Tag Archives: nonfiction

Butler Bookshelf

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It’s time for another round up of new nonfiction books in the Butler collection! From books about environmental activism to facts about animals all over the world, our collection has an array of nonfiction books to satisfy knowledge-seekers of any age. This week’s Butler Bookshelf feature is Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale: An Etymological Exploration of Over 100 Extraordinary Words written by Tom Read Wilson and illustrated by Ian Morris. Inspired by his experience of traveling around the UK and sharing his first book, Every Word Tells a Story with young readers, Wilson collected over 100 words he heard from children and shares them in this book, along with their fascinating histories. Readers can learn about where words like “barbecue,” “chortle,” “orange,” and many more, as well as where those words originated from and other words they might be related to. Wilson switches between short paragraphs sharing fun facts and lyrical poems to keep readers engaged with the information. Morris’s colorful, whimsical illustrations accompany Wilson’s text to depict the objects, actions, and concepts listed in the book. Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale is an exceptional follow-up to Wilson’s first book and will delight word nerds of all ages!

Check out more nonfiction books in our collection below!

An Animal a Day: 365 Amazing Animals to Take You Through the Year
Written by Miranda Smith
Illustrated by Kaja Kajfež, Santiago Calle, Mateo Markov, and Max Rambaldi
Published by Bright Matter Books
Available now!

Brown Bears
Written by Dr. Nick Crumpton
Illustrated by Colleen Larmour
Published by Candlewick Press
Available now!

Ice Journey of the Polar Bear
Written by Martin Jenkins
Illustrated by Lou Baker-Smith
Published by Candlewick Press
Available November 26, 2024!

Loop de Loop: Circular Solutions for a Waste-Free World
Written by Andrea Curtis
Illustrated by Roozeboos
Published by House of Anansi Press
Available now!

Wonderful Words That Tell a Tale: An Etymological Exploration of Over 100 Extraordinary Words
Written by Tom Read Wilson
Illustrated by Ian Morris
Published by words & pictures
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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This week’s Butler Bookshelf will highlight some graphic novels and memoirs in our collection, featuring Taxi Ghost written and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse. Adèle’s plan for winter break is to spend as much time as possible reading her favorite books at the library. But her plans change when she gets her first period and along with it, the ability to see ghosts! As Adèle meets more ghosts and learns more about the family secret she is now a part of, she becomes aware of some of the problems the ghosts are fighting against. When one ghost enlists her help to prevent luxury condominiums from being built, she realizes that this mission is her key to having an exciting winter break. But how can Adèle help the ghosts, and what exactly stands in their way? Accompanied by colorful, charming illustrations, Escabasse crafts a delightfully fun and entertaining story about a girl coming into her own and making new friends along the way.

Check out more graphic novels and memoirs below!

Dear Dad: Growing Up With a Parent in Prison – and How We Stayed Connected
Written by Jay Jay Patton, Antoine Patton, and Kiara Valdez
Illustrated by Markia Jenai
Published by Graphix and Kaepernick Publishing
Available now!

My Extremely Tiny Forest Adventure (Nell of Gumbling 2)
Written and illustrated by Emma Steinkellner
Published by Labyrinth Road
Avalailable now!

Taxi Ghost
Written and illustrated by Sophie Escabasse
Published by RH Graphic
Available now!

We Are Big Time
Written by Hena Khan
Illustrated by Safiya Zerrougui
Published by Alfred A. Knopf
Available now!

The Worst Ronin
Written by Maggie Tokuda-Hall
Illustrated by Faith Schaffer
Published by HarperAlley
Available now!

