Non-fiction for Middle School

Uses cartoon-style characters and everyday situations to explain the basic elements of the human body. (Grade 5+) (128 p.)

A humorous and informative skeleton introduces each system of the human body, gaining a layer of her "costume" by the end of each act, becoming a fully formed human by the end of the play. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: GN920L) Top 10 Science & Health Books '15 Top 10 Graphic '16 (233 p.)

Amusing and informative, this ultimate resource on the human body, drawn from the author's years of research and first-hand experience, builds a body and explains the way it works, revealing an amazing internal world. Grade 6+ (336 p.)

Follows a tiny camera as it explores the body during a bad day, giving readers information about how the human body reacts to stimuli and performs such basic activities as sneezing, urinating, sweating, and fighting infection. Grade 5 -12 (71 p.)

Reconstructs a human body from the skeleton out, using the most recent scientific information to detail the organs that are part of such bodily systems as respiration, circulation, digestion, excretion, and the heart and brain. Grade 5-8 (93 p.)

Covers how the body is constructed, controlled, and maintained, and how it reproduces and changes during life. Divided into 5 categories: "Working Parts," "Moving Framework," "Control and Sensation," "Supply and Maintenance," and "New Generations." (304 p.)

Traces the history of garbage from the Minoan trash pits to the Great Pacific Garbage Patch to discuss innovative ways that people all over the world are dealing with waste and inventing ways to transform garbage into a valuable resource. Grade 5-7 (Lexile: 1050) (48 p.)

When a forty-seven-foot sailboat disappears in the Gulf Stream in the throes of a disastrous storm, it leaves behind three weary passengers struggling to stay alive. This middle-grade adaptation of an adult nonfiction book tells the story of the four intrepid Coast Guardsmen who braved this ruthless storm in the hopes of saving them. A spellbinding tale of courage and survival from the author of The Finest Hours, now a major motion picture.

Profiles one hundred bird species from coast to coast, offers information about topics ranging from bird calls to behaviors, and provides complementary sidebars, range maps, and instructions for building birdhouses and bird feeders. (176 p.)

Presents a history, based on personal accounts and newspaper articles, of the massive snow storm that hit the Northeast in 1888, focusing on the events in New York City. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 1080) (144 p.)

An introduction to climate change covers such topics as the polar ice caps, the greenhouse effect, global warming, and fossil fuels. Grade 5-8 (128 p.)

An introduction to the scientific and geological sources of earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis examines their impact on people and the world at large. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: NC1290L) (71 p.)

Something as small as a seed can have a worldwide impact. Did you know there are top-secret seed vaults hidden throughout the world? And once a seed disappears, that's it--it's gone forever? With the growth of genetically modified foods, the use of many seeds is dwindling--of 80,000 edible plants, only about 150 are being cultivated. With a global cast of men and women, scientists and laypeople, and photographic documentation, Nancy Castaldo chronicles where our food comes from, and more importantly, where it is going as she digs deeper into the importance of seeds in our world. This empowering book also calls young adult readers to action with suggestions as to how they can preserve the variety of one of our most valuable food sources through simple everyday actions. Readers of Michael Pollen will enjoy the depth and fascinatingly intricate social economy of seeds.Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1110L)

Provides an in-depth introduction to trees, covering biology basics, eleven primary tree types from around the world, and the ways in which trees are an inextricable part of human society, culture, and economy. Grade 4-6 (Lexile: 1200) (63 p.)

Discusses the history of astronomy, including the discovery of the planets, sun, stars, and distant galaxies, and details man's exploration of the universe. Grade 3-7 (72 p.)

Presented in graphic novel format, this book discusses historical geology, earth science, and the Earth's origins. (GN730L)

Discusses eleven scientific discoveries found as a result of chance events and unexpected laboratory results, from Newton's discovery of gravity after observing an apple fall to Alexander Fleming's discovery of penicillin when mold landed on a bacteria culture. Grade 6-9 (183p.)

Outlines the process of making and patenting inventions and presents innovations in such fields as transportation, appliances, child and pet care, and amusement that did not work, were too early or too late, or failed for other reasons. Grade 3-6 (Lexile: 1170) (80 p,)

CDs start out as sand. Blackboard chalk comes from tiny sea creatures. The objects all around us --- every single product in the world --- is made from elements found in nature. Discover how nature is transformed into more than 60 things we eat, drink, play with, wear or use every day. Grade 4-7 (Lexile: 1080) (160 p.)

