The Best 5th Grade Nonfiction Books

Published Sept 3, 2019

Perfect for the spooky season (or all year round), this book explores the history behind monster lore while explaining the science of fear. Whether it is discussing different kinds of electricity behind Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein machine, or the biology of the best location of a vampire bite, this book will answer so many questions fifth graders will be dying to ask (pun intended)! With darkly funny illustrations and a humorous yet informative tone, this book strikes the perfect balance for fifth graders who want something just a little creepy but not too scary.

This nonfiction book will appeal to historians, chemists, and crafters alike. Moving chronologically through history, from 1200 BCE to 1975, each chapter presents a brief biography of a lesser-known scientist and the scientific explorations and discoveries they made. Each brief yet informative chapter then moves into a lab/craft that kids can replicate on their own. Clear directions and bright photographs make this a maker book that is easy to follow – with adult supervision!

Published Feb 23, 2016

This anthology is so much fun because it is written from the perspective of the character Percy Jackson from Rick Riordan’s best-selling series! With Percy’s signature snarky tone, this retelling of the Greek gods provides all the right information but reads just like a tween diary, which will appeal to so many of our middle-grade readers.

June 30, 2020,

Even the most fantasy-obsessed reader will be amazed by this true historical mystery! This nonfiction narrative, told in a graphic novel style, provides nuanced historical context and shares the many clues behind the mysterious vanishing of the Roanoke colony settlers in the 1600s. It’s always a popular read in my classroom, and kids will love to theorize about all the different possibilities of the settlers’ fates based on historical evidence.

This book is an accessible, engaging history of the American Revolution. Told in a straightforward, linear style, with some entertaining sidebars, this is a history book that focuses on the key facts of this important era while also addressing some of the layers of complexity, such as why Paul Revere became famous (and not always for the reasons we think!). Whether it is enriching our understanding by adding layers to well-known figures or introducing us to lesser-known Revolutionary figures like Sybil Luddington and Lydia Darragh, this book provides the history while “smashing” some misconceptions.

Published July 6, 2021

Hand this book to young readers who are becoming more and more curious about the way the world works and why. Told with entertaining subheadings, funny yet informative comics (think Dilbert-style), this gives a concise yet relevant history of how a seemingly simple idea of how people govern themselves has gone through so many variations.

Published Jan 17, 2017

Steve Sheinkin, a three-time National Book Award finalist, writes a compelling history of one of the most impressive athletes in American history, as well as one of its most disturbing instances: the creation of Indian boarding schools in the late 1800s to early 1900s. This book highlights one athlete’s story, from his humble beginnings to his athletic triumphs over adversity on the football field to the larger contributions of Native Americans to the field of football. This is an intriguing and important must-read for many sports fans.

Published January 28, 2020

Fifth-graders who loved Raina Telgemeier’s Smile will be immersed in Robin Ha’s memoir. She came to Kansas on what she thought was a vacation with her single mother. However, once she landed in the United States, a teenage Robin was astounded to learn that they were no longer returning to Seoul, Korea, but living in the Southern US with a Korean-American man whom her mother had just met and planned to marry. Empathetic tween readers will shudder with sympathy as they follow Robin’s years through an American education, not speaking the language or being able to read her beloved comics. Artistic readers will relish the solace she ends up finding in drawing. 

Published October 15, 2019

For future artists, war historians, and those looking for stories of perseverance and inspiration, this is a detailed biography of Ashley Bryan, an art school student who was attending college at Cooper Union in New York City when he got called up to serve in the army as one of the few Black GIs during World War II. With concise, methodical word choices, this book follows his journey through wartime and, piecing his story together, a collage of his artwork, letters, photographs, and diary entries. It is a visual feast as well as a compelling true narrative.

Published November 5, 2019

This beautifully illustrated biography book is a treasure trove for those looking for important or intriguing figures from American history with a geographic bent. Unlike other biography compendiums often compiled around time periods, specific themes, or interests, this book spans the 50 states. This geographic diversity results in a diversity of interesting figures as well – from environmentalist Rachel Carson (Pennsylvania) to Colin Kaepernick (California). With bold graphic prints and a full-page spread for each trailblazer, this is the perfect book for readers to dip in and out and be inspired.

Published September 7, 2021

Is the Encyclopedia Britannica too stuffy for you? This book, also from Britannica, has all the useful facts but packaged in fun and quirky lists that explain cool concepts from a unique perspective (for example — planet sizes, if they were vegetables), accompanied by hilarious illustrations that will keep all kids engaged and excited to share with others.

Published September 12, 2023

It’s hard to go wrong with the tried and true Guinness Book of World Records. If you can assess a book’s popularity by how well-worn a cover is, the GWR always wins hands down in any library. The latest edition, published September 2023, features a few new sections, updated for new audiences. There’s a Gaming section for the biggest buildings in Minecraft, a Young Achievers section recognizing record-holders under 16, and also an Environmental section.

Published October 29, 2015

This is a serious-looking tome that will appeal to advanced fifth-grade readers who love obscure political facts. This is not a fantasy atlas – so no Lilliputs or Narnias here. Instead, these are actual countries that aren’t internationally recognized for some reason. It’s sure to leave readers wondering about what makes a nation. Published in 2017, it might not include some more recently recognized states, but that very absence might make it intriguing for the reader to guess whether a more recent country in the news would have moved off (or onto) this list.

Published February 23, 2021

Equine fans (of which there are MANY in the tween years) will rejoice! This is a rollicking history of the most famous breed of wild horses in the US. This comic-book history has a strong narrative voice, incredibly detailed and rich drawings on par with the most sophisticated graphic novels, and is packed with facts. Whether it is exploring the origins of wild mustangs with the Spanish arrival in the New World, the relationship between Native Americans and horses, or how present-day mustang aficionados can help preserve the species, this book has it all.

Published February 2, 2016

Just when you thought pink was just for Barbie… fifth graders love this book in the series, The World of Weird Animals. Written by Jess Keating, a scientist-turned-author, this book features gloriously disgusting pictures and an unabashed love for these strange animals. No domesticated dogs or cats here! Fifth graders who love animals and who love novelty will love this book and never think of pink as being a placid color ever again.

Published September 12, 2023

Author Grace Lin has put together a comprehensive, delicious, and delightful feast for the eyes, mind, and soul. From the questions you’ve always asked when reading an American Chinese restaurant menu (Who exactly is General Tso? Why did Buddha jump over the wall?) to the questions you might not have thought to ask (what are chopstick taboos?), this beautiful, bestselling book will provide foodie readers with all the answers. Just note: one side effect of reading this book is that it will make you VERY hungry!

Game books are not the gorgeous coffee table books you see on Bookstagram, but the well-thumbed copies that might live in the backseat of the car on long car rides. This one is no exception and will provide the glue for any family gathering to kick-start conversation when needed. Even better when these books are about food! Keep it light-hearted, fun, and oh-so-scrumptious with these would you rather questions. Because some days, these are the toughest decisions we want to make – whether we would rather take a big bite out of a raw onion OR eat a whole orange, skin, pith, and all.