Butler Bookshelf

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In addition to all the holidays being celebrated this month, October marks National Book Month. Whether you’re looking for books for new readers or seasoned bookworms, the Butler Center has lots of new releases to share! For this week’s Butler Bookshelf, we have a list of books, fiction and nonfiction, for readers young and old to enjoy. The Butler Bookshelf feature this week is Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes written and illustrated by Aura Lewis in collaboration with Farai Simoyi. In this nonfiction picture book, Lewis tells the story of the life and accomplishments of Black fashion designer Zelda Wynn Valdes. Zelda loved hearing the sound of her grandmother’s sewing machine when she was growing up. The first time she designed and made a dress on her own, she knew she wanted to be a fashion designer when she grew up! Unfortunately, Zelda faced some obstacles because of her race. At the time, Black women were excluded from designing fashion and were only considered seamstresses. However, Zelda perservered and opened her own boutique in New York City. Her dresses were popular with the women in the city, and soon she was catching the attention of celebrities like Ella Fitzgerald and Marlene Dietrich. Zelda also made costumes for actors and ballet dancers, and she dyed ballerina tights so all the dancers could wear tights that matched their skin tone. Read about Zelda’s inspiring accomplishments and important contributions to the fashion industry in Dazzling Zelda!

Check out more books from the Butler Center’s collection below!

Blackberry Fox
Written by Kathrin Tordasi
Published by Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Dazzling Zelda: The Story of Fashion Designer Zelda Wynn Valdes
Written and illustrated by Aura Lewis in collaboration with Farai Simoyi
Published by Beach Lane Books
Available now

The Dividing Sky
Written by Jill Tew
Published by Joy Revolution
Available now

Maisy’s Rocket
Written and illustrated by Lucy Cousins
Published by Candlewick Press
Available October 29, 2024

Somewhere In Between
Written and illustrated by Laan Cham
Published by Random House Children’s Books
Available now

In His Fins: A Review of Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic 

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Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic 
Written by Candace Fleming 
Illustrated by Deena So’oteh 
Anne Schwartz Books 
Ages 4-8 
Available October 22, 2024 

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a narwhal? Candace Fleming’s Narwhal: Unicorn of the Arctic, illustrated by Deena So’oteh, answers that question by taking readers through a year in the life of a male narwhal. The narrative starts in December, showing how male narwhals joust with their tusks. Important moments include finding cracks in the ice, called leads, to breathe through, and hunting for food deep in the ocean using echolocation. As summer arrives and the ice melts, the narwhal migrates with his pod.  When they reach their destination, the hunting grounds are scarce, but with their blubber from the winter, they can survive. They must also protect themselves from dangerous orcas and polar bears. As summer ends and the ice grows back, the narwhal migrates back to his winter home, ready to start the cycle all over again. 

Candace Fleming expertly puts readers in the perspective of a narwhal to show the routines he follows, including his eating habits, the predators he keeps watch for, and the migration path he follows with his pod. Fleming uses poetic language and onomatopoeias, like “tik-tik-tik-tik” (15-16) to imitate echolocation, to describe the sights and sounds of a narwhal’s world. Deena So’oteh’s realistic, digital illustrations bring the beautiful world of narwhals to life. The main color palette consists of blues, greens, and blacks, but So’oteh carefully changes the color scheme to emphasize the tone of the story during different events; for example, when the narwhals are threatened by predators, the colors become darker and muted to emphasize the danger and fear the narwhals feel. Fleming includes back matter detailing conservation efforts that support narwhals and a list of fun facts, as well as a bibliography. Although Fleming herself is not a narwhal scientist, it is clear she put care and effort into researching narwhals. Both educational and beautifully illustrated, this nonfiction picture book is sure to captivate young readers curious about the unicorns living in the Arctic.  

Butler Bookshelf

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Diverse stories are an important part of literature for all ages, especially for kids. October is Global Diversity Month, so this week’s Butler Bookshelf highlights some fiction and nonfiction books from authors around the world. One of these books is Look! Look! written by Uma Krishnaswami and illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy. Krishnaswami tells the story of a young Indian girl discovers a slab of stone in the weeds, and she calls her friends to come and take a look. They work together to clean the weeds, garbage, and other stones up. Soon, more and more people from their village and other villages nearby help them uncover an old step well. Once the well is cleaned up, rain fills the well, and the previously dry and dusty land comes back to life as plants begin growing again and the animals return. Accompanied by colorful, geometric illustrations done in acrylic, poster color, and water color by Uma Krishnaswamy, Look! Look! is a delightlful story that educates readers on ancient Indian step wells and shows how they can potentially be a solution for handling floods and providing water in India.

Check out more books from diverse authors below!

