Best Informational Books for Older Readers of 2021Like this list

20 items

• Born on the Water

  Hannah-Jones, Nikole,

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  This picture book adaptation of Nikole Hannah Jones's critically acclaimed, 1619 Project, begins with a family tree assignment, and chronicles life before enslavement through the struggle for equity. Jones and Watson remind us that the kidnapped and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Allies

  Real Talk About Showing Up, Screwing Up, and Trying Again

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  How can you be an ally? With this collection of true stories from 17 critically acclaimed and bestselling YA authors, they share their experiences in being an ally and needing an ally, including their own mistakes along the way. To assist with your…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Dovey Undaunted

  a Black Woman Breaks Barriers in the Law, the Military, and the Ministry

  Bolden, Tonya,

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  The obstacles and achievements of fearless lawyer and civil rights pioneer Dovey Johnson Roundtree are detailed in this offering from Coretta Scott King honor author Tonya Bolden. Learn about Dovey’s childhood and the life experiences that helped…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Fallout

  Spies, Superbombs, and the Ultimate Cold War Showdown

  Sheinkin, Steve,

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  It’s 1953 and a paper boy finds a weird hollow coin. Is it a prank? No, it’s a spy story that leads to a bigger story about bombs, superbombs, political intrigue, the space race, spy rings and more. And it’s all true!

• The Genius Under the Table

  Growing Up Behind the Iron Curtain

  Yelchin, Eugene,

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  This illustrated memoir depicts the author’s childhood growing up in the Soviet Union during the Cold War. A humorous take on a heartbreaking circumstances, this book interweaves history with the confusion of living through a challenging time.

• Plagues and Pandemics

  Messner, Kate,

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  Ever wonder about past plagues and pandemics? Look no further as this well-researched book reveals the truth about the Black Death, King Cholera, tuberculosis (TB), polio, COVID-19 and more. Readers will appreciate the additional resources including…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Kids on the March

  15 Stories of Speaking Out, Protesting, and Fighting for Justice

  Long, Michael G.,

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  Think kids can't be activists? These 15 stories prove that kids have been activists since the early 1900s! From the 1903 March of the Mill Children to the 2020 George Floyd Protests, follow these kid activists as they fought for safer working…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Legacy

  Women Poets of the Harlem Renaissance

  Grimes, Nikki,

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  Commonly assigned as Black History projects, children and parents alike descend upon libraries to research Harlem Renaissance artists and writers like Jacob Lawrence, Langston Hughes and Paul Lawrence Dunbar, whose works live on in adaptations…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Meltdown

  Earthquake, Tsunami, and Nuclear Disaster in Fukushima

  Langeland, Deirdre, 1973-

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  On March 11, 2011, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan. Then a tsunami hit. These two natural disasters combined caused the world’s worst nuclear accident since 1986: a nuclear meltdown at the Fukushima power plant. …Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Murder on the Baltimore Express

  the Plot to Keep Abraham Lincoln From Becoming President

  Jurmain, Suzanne,

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  The thrilling, true story of the foiled assignation attempt on Abraham Lincoln’s life before he was sworn in as president. This fast-paced thriller follows as Detective Allan Pinkerton and his team step in to prevent tragedy from occurring on…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• No Way, They Were Gay?

  Hidden Lives and Secret Loves

  Wind, Lee,

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  Not all stories get included in the historical record. Author Lee Wind digs deep to create a series of profiles of 12 LGBTQIA individuals throughout history. Divided into three sections, “Men Who Loved Men,” “Women Who Loved Women,” and “People Who…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• One Land, Many Nations. Volume 1

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  The United States might be one land, but it is home to many sovereign Native American nations whose citizens have dual citizenship. Take a tour of the Cherokee and Pueblo of Laguna Nations with authors Traci Sorrell (Cherokee) and Lee Francis IV…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Orangutan Hats and Other Tools Animals Use

  Haynes, Richard, 1952-2024

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  Did you know that animals use tools, too? Find out how orangutans stay dry and long-tailed macaques floss in this easy to flip through compilation of animal tools.

• Other Boys

  Alexander, Damian,

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  Have you ever taken a vow of silence? In Alexander's debut graphic novel memoir of his life as a 7th grader, he decides to do just that at his new school to avoid being bullied. His heartfelt and brave journey include flashbacks of his younger self…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• The Other Talk

  Reckoning With Our White Privilege

  Kiely, Brendan, 1977-

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  Many kids of color have “the talk” with their families about how to survive in a racist world. But white kids don’t. As author Brandan Kiley explains, white people don't need to have “the talk” about surviving racism—they need to have a talk about…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Race Against Time

  the Untold Story of Scipio Jones and the Battle to Save Twelve Innocent Men

  Wallace, Sandra Neil,

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  Hoop Spur, Arkansas, 1919: When 12 African American sharecroppers are falsely accused of inciting a riot, arrested, and sentenced to death, attorney Scipio Africanus Jones takes their case all the way to a Supreme Court victory. A forgotten…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Rescuing Titanic

  a True Story of Quiet Bravery in the North Atlantic

  Delargy, Flora,

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  Follow the RMS Carpathia on its journey across the Atlantic. Learn all about the steamship crew, navigation, communication and how all of those came together to help the Carpathia rescue passengers from the Titanic on that fateful night.

• The Sea-ringed World

  Sacred Stories of the Americas

  García Esperón, María,

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  Thousands of years before Europeans arrived in the Americas, Indigenous cultures told sacred stories. In 56 tales from 18 Indigenous cultures, discover how the first people of the Americas saw their world and their place in it. These short and…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Stamped (for Kids)

  Racism, Antiracism, and You

  Cherry-Paul, Sonja,

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  In this adaptation of Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi’s bestseller, young readers are introduced to some of the root causes of racism in America today as well as to people who have fought against it throughout history with antiracism. This book is…Read moreRead more of this annotation

• Unspeakable

  the Tulsa Race Massacre

  Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-

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  Tulsa, Oklahoma was once home to a vibrant and flourishing African American community called the Greenwood District in the early 1900s. But that all changed when homes and businesses across Greenwood were destroyed by a violent mob of white Tulsans.…Read moreRead more of this annotation