My students are very pleased to be reacquainting themselves with the classroom library after a long summer/strike break. I have been book talking, highlighting specific bins and handing particular books to particular readers for particular reasons. We haven’t done a huge focus on nonfiction titles yet but still, many are being read around the room. I always find it so interesting to see what is popular at any given time in my Grade 3/4 classroom.
Who is reading what? And why? A few highlights:
Weird but True titles by National Geographic Kids do not stay in their assigned basket. They are hugely popular with many students who love to read all of the facts and quiz each other. They would happily do this for hours.
Tigers by Valerie Bodden – part of The Amazing Animal series (published 2009) This book made its way into one child’s book box yesterday because, “I keep thinking about tigers and my book box is needing some books with information. I LOVE tigers. I am so excited!”
This Disgusting Critters series (published 2014) by Elise Gravel, is adored, as I suspected it would be. We are in the middle of a little art project to make our own disgusting critter in Gravel’s style. Of course, now these titles are even more popular.
“Can I read The Slug next?”
“Is there a list? I haven’t read The Rat yet.”
“When is the next one of these coming out? Can you buy it?
A Rock is Lively written by Diana Hutts Aston and illustrated by Sylvia Long (published 2012) One of my students has discovered this beautiful book and spends a lot of her free time examining its gorgeous pages. She has made lists of her favourite rocks and is now looking at rocks in our classroom rock collection to see what she might be able to identify.
Top 50 Deadliest Creatures by Camilla De La Bdoyre (published 2012)
I don’t know what it is about this book but almost every time we have a guest to our room, one child will go off in search of this title to read aloud. A visiting student teacher got to listen to some amazing facts about ferocious creatures today. I didn’t buy this book. It came in as a donation and ever since it travels from book box to book box being read by many.
What is popular in your nonfiction library right now?
Thanks to Alyson from Kid Lit Frenzy for the inspiration to read and share more nonfiction picture books in 2014. Follow the link to Alyson’s blog to read about more nonfiction books you need to read!
My goal is to read 65 nonfiction picture books for 2014. Progress: 110/65 complete!
There's a Book for That 
The Weird But True books sound fun indeed for casual quizzes as a game or even on road trips. I am a huge fan of Disgusting Critters. Can’t wait for more! I need to read the Amazing Animals series. You might like the Seedlings series, too.
Thanks Earl. We LOVE these Disgusting Critters. In fact, we almost had a “tussle” in Reading Workshop re who got to read one of the books next . . . Popular!
Weird But True is also popular in my library. The Minecraft handbooks are also the top circulating books. I recently ordered some of the Disgusting Critters books based on your rave reviews and can’t wait to read them. Valerie Bodden’s books are popular too. She came to our school about a year and a half ago because she lives in our community. She writes a ton of non-fiction and it always has wonderful photo illustrations.
I love these Amazing Animal titles because they are so accessible for kids. They have such success with them. I hope you enjoy the Disgusting Critters titles. We are having lots of fun with them.
My 12 year old girl absolutely enjoyed A Rock is Lively and used that as a resource when she was in sixth grade and they had a unit on rocks. That was her go-to reference material – quite accessible and beautiful too.
I agree! Great reference and such a gorgeous book!
I need to get my hands on the Disgusting Critters series. These look like fun books – no wonder kids are tussling over them.
So much fun. They love reading them together for buddy reading. Learning and giggles, what could be better?
Our local public librarian book talked the Weird but True for our kids before summer reading. They were the most requested book from all her talks and we were able to get 6of them for the library!
We are quite addicted to these titles in my room. So much fun to share and talk with these books as inspiration.