Hooray for She, He, Ze and They!: What Are Your Pronouns Today?
Written by Lindz Amer
Illustrated by Kip Alizadeh
Published by Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers
Available now

Look! Look!
Written by Uma Krishnaswami
Illustrated by Uma Krishnaswamy
Published by House of Anansi Press
Available now

My Olive Tree
Written and illustrated by Hazar Elbayya
Published by Anne Schwartz Books
Available now

Old Wounds
Written by Logan-Ashley Kisner
Published by Delacorte Press
Available now

Tala Learns to Siva
Written by Kealani Netane
Illustrated by Dung Ho
Published by Orchard Books
Available now

Use Your Voice: A Review of Your Vote Matters: How We Elect the US President

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Your Vote Matters: How We Elect the US President
Rebecca Katzman
Illustrated by Ellen Duda
Scholastic Inc
May 7, 2024
Age: 7-10

Selecting a new US President is no easy task, and neither is understanding how it all happens. With this fun and informative explanation of the process, journalist Rebecca Katzman introduces upper elementary schoolers to this aspect of the political process and just how important their voice is to the outcome. Combining civics, history, and governmental fun-facts (do you know how astronauts vote from space?), kids will cover basic facts about the presidency and government, campaigns, voting, the post-election-day process, and what it means to be president. This title is more than just a high-level overview and provides everything from a simple visual explanation of the three branches of government to a more complex, but age appropriate, discussion of the Electoral College. Katzman includes plenty of suggestions for how kids can get involved in the process—from watching debates to writing to politicians—even if they can’t vote for another 10 years. In largely unbiased language, with some swings to the left in discussions of voter suppression and the peaceful transition of power, past and present elections are explored and vocabulary explained with on-page definitions and a thorough glossary. Illustrator Ellen Duda creates a bright and visually engaging combination of drawings, photos, maps, and charts. The full-color, matte pages and dynamic organization help to make the information more accessible to this young audience. Knowing how elections work and our role in them is one of our civic duties. This primer on the election process will introduce political concepts and the importance of our vote as our voice in what matters.

Can You Keep a Secret?: A Review of The Enigma Girls

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The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II
Candace Fleming
Scholastic
March 5, 2024
Age 8-12

It wasn’t just the boys doing their bit for the war effort during the harrowing years of World War II. Sibert Award-winner Candace Fleming follows The Enigma Girls, ten young women working with the British government, cracking ciphers and codes to help win the war. Based out of Station X at Bletchley Park, a once top secret center of the British intelligence, thousands of people (nearly ¾ of them young women, p. 237) worked night and day intercepting, decoding, transcribing, translating, and cataloging secret communications from German, Italian, and Japanese government and military leaders. Walking chronologically through the war years (1939-1945), Fleming introduces each woman as she’s recruited into the sphere of Bletchley Park, snippets of her life before, during, and after the conflict, and her often emotional reactions to the exhaustion, secrecy, and triumph of the work.

The brisk pace and simple, yet engaging prose of this narrative nonfiction title pull readers into the frantic feelings and tense atmosphere of Station X. Fleming balances that emotion with well-explained vocabulary and intra-chapter information about codes and code breaking. Extensive photo documentation of Europe at war and Bletchley Park in particular bring the horrors of war and high stakes of the work to vivid life. Due to the clandestine role that the women and Bletchley played in the war, primary source material from the time is limited. Fleming’s source notes show extensive research into the biographies and autobiographies of the women (most of them wrote of their wartime experiences once they were allowed), and archives in Britain and beyond. Other backmatter includes thorough source notes, photography credits, and author’s note, and an index to come (not included in the reviewed ARC).

A deftly crafted tribute to the unsung young women whose efforts often turned the tides of battle, saving the lives of allied servicemen.

