I’ve been inspired by Alyson Beecher at KidLit Frenzy to participate in the 2013 Nonfiction picture book challenge! Link up here to join in!

I love sharing nonfiction read alouds with my class and integrate literature with all of my science and social studies themes so I definitely need to ensure that I am staying current and reading a variety of nonfiction titles. It is also my goal to find more nonfiction titles that my students can engage with independently during book choice time.

According to Goodreads, last year I read 44 nonfiction picture books (some I categorized as information story books) so this year my goal is to increase that to 60 books. While I will try and read recently published books, there are a number of books in our school library that I want to read so I am not limiting myself by publication date. When I can I will include favourites and link to Alyson’s Wednesday nonfiction posts (thanks Alyson!)

What I am most excited about is the opportunity to learn about a variety of nonfiction titles shared via the bloggers participating in this challenge! There is nothing like a reading community to inspire new reading choices.

My ten nonfiction favourites read in 2012 (not just published in 2012) included:

A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston and Sylvia Long

Life in the Ocean (The Story of Oceanographer Sylvia Earle) by Claire A. Nivola 

Island A Story of the Galapagos by Jason Chin

The Beetle Book by Steve Jenkins

Just a Second by Steve Jenkins

Hurricane by Celia Godkin 

Meadowlands: A Wetlands Survival Story by Thomas F. Yezerski

How the Sphinx got to the Museum

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade by Melissa Sweet

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner