and out on the sports field - and through her own fierce determination and grit, she overcame every imaginable obstacle, eventually propelling herself to the place she always dreamed about: the Olympic medal podium. Boundless is a story that will move anyone who's ever had a big dream, ever dared to hope for a better future, and ever believed that nothing was impossible. Grade 4-7 (Lexile; 950)

What do you do when your body doesn't match the ideal shape as dictated by society? What do you wear when sweats seem to be the only clothes that fit you? How do you deal with the constant, overwhelming waves of criticism about your appearance from yourself and others? A love letter to anyone striving to embrace their size, this wonderfully illustrated, uplifting comic essay by a plus-size author chronicles her own journey with body positivity, what inspired her to change her mindset, and how she learned to love herself as she is. Grade 6-12

These 15 women are stellar in their food industry roles as farmers, chefs, food activists, food storytellers, and food scientists. Grade 6-10

Twenty years before women's soccer became an Olympic sport and two decades before the formation of the WNBA, the '76 US women's basketball team laid the foundation for the incredible rise of women's sports in America at the youth, collegiate, Olympic, and professional levels. Though they were unknowns from small schools such as Delta State, the University of Tennessee at Martin and John F. Kennedy College of Wahoo, Nebraska, at the time of the '76 Olympics, the American team included a roster of players who would go on to become some of the most legendary figures in the history of basketball. Grade 7-12 (Lexile: 1240)

An action-packed look at past extinction and current threats to humanity's survival -- with the ultimately reassuring message that humans probably have a few more millennia in us. Grade 5-8

Everyone has a story.

These are ours.

Each one of these tales connects you to someone you never knew. A real person, sharing their lived experience. Exciting, inspirational, heartwrenching, uplifting, humorous, devastating, thought-provoking—TRUE.

Storybooth illustrates for readers that no matter what is happening in their world, they are not alone.

Real stories submitted by real people, Storybooth allows each contributor to speak for themselves about their experiences, imparting a myriad of raw, achingly honest, and deeply soulful truths with the power to touch each and every individual reader. Grade 6-12

In 1947, during the early years of the Cold War, a field in Roswell, New Mexico was disturbed by a strange crash and smattering of debris. Some say the bodies of extraterrestrial beings were strewn across the ground, that a UFO had crashed there, and that the government was covering up the evidence in a massive conspiracy. But what really happened at Roswell? The infamous 'crash from outer space' has become a fixture in our culture, inspiring a surge of UFO sightings and conspiracy theories. But at its heart is the story of military scientists, a city on the brink of the Cold War, and a debris field scattered with mystery. What was it that actually crashed at Roswell? Were alien bodies found? Was it Russian spies? Secret military technology? And did the government try to hide what they found? Grade 4-8

Discover everything about vampires in this laugh-out-loud nonfiction handbook packed with spooky legends, fascinating history, and weird facts. Grade 4-7

We all travel sometimes--by car, by public transport, or by plane. But there are some means of transport that we will never be able to use. Let's open this book and learn how come we don't travel in flying cars, why trains don't ride on a single rail, or why there are no life-size remote control cars.

You're about to be flooded with infamous ideas, prototypes, and crazy attempts at coming up with something new over the course of the last century. The means of transport presented in this book may have not led to a technological revolution but did help us progress. After all, people learn from their mistakes. Grade 5-8

An up close account of the ill-fated Franklin expedition.In 1845, Sir John Franklin set sail from England with two ships in search of the Northwest Passage. Not only did they not succeed, the ships and their crew members vanished, their fate an unsolved mystery for decades. In 10 suspenseful episodes, the captivating story of that doomed polar mission is revealed from the viewpoints of the commander, those back home and the search parties. It's a riveting tale, that in bone-chilling detail answers the question: What really happened in Terror Bay?At last, a story long hidden in the icy Arctic, finally gets to be told. Grade 5-8

Transports readers around the world (and beyond)--to a jazz performance in Genoa, an instrument lab in London, a Tokyo taiko dojo, a New York City beatbox battle, and even a film scoring session aboard the starship Enterprise, to name a few. Along the way, it spotlights artists whose work spans musical genres and industry roles, including composing and songwriting, performing and conducting, audio engineering, producing, and rock photography. In Music Mavens, 15 extraordinary women reveal how they turned their passions into platforms and how they use their power to uplift others. Grade 7-10

Legendary photographers Dorothea Lange, Toyo Miyatake, and Ansel Adams all photographed the Japanese American incarceration, but with different approaches-and different results. This nonfiction picture book for middle grade readers examines the Japanese-American incarceration-and the complexity of documenting it-through the work of these three photographers. Grade 6-9 (Lexile: 990)

Virginia Hall was deemed "the most dangerous of all allied spies" by the Gestapo. Armed with her wits and her prosthetic leg, she was deployed behind enemy lines to inspire resistance in France, providing crucial support to fighting the Nazi occupation. In this largely untold story, Sonia Purnell uncovers the truth behind a Baltimore socialite who was essential to allied victory. Grade 5-9

Everything seemed set against Chaunte Lowe. Growing up with a single mother in Paso Robles, California, where she experienced food insecurity, homelessness, and domestic abuse, Chaunte couldn't imagine a future that offered a different sort of life. But then, one day, she turned on the TV and there was Flo Jo, competing in the Olympics and shattering records in track and field. Almost immediately, Chaunte knew what she wanted to do. She started running. With the help of a small community of friends, family, and coaches, Chaunte worked as hard as she could - both in the classroom and out on the sports field - and through her own fierce determination and grit, she overcame every imaginable obstacle, eventually propelling herself to the place she always dreamed about: the Olympic medal podium. Boundless is a story that will move anyone who's ever had a big dream, ever dared to hope for a better future, and ever believed that nothing was impossible. Grade 4-7 (Lexile; 950)

In 1939, Gustav Kleinmann, a Jewish upholsterer in Vienna, was seized by the Nazis. Along with his teenage son Fritz, he was sent to Buchenwald in Germany. There began an unimaginable ordeal that saw the pair beaten, starved, and forced to build the very concentration camp they were held in. When Gustav was set to be transferred to Auschwitz--a certain death sentence--Fritz refused to leave his side. Throughout the horrors they witnessed and the suffering they endured, there was one constant that kept them alive: the love between father and son. Grade 6-8

They are climate scientists, journalists, professors, academics, researchers, and policy makers from around the world who draft policies with real-world impact, run science labs to find new answers to old problems, and lead organizations at the forefront of change. These women reveal how racial and social injustices lie at the root of the climate crisis. Grade 8-12

After a deadly attack in South Sudan left six-year-old Achut Deng without a family, she lived in refugee camps for ten years, until a refugee relocation program gave her the opportunity to move to the United States. When asked why she should be given a chance to leave the camp, Achut simply told the interviewer: I want life. But the chance at starting a new life in a new country came with a different set of challenges. Some of them equally deadly. Taught by the strong women in her life not to look back, Achut kept moving forward, overcoming one obstacle after another, facing each day with hope and faith in her future. Yet, just as Achut began to think of the US as her home, a tie to her old life resurfaced, and for the first time, she had no choice but to remember her past.Grade 7-12 (Lexile: 910)

These 15 women are stellar in their food industry roles as farmers, chefs, food activists, food storytellers, and food scientists. Grade 6-10

Young crime reporter Hilde Lysiak shares, for the first time, how she started her own newspaper, the Orange Street News, and how she was able to not only survive the ups and downs of her youth but emerge from it all with a renewed sense of purpose and confidence. Grade 4-8 (Lexile: 890)

Mary Edwards Walker unabashedly broke gender norms as a surgeon and spy during the Civil War. Grade 7-10 (Lexile: 1180)

The struggle for equal rights continues. This account of the Little Rock Nine shows how the United States has come a mighty long way...but still has a long way to go Grade 5-10 (Lexile: 980)

A biography about one of America's most historically resonant images, the circumstances surrounding its creation, and the larger story it tells about Abraham Lincoln's life. Grade 4-7

Using Olaudah Equiano's autobiography as the source, the text shares Equiano's life story in found verse. Readers will follow his story from his childhood in Africa, enslavement at a young age, liberation, and life as a free man. Grade 7-10

This book is a call to action. McGhee examines how damaging racism is, not only to people of color but also to white people. She offers hope and real solutions so we can all prosper. An expert in economic policy, McGhee draws lessons both from her work at a think tank and from her travels around the country talking to everyday Americans fighting for a more just and inclusive society. Grade 8-12 (Lexile: 1250)

Annotation:
Through Thomas H. Begay's singular story, this richly illustrated biography for young readers describes aspects of Navajo history and culture and shows how a select group of Navajo soldiers used their native Diné language to invent and operate a secret communications system that was crucial to a US victory in the Pacific during World War II.Grade 5-8

