Our 10 Favorite Nonfiction books of 2013
—Becky Walton and Jeanne Martin

With the celebration of Nelson Mandela's life making headlines, the picture book Nelson Mandela illustrated and written by Kadir Nelson will be in great demand.  The celebrated leader’s death has brought forth the strength and courage he had to protest against apartheid and become the first black president of South Africa. The cover of this biography portrays a full portrait of Mandela’s face welcoming the reader to open this title to learn more about this man who made a difference in the world.

Numerous counting books can be found for little ones to help them learn their numbers, but what about the largest numbers and how to explain the concept of these? David Adler is at his best with Millions, Billions, & Trillions as he incorporates the informative narrative required by the Common Core Math Standards to help students analyze and visualize a million slices of pizza, a billion strands of hair and a trillion popped kernels of popcorn. Now that’s a lot of buttered popcorn to eat!

Having the experience of riding passenger trains when I was a young girl has me again bringing to the limelight Locomotive by Brian Floca. I am not alone in loving this title as it has earned star reviews from five different journals. Floca tells the story of the first transcontinental railroad in verse using onomatopoeia and alliteration to compliment the vivid watercolor illustrations of the steam engine chugging along its route to the west. Engaging facts are woven throughout this title allowing the reader to learn about riding the rails in the 1800's.

Earning four star reviews the picture book Brave Girl: Clara and the Shirtwaist Makers' Strike of 1909 by Michelle Markel introduces primary students to the concepts of immigration and the American Labor Movement. Clara, standing only five feet tall, is the breadwinner for her family as she works in a garment factory under horrific conditions.  Imagine 300 young girls and only two toilets, one sink and three towels for all to share! Only speaking broken English, Clara becomes the Norma Rae of her time and leads her fellow workers on a long road to better pay and conditions. What an inspirational title to read to young ones showing how anyone no matter what age, gender, or height in this case, can stand up for a cause to help benefit all.

Ben Franklin has been the man of the past two years with Becoming Ben Franklin: How a Candle-Maker's Son Helped Light the Flame of Liberty and Electric Ben: The Amazing Life and Times of Benjamin Franklin being published and earning star reviews. We would expect no less coming from award winning authors Russell Freedman and Robert Byrd. Freedman’s title was a favorite of mine this year as he relayed such interesting facts in this biography geared to intermediate and middle school students. Who knew that Franklin’s secretary was really a British spy or his oldest son was a Loyalist while Ben was a true Patriot? Online research will no doubt follow the reading of Freedman’s title with avid Franklin fans yearning to learn more.

Bird watching for kids received its due attention in 2013 from Annette LeBlanc Cate in her colorful, funny, and informative Look Up!: Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard. Her enthusiastic tone is contagious as she leads young readers through the hobby of enjoying nature's flying wonders.

The library standard The Care and Keeping of You (copyright 1998) received an update and was divided into two books: The Care and Keeping of You: The Body Book for Younger Girls and The Care and Keeping of You 2: The Body Book for Older Girls. Librarians likely gave shouts of joy when they learned they could replenish this essential work with a newer publication date. Thank you, American Girl Publishing!

Squishy squash got scrutinized in Rotten Pumpkin. Author David Schwartz and photographer Dwight Kuhn give readers a photo essay of what happens to jack-o'-lanterns after the trick or treating is over. No sad ending: a pumpkin seed sprouts next year! Fantastic lifecycle book.

Speaking of lifecycles, 2013 saw another oddly interesting story. The Mystery of Darwin’s Frog by Marty Crump and illustrated by Steve Jenkins and Edel Rodriguez told the story of a type of frog in Chile whose young tadpoles are carried in the vocal sacs of the father frog. When the babies are ready to be born, the dad essentially burps them out!

With more and more stories appearing in the news about wildlife coming into cities, Wild Animal Neighbors: Sharing Our Urban World Hardcover and MyiLibrary ebook was a stellar contribution to the collection of literature that teaches our youth about the importance of wildlife and habitat advocacy and protection. Author Ann Downer succinctly explains why people should preserve biodiversity and work to eliminate habitat fragmentation in order to reduce the chances of wild animal encounters in our cities and towns.