For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we’re taking a look at some of the nonfiction for young adult readers in our collection. Some of these books have been adapted for young readers from nonfiction published for adults, while others are original works written with a young adult audience in mind – but all of them are well-suited for young adult readers who want to know more about the world around them. Our feature pick is Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betrayal, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown by 2025 Butler Lecturer Candance Fleming. In the book, Fleming provides an in-depth look at the life of Jim Jones, the rise and fall of his Peoples Temple, the tragedy that occurred in Jonestown. Using the lives of specific survivors and victims as a throughline, she balances the (often shocking and upsetting) details with immense empathy, continually pushing back against unsympathetic narratives of the “cultists” of the Peoples Temple. With a focus on humanity and understanding, Fleming brings the story of Jonestown to light in a way that is both informative and impactful.

Check out more nonfiction for young adult readers below!

Climate is Just the Start
Mikaela Loach
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books
Available now!

Death in the Jungle: Murder, Betray, and the Lost Dream of Jonestown
Candace Fleming
Random House Children’s Books/Anne Schwartz Books
Available now!

Eve (Adapted for Young Adults): How the Female Body Shaped Human Evolution
Cat Bohannon
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books 
Available now!

Hick: The Trailblazing Journalist Who Captured Eleanor Roosevelt’s Heart
Sarah Miller
Random House Children’s Books/Random House Studio
Available May 27th, 2025

An Immense World: How Animals Sense Earth’s Amazing Secrets (Young Reader’s Edition)
Ed Young
Adapted by Annmarie Anderson
Illustrated by Rebecca Mills
Random House Children’s Books/Bright Matter Books
Available now!