Meet twenty-one women through history who wore men's clothing, pretended to be men, or broke the rules in order to do something they wanted-or needed-to do. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 990)

The story of one man's remarkable life, and in doing so, explores the trials of the brave Black freedom fighters who defended the world against racism and bigotry, both on the front lines and at home. Grade 5-7 (Lexile: 1090)

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers. Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit. Grade 5-9

Cooper is lost. Ever since his father left their family three years ago, he has become distant from his friends, constantly annoyed by his little sister, Jess, and completely fed up with the pale, creepy rich girl who moved in next door, who won't stop staring at him. So when Cooper learns of an unsolved mystery his sister has discovered online, he welcomes the distraction. It's the tale of a deadly train crash that occurred a hundred years ago in which one young boy among the dead was never identified. The only distinguishing mark on him was a strange insignia on his suit coat, a symbol no one had seen before or since. Jess is fascinated by the mystery of the unknown child -- because she's seen the insignia. And, she tells Cooper, he has too. It's the symbol on the jacket of the girl next door. As they uncover more information -- and mounting evidence of the girl's seemingly impossible connection to the tragedy -- Cooper and Jess begin to wonder if a similar disaster could be heading to their hometown. Grade 5-8

Using Olaudah Equiano's autobiography as the source, the text shares Equiano's life story in found verse. Readers will follow his story from his childhood in Africa, enslavement at a young age, liberation, and life as a free man. Grade 7-10

Guides young readers through some of the trickiest topics of our time: food and water waste, our dependency on fossil fuels, and our love of money and stuff. What our planet needs, he argues, is for us to embrace sustainable living. Be the Change is Greenfield's guide to doing just that. He describes his own awareness-raising campaigns (dumpster diving to call attention to food waste, for example, or biking across the United States to highlight fossil-fuel dependency), and then explores how readers can make impactful changes in their own lives. Grade 4-6

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things―from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen―provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. Grade 7-10 (Lexile: 980)

Insects play a critical role on our planet, from sustenance to pollination to medicines and more. Brenna Maloney tackles both the wacky and weird, as well as threats to insects and their habitats, their possible extinction, and ways that everyday people, like you, can prevent their decline. Find out what all the buzz is about! Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 930).

They are climate scientists, journalists, professors, academics, researchers, and policy makers from around the world who draft policies with real-world impact, run science labs to find new answers to old problems, and lead organizations at the forefront of change. These women reveal how racial and social injustices lie at the root of the climate crisis. Grade 8-12

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented? For every utility people use each day, there's a hidden history below the surface - a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past - and how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today. Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science, and what needs to be done now to change the future Grade 7-12

American schoolchildren have long been taught that their country was 'discovered' by Christopher Columbus in 1492. But the history of Native Americans in the United States goes back tens of tens of thousands of years prior to Columbus's and other colonizers' arrivals. So, what's the true history. Grade 6-8 (Lexile: 1250)

We all travel sometimes--by car, by public transport, or by plane. But there are some means of transport that we will never be able to use. Let's open this book and learn how come we don't travel in flying cars, why trains don't ride on a single rail, or why there are no life-size remote control cars.

You're about to be flooded with infamous ideas, prototypes, and crazy attempts at coming up with something new over the course of the last century. The means of transport presented in this book may have not led to a technological revolution but did help us progress. After all, people learn from their mistakes. Grade 5-8

An action-packed look at past extinction and current threats to humanity's survival -- with the ultimately reassuring message that humans probably have a few more millennia in us. Grade 5-8

How do knowledge systems get passed down over generations? Through the knowledge inherited from their Elders and ancestors, Indigenous Peoples throughout North America have observed, practiced, experimented, and interacted with plants, animals, the sky, and the waters over millennia. Knowledge keepers have shared their wisdom with younger people through oral history, stories, ceremonies, and records that took many forms. In Sky Wolf's Call learn how Indigenous knowledge comes from centuries of practices, experiences, and ideas gathered by people who have a long history with the natural world. Indigenous knowledge is explored through the use of fire and water, the acquisition of food, the study of astronomy, and healing practices. Grade 6-8

