Juvenile Non-Fiction & Biographies

Possums Are NOT Cute! – book review

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Possums Are NOT Cute! And Other Myths About Nature’s Most Misunderstood Critter by Ally Burguieres Nonfiction (for 5th grade – adult) * * * * Stars (Great!) Ally Burguieres got involved with wildlife rehabilitation (specifically helping opossums survive illness, injury, and loss) and never looked back! She discovered that many of the ideas people held about opossums were misconceptions – they were not ugly, dirty, or aggressive. In fact, they were adorable, clean, shy, and … Read more

History of Me – book review

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A History of Me by Adrea Theodore Illustrated by Erin K. Robinson Biography Picture Book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Powerful. Based on the author’s own experiences going to school and feeling singled out as the only brown person, feeling embarrassment when learning about slavery and civil rights along with her classmates – all white. Loving to learn, grateful for the opportunities that her grandmother and great grandmother did not have, but… Having … Read more

Write to Me – book review

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Write to Me by Cynthia Grady Illustrations by Amiko Hirao Juvenile Nonfiction Picture book * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Clara Breed was a librarian in San Diego during WWII. When her young Japanese patrons were relocated to internment camps, she gave them postcards and encouraged them to write to her. Their letters helped her learn about their situation/conditions in the camps, and she was able to send them books and other items (soap, … Read more

Father and I Were Ranchers – Read It and Rate It

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Father and I Were Ranchers Little Britches #1 by Ralph Moody Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Little Britches is a book that depicts strong emotions. Ralph and his family move to Colorado for Ralph’s father’s lungs. They think they are journeying to a developed ranch, and instead, they find a three-room cabin. The story continues with Ralph’s family trying life on the ranch, from scratch. They have to raise … Read more

Dear Celiac – Read It and Rate It

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Dear Celiac by Kristen Adam Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Dear Celiac by Kristen Adam is a book any kid (or grownup) with celiac should read. This book takes you through Kristen’s personal journey with celiac. since several people I know have Celiac, this book really rings true with me. The emotions in this book are depicted extremely well. I definitely recommend this book for anyone to read to understand … Read more

Think for Yourself – book review

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Think for Yourself: The Ultimate Guide to Critical Thinking in an Age of Information Overload by Andrea Debbink and Aaron Meshon Nonfiction * * * * Stars (Great!) This is a great book that will really help kids/teens (anyone, really) learn about how to make decisions and form opinions based on facts, how to evaluate different sources of information, and how to have discussions/debates with other people about things. It uses a lot of timely … Read more

Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods – Read It and Rate It

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Percy Jackson’s Greek Gods by Rick Riordan Mythology Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Percy Jackson tells you stories and the origins of all the 12 major Greek gods. He also tells you the creation story and some other myths.  Review #2 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) I SO LOVE GREEK MYTHOLOGY so this book was obviously just amazing for me! I have read all of the Percy Jackson … Read more

Who Was Walt Disney? – Read It and Rate It

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Who Was Walt Disney? Who Was series by Whitney Stewart Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * * Stars (Amazing!) Walt was a boy who loved to play pranks and jokes. He was an ambulance driver in France during WWI. He was creator of Mickey Mouse and Disney. He also loved to entertain people. He often got himself in trouble. His family was poor, but he had the happiest times of his childhood on … Read more

Who Was Stan Lee? – Read It and Rate It

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Who Was Stan Lee? Who Was series by Geoff Edgers Biography Nonfiction Review #1 * * * * Stars (Great!) Stan Lee was just 17 when he got his first job at Timely Comics in 1939.  Since then Stan has launched a comic book empire, Marvel Comics. He created iconic superheroes such as Iron Man, Spider Man, and the Fantastic Four, and many more.