Lab Partners: A Review of Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of SisterhoodLab Partners: A Review of

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Sisters in Science: Marie Curie, Bronia Dluska, and the Atomic Power of Sisterhood
Linda Elovitz Marshall
Illustrated by Anna and Elena Balbusso
Knopf
February 14, 2023
Age 5-9

Marie and Bronia grew up in a home surrounded by love, learning, and tragedy. Losing their mother and sister when they were quite young inspired the sisters to discover ways to help others. They supported each other through school and beyond in their journey to become a doctor and scholar in search of medical miracles. Each grew to make significant impacts on their chosen field, and on each other’s lives, through their curiosity, determination, and courage. This picture book biography of Marie Curie and Bronia Dluska explores the lives of the brave and brilliant sisters as they broke gender boundaries and cultural norms in late 1800s Poland to educate themselves and others in their quest to save the world. Marshall tells the story of their progress from young students to scientific trailblazers in a factual, often bleak, manner, broken by moments of whimsy. She describes the struggles between work and family obligations, accompanied by a moody-toned illustration of the conflict, leading into a spring-like spread of Marie and her husband Pierre on their bicycling honeymoon (p. 10-13). She balances moments from their personal biographies with their professional accomplishments, crafting an example of strong, but well-rounded women in science as role models for young readers, developing scientists, and sisters of all ages. Sisters Anna and Elena Balbusso’s geometric, sepia-toned, mixed media illustrations capture the STEM focus and historic setting to perfection. Utilizing imagery of atomic bonds, equations, and lab equipment against poignant images of the family, they reinforce the conflicting priorities that must have been a constant struggle for the women during that time period (and often still are). A time line and reading list (for children and adults) adds weight to this inspirational addition to STEM and Women’s History Month collections and programming.

A story of sisterhood and intellectual curiosity that lead to some of the great medical and scientific discoveries of the 19th and 20th centuries.

Dreamers: A review of Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond Between

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Of Walden Pond: Henry David Thoreau, Frederic Tudor, and the Pond Between
Lesa Cline-Ransome
Illustrated by Ashley Benham-Yazdani
Holiday House
November 15, 2022
Age 6-9

Set in the majestic winter wilderness of Concord, Massachusetts, two men with different dreams set them in motion at Walden Pond. Henry David Thoreau, “oddball, tax dodger, nature lover, dreamer,” builds a cabin and lives off the land to experience nature and write of its beauty (pg. 6). Frederic Tudor, “bankrupt, disgrace, good for nothing, dreamer,” comes to Walden as an entrepreneur to harvest the winter ice and make his fortune (pg. 7).

Lisa Cline-Ransome crafts a snapshot of their intersecting time on the pond and how it influenced their unique legacies. Mimicking the seasonal organization of Thoreau’s Walden, she follows them through a year that sees their arrival at the pond and follows their experiences, writing and harvesting and transporting ice to the other side of the world. Her study in contrasts follows the naturalist as he observes the seemingly unnatural process of sending ice to one of the hottest places on the planet. Pencil and watercolor illustrations beautifully capture the tranquility of the rural setting and the simplicity of Thoreau’s existence juxtaposed against the industrious activities of Tudor and his team. A mostly cool color palette in the Walden scenes sits in contrast to the warm, dusty scenes in Calcutta, before circling back to a last frosty winter scene on the pond. Spare text and minimal punctuation sketch a rough timeline that is enhanced by both the detailed illustrations and very specific Author’s Note full of biographical information on the men from before and after their 1846 encounter.

A poetic look at a lovely setting that inspired the legacies of two extraordinary 19th century dreamers.

The Circle of Life: A Review of This Is the Sun

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This Is the Sun

This Is the Sun
Elizabeth Everett
Illustrated by Evelline Andrya
Science Naturally
October 2022
Ages 4-7

A vibrant geometric sun shines its rays on the undulating earth below. Thus begins this brilliant and bouncy circle of life story told as a cumulative tale to the rhythm of “The House That Jack Built.” Moving from the sun, to the tree, to the flower, and so on Everett walks readers though the tale with simple text, easily digestible by preschool story times or early independent readers. Lush, full-color, digital collage illustrations complement the spare text. With text to the left of the spread and full-page illustrations to the right, Andrya layers in each new element of the story and introduces a seek-and-find component. Can you find the bug, on the leaf, on the tree? The text and art are both reminiscent of Eric Carle’s Very Hungry Caterpillar. This familiar format, combined with the cadence of a well-known nursery rhyme, lends the nonfiction text to story time in a way most NF does not. Adding to its utility, the book will be available in both English and Spanish, with teacher resources available on the publisher’s website after publication.

This deceptively simple story elegantly introduces the complex topic of our interdependent ecosystem and helps young readers see their place in it.