Explores the music of important times in our history—the stirring pro- and anti-war music of the Revolutionary and Civil Wars, World Wars I and II, and the Vietnam War; the folk songs and popular music of the Great Depression, the fight for women’s rights, and the Civil Rights movement; and the music of both beloved and lesser-known poets, musicians, and songwriters from Colonial times to the twenty-first century. Pulitzer Prize–winning author Jon Meacham and Grammy Award–winning artist Tim McGraw present the songs of patriotism and protest that gave voice to the politicians and activists who moved the country forward, seeking to fulfill America’s destiny as the land of liberty and justice for all. Grade 7-12

This narrative middle-grade nonfiction from Rebecca Donnelly dives into the scientific and cultural history of the waste humans produce, examining why we make so much trash, why we're so bad at handling it, and how we can stop it (that is, us) from ruining the planet. Grade 5-8

An intriguing and fact-filled look at how the mail has been delivered in the United States since before the Constitution was even signed. In the United States, the spread of the postal service went hand in hand with the spread of democracy and transportation. As settlement spread west, communication became even more important to let distant residents feel that they were American; no part of the country was too far away, no village or farm too small to have access to the post. Moreover, the Post Office has always been a public service—it was not originally designed to make a profit or act like a business, but to deliver letters, medical supplies, packages ordered online, and all the things that Americans need at a reasonable cost. Over the centuries, it has also been one of the largest employers in the United States, particularly as a means for African Americans and women to secure stable, middle-class jobs. Grade 5-8

Virginia Hall was deemed "the most dangerous of all allied spies" by the Gestapo. Armed with her wits and her prosthetic leg, she was deployed behind enemy lines to inspire resistance in France, providing crucial support to fighting the Nazi occupation. In this largely untold story, Sonia Purnell uncovers the truth behind a Baltimore socialite who was essential to allied victory. Grade 5-9

In 1939, Gustav Kleinmann, a Jewish upholsterer in Vienna, was seized by the Nazis. Along with his teenage son Fritz, he was sent to Buchenwald in Germany. There began an unimaginable ordeal that saw the pair beaten, starved, and forced to build the very concentration camp they were held in. When Gustav was set to be transferred to Auschwitz--a certain death sentence--Fritz refused to leave his side. Throughout the horrors they witnessed and the suffering they endured, there was one constant that kept them alive: the love between father and son. Grade 6-8

A thrilling account of the most daring American P.O.W. rescue mission of World War II. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 1070)

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Through Thomas H. Begay's singular story, this richly illustrated biography for young readers describes aspects of Navajo history and culture and shows how a select group of Navajo soldiers used their native Diné language to invent and operate a secret communications system that was crucial to a US victory in the Pacific during World War II.Grade 5-8

Unbreakable is the edge-of-your seat true story of the codebreakers, spies, and navy men who cracked the Nazis’ infamous Enigma encryption machine and turned the tide of World War II, Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1000)

The Pacific front was an integral part of World War II. In this in-depth volume, readers will learn more about the military campaigns there and how they connected to the fronts in Europe and North Africa. Timelines show the progression of the war and how each battle and event tied in to the greater whole. Historical photographs give even greater context, while detailed text shows how each battle and attack affected the course and outcome of the greater war.. Grade 6-10

A former NASA astronaut inspires the next generation of space travelers with answers to all kids' questions on how people become astronauts, how they prepare for space travel, and what it's like to live and work in space. Grade 4-7

Guides young readers through some of the trickiest topics of our time: food and water waste, our dependency on fossil fuels, and our love of money and stuff. What our planet needs, he argues, is for us to embrace sustainable living. Be the Change is Greenfield's guide to doing just that. He describes his own awareness-raising campaigns (dumpster diving to call attention to food waste, for example, or biking across the United States to highlight fossil-fuel dependency), and then explores how readers can make impactful changes in their own lives. Grade 4-6

Deep space holds materials left over from the formation of the solar system. Astronomers have been making exciting discoveries on the outermost fringes and the New Horizons spacecraft brings new insights into the origins of the sun and planets, Grade 710

Introduces readers to the events that led up to this discovery and the impact it has had on scientists' and historians' views of gender roles in ancient societies and today. This is the inside account of the Birka warrior grave Bj 581 archaeological endeavor, including all of the dreams, setbacks, frustrations, excitement, politics, and personalities that went into this history-changing discovery. Grader 6-9

Drawing from her experiences as an Indigenous scientist, botanist Robin Wall Kimmerer demonstrated how all living things―from strawberries and witch hazel to water lilies and lichen―provide us with gifts and lessons every day in her best-selling book Braiding Sweetgrass. Adapted for young adults by Monique Gray Smith, this new edition reinforces how wider ecological understanding stems from listening to the earth’s oldest teachers: the plants around us. Grade 7-10 (Lexile: 980)

Learn how high-rise forests will impact climate change, transform the urban landscape, and change how we think about our future. Grade 7-10 (Lexile: 1090)

Insects play a critical role on our planet, from sustenance to pollination to medicines and more. Brenna Maloney tackles both the wacky and weird, as well as threats to insects and their habitats, their possible extinction, and ways that everyday people, like you, can prevent their decline. Find out what all the buzz is about! Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 930).

