Nonfiction November – My Year in Nonfiction

It’s November, and that mean’s only one thing – it’s Nonfiction November! Nonfiction November is a month-long celebration of all things nonfiction, hosted by Doing Dewey, JulzReads, What’s Nonfiction, Shelf Aware and Sarah’s Bookshelves (you can check out the announcement post here). Each week a different blog plays host and shares a writing prompt. This week’s host, JulzReads, shares our first prompt:

Take a look back at your year of nonfiction and reflect on the following questions – What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year? Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year? What nonfiction book have you recommended the most? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

My reading really hit a slump this year – being pregnant and adapting to new motherhood sapped much of my brainpower, leaving me with little time and energy left to read. Nonfiction is one of my favourite genres, and I normally read nonfiction voraciously, but this year has been an anomaly. Most of the books I read this year were actually nonfiction picture books, thanks both to my work in the library and the many books I’ve generously been sent from publishers. The world of children’s nonfiction picture books is absolutely astonishing – each year I become more and more impressed by the quality, variety and quantity of nonfiction titles that are now available for young people. From biography to history to science and technology, these books not only act as valuable sources of information, they reassure nerdy kids like me that nonfiction is as valid a recreational reading choice as fiction. These books aren’t just educational, they’re entertaining, and beautiful, to boot, and can hopefully provide reading options for kids who simply don’t find fiction all that compelling. It’s a good time to be a nerdy bookworm!

What was your favorite nonfiction read of the year?

Honestly I read so many amazing nonfiction titles recently that it’s impossible to pick just one, so here are a handful of fantastic nonfiction picture books that I really enjoyed. I should note that not all of these books came out this year, I simply read them this year.

The Brilliant Deep

The deep truly is brilliant in this gorgeous nonfiction picture book, which leads children through the process of rebuilding the stunningly colourful world of coral reefs and tells the story of environmental pioneer and scientist Ken Nedimyer, founder of the Coral Restoration Foundation.

Counting on Katherine

What a wonderful world we live in, where young girls (and boys!) can read about brilliant, fascinating, pioneering women like Katherine Johnson, a mathematical genius who battled sexism and racism to become a successful mathematician for NASA and help send rockets to the moon and get them safely back home again. A beautiful tribute to a truly inspiring individual.

Flying Deep 

Despite my deep-seated fear of deep water, I’ve long been fascinated by the deepest, darkest undiscovered places in our oceans. The otherworldly creatures that somehow survive against all odds in those inhospitable place seem more at home on an alien world than on our own planet. Flying Deep follows a team of explorers as they take the deep-sea submersible Alvin on a deep dive almost two miles down to the bottom of the sea. As a little girl this exploration of the deep would have captured my imagination from the cover alone.

Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein

The classic tale of ill-fated Frankenstein and his monster recently celebrated its 200th birthday, and what better way to celebrate than with this beautiful introduction to the fascinating woman who brought these iconic characters to life. A rebellious dreamer who yearned for freedom and adventure, broke away from convention and tradition, and created one of the most famous stories of the English language, Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley is as iconic as the fictional individuals she put to paper, and gets the royal treatment in this gorgeous biography.

Mae Among the Stars

Mae Jemison, the first female African-American astronaut, is one of the most incredible role models a child could ever ask for. Like Katherine Johnson, Jemison battled sexism and racism to earn, through hard work, natural talent and sheer determination, a successful career as a doctor and astronaut. This lovely little picture book is inspired by her life, and its gentle story is perfect for little ones with stars and galaxies in their dreams.

The World is Not a Rectangle

I love that this book is about a female architect – I hadn’t hear of Zaha Hadid before reading this book, and I’m so glad to have been introduced to her and her stunning work. Books like this can be truly life-changing for children, especially girls, by opening their worlds to new careers and paths that they might never have considered, or have been encouraged to pursue. Hadid faced many challenges as a Muslim woman with lofty dreams and big ideas, but she refused to let anyone or anything stand in her way, and her story is one that is sure to inspire.

What Miss Mitchell Saw

If there seems to be a bit of a trend going on in this list, it’s true – I just can’t get enough of beautiful picture book biographies of fascinating, intelligent, determined, trail-blazing women. These books swell my heart. They make me proud to be a woman, and fill me with so much gratitude for the work these women did to pave the way for future generations of girls and women to follow their dreams. Maria Mitchell made her way from humble beginnings to world renown as American’s first female professional astronomer, in a stunning picture book that will hopefully inspire young readers as much as it did me.

Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpre 

Being both a librarian and storyteller myself, it should come as no surprise that this beautiful book about a legendary librarian (for whom a literary award is named) went right to my heart. Belpre was a champion of bilingual literature, the first Puerto Rican librarian in New York, a gifted puppeteer and storyteller, a staunch literacy advocate and a hero of children’s literature. She left an indelible mark on our world, which is wonderfully captured in this colourful celebration of her life.

Mary Wears What She Wants

Who wears the pants today? Whoever wants to! Well, that wasn’t the case when trailblazing female doctor Mary Edwards Walker was a girl. Walker proudly wore pants in direct opposition to cultural and traditional norms, and was arrested several times because of it. Although not a true biography of Walker, this charmingly illustrated picture book is a good introduction to Walker’s story, and a reminder to young people that the rights and choices we enjoy so naturally today were often fought for us by brave, imaginative and inspiring individuals, who sometimes paid a heavy price for their courage.

OK, I’m going to have to stop the list here, even though I could go on and on. Suffice it to say I read a lot of phenomenal nonfiction titles this year, and this list barely scratches the surface.

 

Do you have a particular topic you’ve been attracted to more this year?

I’ve found myself particularly drawn to biographies this year, in particular biographies of trailblazing women, which is interesting because I’ve never previously been all that interested in biographies. Typically most of my nonfiction reads have had historical themes, or have been works of investigative reporting, but this year I’ve been devouring all the biographies I can find. Perhaps in part its because of my transition into motherhood – I have become more conscious of the books I read and make available to my son, and determined to expose him to a more balanced view of the world and its history, one that celebrates the lives and accomplishments of men and women from all backgrounds, both at home and around the world.

What nonfiction book have you recommended the most?

I think I recommended Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein the most to kids at work because I work with slightly older children, and the author, Linda Bailey, lives in my home city, so there’s a great local connection. But honestly I would happily recommend any of these books. I particularly encourage parents to read picture book biographies about successful women with their sons, and not just with their daughters. If we are to create a more just and equal society, it’s critical that boys be raised to view women as capable peers who can be just as successful as men, even when the world they live in tries unceasingly to keep them down.

What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November?

I’m really hoping to connect with fellow nonfiction fanatics, to discover new titles to read (once the baby brain recedes) and blogs to follow, and to share my passion for this genre with other readers.

And with that, I think it’s time to wrap up this first post of Nonfiction November! Be sure to visit this week’s host, JulzReads, and all of the Nonfiction November hosts for more nonfiction inspiration!