Select language, opens an overlay
  • General Recommendations
  • Staff-Created List

Best Informational Books for Younger Readers of 2023

Chicago Public Library recommends these titles as the very best informational books published in 2023 for kids in kindergarten through 3rd grade.

Chicago Public Library

28 items

  • “How do you tell a story this hard to hear, one that hurts and still loves?” Talking about the history and impact of slavery in America is hard, but it is necessary. This beautifully illustrated picture book in verse is written as an entry…
    BookNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2023. — E441.A5758 2023
  • “At the start of things, the elders say, the universe was hushed and still. The moon alone shone bright and round in the star-speckled dark of the sky.” Author and illustrator David Alvarez partnered with author and translator David Bowles…
    BookMontclair : Levine Querido, 2023. — F1219.76.F65B69 2023
  • Stunning close-up photographs and simple text introduce readers to the amazing traits of octopuses. Dig deeper into the detailed sidebars on each page to learn even more about these incredible creatures.
    BookAtlanta, Georgia : Peachtree Publishing Company Inc., [2023] — QL430.3.O2S59 2023
  • Did you know that the Spiny Softshell Turtle can sprint faster than 15 miles per hour? Or that the Chinese Softshell Terrapin urinates through its mouth? Learn more about the weird and wonderful world of turtles and don’t miss the…
    BookNew York, NY : Clarion Books, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2023] — QL666.C5M575 2023
  • “Eeee-ooo! Eeee-ooo!” What is that sound? It’s the Cicada Symphony! Find the answers to all your questions about those strange little insects that fill our city with the music of summer.
    BookChicago, Illinois : Albert Whitman & Company, [2023] — QL527.C5F55 2023
  • Día De Muertos

    Números = a Day of the Dead Counting Book

    Tonatiuh, Duncan,
    Share in the tradition of celebrating and honoring a dearly departed loved one on the Day of the Dead in this bilingual counting book with simple text as you count from 1-10. All the elements necessary for building an altar are beautifully…
    BookNew York : Abrams Appleseed, 2023. — SPANISH GT4995.A4T66 2023
  • Ellen Takes Flight

    the Life of Astronaut Ellen Ochoa

    Rappaport, Doreen,
    Every inch of this books is designed to take you on journey with Ellen Ochoa—from her childhood through becoming the first Latina to travel to space and beyond!
    BookNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2023. — TL789.85.O25R37 2023
  • A Few Beautiful Minutes

    Experiencing a Solar Eclipse

    Fox, Kate Allen,
    Experience the beauty and science behind a solar eclipse; then flip to the back matter to dig deeper with further resources, a timeline and an explanation of how to build your own solar viewer.
    BookNew York : Little, Brown and Company, 2023. — QB541.5.F68 2023
  • The Fire of Stars

    the Life and Brilliance of the Woman Who Discovered What Stars Are Made of

    Larson, Kirsten W.,
    “Wrapped in a blanket of sparkling space, an unformed star waits for its bright future to begin. In a cloud of dust and dirt, there comes a sudden jolt!” Two stars are born in this story. The first, an actual star, far out in space. The…
    BookSan Francisco : Chronicle Books, [2023] — QB36.P385L37 2023
  • Food for the Future

    Sustainable Farms Around the World /

    Wenjen, Mia,
    Take a tour of salt farms and biospheres, rooftop gardens and vertical farms from Nairobi to Singapore, Chile to Kauai, to see how farmers around the world are engineering new ways to feed people and care for our planet.
    BookConcord, MA : Barefoot Books, 2023. — S494.5.S86W46 2023
  • How Do You Spell Unfair?

    MacNolia Cox and the National Spelling Bee

    Weatherford, Carole Boston, 1956-
    This is the story of MacNolia Cox, a super speller from Akron, Ohio and who won a spot at the 1936 National Spelling Bee. Though victory was stolen by racism and injustice, MacNolia’s book smarts and hard work are an inspiration.
    BookSomerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, 2023. — E185.97.C835W43 2023
  • How the Sea Came to Be

    and All the Creatures in It

    Berne, Jennifer,
    Stunning watercolor, gouache and pastel illustrations complement the story of how Earth was created, and how the oceans came to life. Extensive backmatter with a timeline, key terms and additional resources is included.
    BookGrand Rapids, Michigan : Eerdmans Books for Young Readers, 2023. — QL122.2.B476 2023
  • A diverse group of children in a classroom explore their looks, beliefs, traditions and values, sharing the history of their ancestors’ journeys to America and comparing current family struggles within America for diversity, equality,…
    BookNew York : Viking, 2023. — E169.1.K484 2023
  • Jumper

    a Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider

    Lanan, Jessica,
    A fascinating, lushly-illustrated, spider’s-eye view of Jumper, a (dare we say… “cute”?) jumping spider, as she perilously hunts for lunch.
    BookNew York : Roaring Brook Press, [2023] — QL458.42.S24L36 2023
  • Ketanji

    Justice Jackson's Journey to the U.S. Supreme Court /

    Magoon, Kekla,
    Justice Ketanji Jackson “was born to shine!” Surrounded with love and West African pride and grounded by values rooted in equality and opportunity, this gorgeous biography will inspire dreams, strength and determination.
    BookNew York : Quill Tree Books, [2023] — KF8745.J25M34 2023
  • Love Is Loud

    How Diane Nash Led the Civil Rights Movement /

    Wallace, Sandra Neil,
    This is the story of how Diane Nash, a Chicagoan, became a Civil Rights leader while attending Fisk University in her grandmother’s home state of Tennessee. Written in verse and punctuated with quotes from Nash’s numerous speeches, this…
    BookNew York : Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, [2023] — E185.97.N37W35 2023
  • This action-packed story about Major Taylor’s accomplishments, triumphs and challenges is filled with adventure, information and inspiration.
    BookSomerville, Massachusetts : Candlewick Press, [2023] — GV1051.T3S55 2023
  • No World Too Big

    Young People Fighting Global Climate Change /

    Unite with kids around the world who are lifting their voices, powering renewable energy, and getting dirty to end climate change.
    BookWatertown : Charlesbridge Publishing, [2023] — PS595.S75N65 2023
  • Book[San Francisco, California] : Ediciones Levine Querido, 2023. — SPANISH FIC BOWLES
  • It starts as an egg, becomes a tadpole, sprouts fins, and grows four limbs with long thin toes. Is it a monster? No! It is an axolotl. Although axolotl means “water monster” in Nahuatl, these unusual amphibians are a kind of salamander.…
    BookWatertown, MA : Charlesbridge, [2023] — QL668.C23M37 2023