They are climate scientists, journalists, professors, academics, researchers, and policy makers from around the world who draft policies with real-world impact, run science labs to find new answers to old problems, and lead organizations at the forefront of change. These women reveal how racial and social injustices lie at the root of the climate crisis. Grade 8-12

Humans live longer now than they ever have in their more than three hundred thousand years of existence on earth. And most (if not all) of the advances that have permitted the human lifespan to double have happened in living memory. Extra Life looks at vaccines, seat belts, pesticides, and more, and how each of our scientific advancements have prolonged human life. Grade 5-8

What was the first message sent over the internet? How much water does a single person use every day? How was the electric light invented? For every utility people use each day, there's a hidden history below the surface - a story of intrigue, drama, humor, and inequity. This graphic novel provides a guided tour through the science of the past - and how the decisions people made while inventing and constructing early technology still affect the way people use it today. Full of art, maps, and diagrams, Hidden Systems is a thoughtful, humorous exploration of the history of science, and what needs to be done now to change the future Grade 7-12

This fascinating, wickedly funny account of our evolutionary journey turns science into an irresistible story. Vetted by experts at the Smithsonian's Human Origins Program, the book also features incredibly detailed portraits by celebrated paleo-artist John Gurche that bring our early ancestors to life. Grade 6-10

Jeanne Villepreux-Power was never expected to be a scientist. Born in 1794 in a French village more than 100 miles from the ocean, she pursued an improbable path that brought her to the island of Sicily. There, she took up natural history and solved the two-thousand-year-old mystery of how of the argonaut octopus gets its shell. In an era when most research focused on dead specimens, Jeanne was determined to experiment on living animals. And to keep sea creatures alive for her studies, she had to invent a contraption to hold them―the aquarium. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1220)

We all travel sometimes--by car, by public transport, or by plane. But there are some means of transport that we will never be able to use. Let's open this book and learn how come we don't travel in flying cars, why trains don't ride on a single rail, or why there are no life-size remote control cars.

You're about to be flooded with infamous ideas, prototypes, and crazy attempts at coming up with something new over the course of the last century. The means of transport presented in this book may have not led to a technological revolution but did help us progress. After all, people learn from their mistakes. Grade 5-8

An action-packed look at past extinction and current threats to humanity's survival -- with the ultimately reassuring message that humans probably have a few more millennia in us. Grade 5-8

This narrative middle-grade nonfiction from Rebecca Donnelly dives into the scientific and cultural history of the waste humans produce, examining why we make so much trash, why we're so bad at handling it, and how we can stop it (that is, us) from ruining the planet. Grade 5-8

As a female Jewish physicist in Berlin during the early 20th century, Lise Meitner had to fight for an education, a job, and equal treatment in her field, like having her name listed on her own research papers. Meitner made groundbreaking strides in the study of radiation, but when Hitler came to power in Germany, she suddenly had to face not only sexism, but also life-threatening anti-Semitism as well. Nevertheless, she persevered and one day made a discovery that rocked the world: the splitting of the atom. While her male lab partner was awarded a Nobel Prize for the achievement, the committee refused to give her any credit. Grade 5-9

This book is a call to action. McGhee examines how damaging racism is, not only to people of color but also to white people. She offers hope and real solutions so we can all prosper. An expert in economic policy, McGhee draws lessons both from her work at a think tank and from her travels around the country talking to everyday Americans fighting for a more just and inclusive society. Grade 8-12 (Lexile: 1250)

An unflinching look at ten young lives suspended outside of time--and bravely proceeding anyway. Each lyrical passage leads the reader from one story to the next, revealing the dreams, ambitions, and personalities of each displaced child. The stories are punctuated by intimate photographs, followed by the author's reflections on life in a refugee camp. Locking the global refugee crisis sharply in focus, The Waiting Place is an urgent call to change what we teach young people about the nature of home and safety. Grade 5-8