Nonfiction will fascinate young minds
Long ago and far away when I was a kid, nonfiction books for children were about as interesting as reading an insurance policy. At that time, a friend of my parents came to visit from the UK and she brought two books — one for my sister and one for me.
My sister got a book loaded with photos and information about The Beatles. I got a science workbook; bummer.
Fortunately, nonfiction books have come a long way throughout the years, offering nonfiction for kids in dazzling, mind-blowing ways. Since this transformation, I've become a huge fan, gobbling up amazing information found inside the pages of terrific nonfiction for children of all ages.
I encourage you to make nonfiction a part of your child's reading materials and expand their base of knowledge. After all, one day a kid thinks they don't like something, and the next day something comes along to change their mind. That something might just be a book.
Books to borrow
The following book is available at many public libraries.
"The Great and the Terrible: The World's Most Glorious and Notorious Rulers and How They Got Their Names" by Joanne O'Sullivan, illustrated by Udayana Lugo, Running Press, 168 pages
Read aloud: age 8 – 12.
Read yourself: age 9 – 12.
Journey back through time to discover some of the world's greatest rulers and some of the most terrible in this fascinating history book that's certain to keep kids ripping through every page.
A thoughtful and sometimes humorous look at rulers from various points in time and cultures around the globe, readers come to understand that the great leaders had many qualities in common, most notably that they respected others, thought about the long-term consequences of their actions, and were willing to listen to the people they served.
Readers will also recognize that the terrible leaders had common traits as well, mainly that they did not respect anyone, typically put themselves first and would stop at nothing to get what they wanted.
Some of the great and terrible rulers will be more familiar than others, but each has a story that will cause reflection on what it means to be a ruler and what life would be under their rule.
Some of the great rulers include Alexander the Great, Good Queen Bess (Elizabeth I), Good King Wenceslas and Hatshepsut, and some of the terrible rulers include Vlad the Impaler, Catherine de' Medici, Bad King John and Bloody Mary Tudtor.
History comes alive in "The Great and the Terrible," a tour de force not to be missed.
Librarian's choice
Library: Brandywine Community Library, 60 Tower Drive, Topton
Library director: Heather Wicke
Youth services coordinator: Amber Hadley
Choices this week: "Ten Seeds" by Ruth Brown; "Digging Up Dinosaurs" by Aliki; "On the Wing" by Douglas Florian
Books to buy
The following books are available at favorite bookstores.
"When Beavers Flew: An Incredible True Story of Rescue and Relocation" by Kristen Tracy, illustrated by Luisa Uribe, Random House Studio, 2024, 40 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: age 7 – 8.
In 1948, the small town of McCall, Idaho, was experiencing rapid growth. With that growth, residents were becoming increasingly annoyed with the number of beavers living there, gnawing down trees, building dams, and flooding their farmland.
Something had to be done, and an Idaho Fish and Game warden, Elmo Heter, came up with a plan to relocate most of the beavers to an area where people didn't live and where beavers were needed to restore and balance the ecosystem, and ultimately attract other wildlife.
The first attempt to move the beavers by transporting them on mules and packhorses failed. Then Elmo came up with a different plan to literally parachute the beavers in with specially made boxes that would open when they landed on the ground, safe and sound.
Thoroughly fascinating, this true story of one man's ingenious, successful idea is awe-inspiring.
"Super Swifts: Small Birds with Amazing Powers" by Justin Anderson, illustrated by Clover Robin, Candlewick, 2024, 32 pages, $18.99 hardcover
Read aloud: age 4 – 8.
Read yourself: age 7 – 8.
Meet the miraculous bird, the common swift. Small enough to fit in the palm of your hand, this mighty bird can fly up to 70 mph and can fly as much as 500 miles in a single day. What's more, swifts will fly nonstop for 10 months, traveling from Africa to northern Europe to reach their nesting site and their mate in the month of May, hatch their chicks and then make the arduous journey back to Africa.
Swifts sleep, eat insects and drink droplets of rain while continuing to fly. Swifts can live as long as 21 years, and during that lifetime, the miles they fly would be equivalent to flying to the moon and back seven times.
Beautiful illustrations perfectly complement this fascinating true story of one of the world's most incredible birds that is certain to dazzle readers and listeners on every page.
Nationally syndicated, Kendal Rautzhan writes and lectures on children's literature. She can be reached at
