Good Non-Fiction for Teens

 Good non-fiction? Am I just being generic with my titles? Nope. This week we have been talking about "nutritious" books, books that are good reads while you learn something = non-fiction. In class, we have been reading articles on recent changes in non-fiction books to make them less textbook-y and more interesting. Since I am in an education class, we are also talking about tying in interesting non-fiction books to the curriculum.

In walking in to my library's Young Adult (YA) section, I noticed that educational non-fiction books for teens are not that popular. It's a small section, and the majority of the selections are drawing & doodling books in the art section, guides to various aspects of Pop-Culture like Marvel, Five Night's at Freddy's and Squishmallows. All great books to get kids reading, but as a librarian how do I tie these books into curriculum or recommend them to teachers? Much of the educational and topic driven non-fiction was still a bit dry. After some digging I did find some great options and I even went back downstairs to the children's library for some easier reads but still educational books. (So if you are a teen parent/teacher do not discount the children's library yet).

Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us by Berna Anat

My reading assignment this week was Money Out Loud: All the Financial Stuff No One Taught Us by Berna Anat. This is a YA financial book and it is excellent for older teens in high school and in college. It talks about budgeting, saving money, the real world of credit cards, student loans, investing, etc. etc. all in a hilariously real way that is engaging while being informative. It also tackles money misconceptions we have all been taught. Though this is a YA book I feel like it was written for older teens, and the later part of the book seemed to be targeted more for college students. 

When I was in the library, I found this awesome book, Earning an Income by Rebecca Allen, part of the Strong, Healthy Girls series.

Earning an Income has the same conversational tone and speaking with the experts as Berna Anat's book, but I found it tackling jobs, money and managing your time better for the mid-high school crowd. It's a great prequel to Anat's book. Honestly, I loved that it included how to manage and balance your time between your job and school and looking at possible jobs that fit into your schedule. I definitely could have used this book in high school.

The Fierce 44: Black Americans Who Shook Up the World by the Staff of the Undefeated

I like compilation books like this since they have quick biographies about influential people in short and easy to digest chapters. Great for becoming familiar with a number of people in history. This book discusses both historical and modern figures from Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. Dubois, Harriet Tubman and Malcolm X to Barack Obama, Katherine Johnson, Quincy Jones, Simone Biles, Michael Jordan and many others.

Make Good Trouble: Discover Movements That Sparked Change by Jamia Wilson

I found this book in the children's library non-fiction section, but it's certainly great for middle grades and high schoolers alike. The writing style isn't as dense as a YA book, but I also think that is what makes it palatable for teens. This book discusses historical peaceful protests and peaceful teen movements, giving teens a sense of how they can elicit change. Discussing The Shirtwaist Strike, Children's Crusade for Amnesty, Teens Leading the Fight for Independence in Korea, peaceful sit-ins and walkouts in LA schools to protests for representation and about gun violence. This book is very informative and important in today's world.

The Japanese American Internment by Ann Heinrichs

Ok, this book looks really, really dry based on the cover, but it is a really great book that is easy to read and engaging with large photographs including those of Japanese Americans families, World War II and racist propaganda leading to the Internment Camps, along with memorials that now stand at Internment Camp sites. This book is an important addition to teachings and conversations about World War II and is very timely in view of today's political climate. This book was published in 2011 and with everything happening in the last few years I was wondering how the book ended. I was happy to read a section at the end making this book a very relevant read.

A New Target Group: It is easy to pass off the internment as an unfortunate but uncharacteristic episode in American history. The mass imprisonment of one ethnic group probably will never happen here again. However, whenever the country is gripped with fear, constitutional rights are in danger of falling by the wayside (Allen, 77).

Hidden Like Anne Frank: 14 True Stories of Survival by Marcel Prins and Peter Henk Steenhuis

Hidden Like Anne Frank features 14 first-person accounts of what it was like to hide away in World War II Germany. This book recounts stories from both boys and girls which might make it more interesting to teen males than just the Anne Frank account. This is a powerful book about the realities of World War II. One of the stories includes sexual content, so that may need to be reviewed before assigning to younger grades.

Ours to Tell: Reclaiming Indigenous Stories by Eldon Yellowhorn and Kathy Lowinger

I'm finishing these recommendations on a lighter note. I found, Ours to Tell, in the children's section of the library, but this is a great book on Native Americans contributions for both elementary, middle & high schoolers. Even though the cover art is pretty generic and looks like every other biographical compilation out there, the pages are engaging with stories and photographs of notable Native Americans in the past and currently. This would be a fantastic addition to any discussions about Native American history.