A story of thirteen true pioneers of the space age. Grae 5+ (Lexile: 980) (144 p.)

From the hand ax and mathematics to IC chips and the laser, each technological touchstone in human history is described and placed in historical context. Includes the who (if known), how the idea developed and how it works, the immediate impact of the idea, and the technological 'children' of the idea. Grade 5-9 (Lexile: IG1250)(112 p.)

A scientific reporter journeys around the world investigating deadly diseases, exploring the state of health care in the developing world, and revealing the dangers we face in a global society. Grade 7+ (128 p.)

Delves into the minds of thirty-three such women, whose vision, creativity, passion and dedication have helped make important strides in the world of science—who have in fact changed the world. Grade 5-8 (208p.)

Albert Einstein's name has become a synonym for genius. His wild case of bedhead and playful sense of humor have made him a media superstar. Once again, Krull delivers a witty and astute look at one of the true Giants of Science and the turbulent times in which he lived. Illustrations. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1050) (144 p.)

Traces the life and work of the Polish-born scientist whose study of radioactivity lead to her receiving two Nobel Prizes. Grade 3-7 (Lexile: 1050) (142 p.)

Collective biography of women and girls who changed the world with their inventions. Grade (57 p.)

Describes the efforts of the artist, museum curator, and self-taught paleontologist, Charles Willson Peale, to excavate, study, and display the bones of a prehistoric creature that is later named "mastodon." (Lexile 1120) (97 p.)

Profiles six women scientists who persevered in the face of prejudice, including ichthyologist Eugenie Clark and mathematician Katherine Coleman Johnson. (Lexile: 1120) (48 p.).

Examines the lives of the Wright brothers and discusses their personalities, mechanical ability, experiments, and triumphs in the field of flight. Grade 4-8 (64 p.)

A true story of tenacity and imagination describes how an enterprising teenager in Malawi built a windmill from scraps to create electricity for his home and his village, improving life for himself and his neighbors. (273 p.)

The story of the two robot vehicles, Spirit and Opportunity, that were sent to explore Mars, lasting far past their projected lives of 3 months and sending back invaluable images of the environmentally hostile planet. Grade 5-7 (Lexile: 950) (79 p.)

Traces the innovative efforts of the scientific community to transform ocean waves into a renewable source of electrical power. Grade 4-6 (Lexile: 1070) (72 p.)

Examines the history of the atomic bomb, discussing the discovery of the behavior of uranium when placed next to radioactive Grade material, the race to build a bomb, and the impact of the weapon on societies around the world. Grade 5-9 (Lexile: 920) (266 p.)

n 1944 a groundbreaking operation repaired the congenital heart defect known as blue baby syndrome. The operation's success brought the surgeon Alfred Blalock international fame and paved the way for open-heart surgery. But the technique had been painstakingly developed by Vivien Thomas, Blalocks African American lab assistant, who stood behind Blalock in the operating room to give him step-by-step instructions. Grade 4-6 (Lexile 1170) (129 p.)

Presents over 60 inventions developed by NASA for use in space-and the ways they are used every day on earth. (128 p.)

In the 1990s, scientists lived inside Biosphere 2 (Biosphere 1 is the Earth itself) for two years, trying to figure out if colonizing Mars would ever be possible. Now scientists don't live there but instead conduct all sorts of studies and experiments aimed to help us better understand our environment and especially understand what sort of things are happening to it due to climate change and other man-made problems. It's a unique take on the Scientists in the Field mission statement - in this case, the field/lab is a replica that allows the scientists to conduct large scale experiments that would otherwise be impossible. Grade 5-8 (Lexile: 1060L) (79 p.)

Color photos, illustrations, and diagrams fill this compendium of facts about space, which covers such topics as stars, black holes, gas giants, space rocks, the Big Bang, and the possible existence of aliens. (96 p.)

Outlines the process of making and patenting inventions and presents innovations in such fields as transportation, appliances, child and pet care, and amusement that did not work, were too early or too late, or failed for other reasons. Grade 3-7 (Lexile: 1170) (80 p.)

Beginning with a detailed look at man's earliest tools, an illustrated survey of the development of technology through the ages traces the ever-increasing sophistication of systems of measurement, transportation, energy, medicine, machinery, and computation. (80 p.)