The best middle grade non-fiction is just as absorbing as middle grade fiction. My favorite brand of middle grade non-fiction is memoirs, especially graphic memoirs. I also enjoy the “self-help” genre, such as books geared to help kids write better, improve their entrepreneurial methods, or find better friendships. But there are so many kinds of nonfiction books for middle schoolers and upper elementary kids. If you’re looking to add more middle grade non-fiction to your reading list, then this list will help. I’ve included food books, graphic memoirs, historical stories, fascinating deep dives on unique topics, books to help kids write better, and much more.
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Here are 40 best middle-grade nonfiction books:
Novelty/Coffee Table/Fact Books
If you have kids who enjoy fact books or coffee table style books, here are some options for them.
Published: November 7, 2023
As a fan of a good pizza, this non-fiction book grabbed me from the cover. I was delighted to learn facts about pizza I didn’t even know I was curious about—like where its major components originated and the differences between pizza sold by franchises worldwide. Did you know tomatoes were first grown in South America and not Italy? This charming release has easy-to-read text, real pictures, illustrations, and fact pages that grab young readers’ attention. I’d recommend it for ages 9+
Published: August 1, 2023
Did the adults in your life teach you how to change a bicycle tire? Or to use a compass? How about gift wrapping? Or writing a thank you note? There’s so much that kids today don’t know how to do—so many useful life skills (and some that are just fun, like coin tricks 🤭). I love the pictures and easy-to-follow directions in this book! My husband already learned how to do one coin trick and is going to have so much fun showing off with the littles we know. Great for ages 9+
50 Vehicles That Changed the World" />
Published: October 3, 2023
A fascinating book about the vehicles that have shaped our world, written by narrowboat captain and children’s author Matt Ralphs, with stunning color illustrations on every page by Rui Ricardo. From ancient chariots and Viking longships to racing cars, rockets, and solar-powered airplanes, our world has been changed by the pioneering development of many incredible vehicles. This book is absolutely breathtaking and the perfect coffee table book for engineering-curious readers (or anyone) to flip through when they feel the need. Perfect for ages 9+
Published: October 1, 2023
2023 seemed like the year Barbie was everywhere, and this coffee table book celebrates the doll’s fascinating 65-year history. Tweens and teens might not know that when Barbie made her debut in the 1950s, she represented a woman with interests outside the home–something completely revolutionary in those days. The book explores how generations of girls have explored their own dreams through playing in Barbie’s world. Ages 9+
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. Ages 9+
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! Ages 9+
Published November 17, 2015
Funny, inspiring and all-true, this collection of mini-biographies will delight sports fans and any readers who love hearing about the childhood antics of famous celebrities. From Super bowler Peyton Manning’s middle school tango to the challenges Billie Jean King had to face to play tennis as a girl in the 1960s, or Lionel Messi’s short statue and growth hormone deficiency, which he overcame to become one of the best-known soccer stars in the world. Each biography is accompanied by clever, full-color illustrations and are approximately 2-4 pages long. Ages 9+
Published: October 4, 2022
This atlas blends history and myth to explore the lost kingdoms, phantom islands, and legendary continents once sought by explorers. Maps, manuscripts, and carvings give readers “clues” to where these lost kingdoms might be. Atlas of Lost Kingdoms was shortlisted for the 2023 Children’s Travel Book of the Year and is an excellent choice for kids who love mythology, geography, and travel. Ages 8+
Middle Grade Memoirs
These memoirs are perfect for middle schoolers who like to read about the real-life experiences of authors when they were kids.
Published: September 10, 2019
Free Lunch chronicles author Rex Ogle’s experiences during his sixth-grade year: feeling constantly hungry, being uncomfortable in ill-fitting second-hand clothing, and dealing with dissolving friendships. The memoir’s title comes from Rex’s dependence on the free lunch program at school and the shame he feels when he has to explain to the cashier that he’s on the program. While some of the language and content might be more suitable for mature 6th-grade readers, this memoir provides a wealth of teachable moments and discussion. Free Lunch is heart-wrenching, beautifully written, and a significant contribution to children’s literature. Ages 10+
Published: April 7, 2020
Teens might know Trevor Noah as the former host of The Daily Show on Comedy Central, but they likely don’t know much about his childhood. In this bestselling young readers’ adaptation of his adult memoir, Noah unflinchingly shares his personal story and the injustices he faced while growing up mixed race – half black and half white – in South Africa both during and after apartheid. Ages 10+
Published: April 14, 2020
Omar and Hassan (who is non-verbal) live in a refugee camp in Kenya after fleeing war in Somalia. Despite unimaginable living conditions and constant disappointments, they find a loving community of people. However, when Omar is offered the opportunity to attend school, he’s torn. If he goes to school, who will protect Hassan? The interdependent text and illustrations in the graphic novel form allow the reader to experience Omar’s reality- a reality unfathomable to most people, regardless of age. An afterword and authors’ notes (with photographs!) offer further closure to Omar’s story and connect readers to the real people behind the characters. Ages 9+
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. Ages 10+
Published: Feb 28, 2023
Award-winning graphic novelist Dan Santat pulls off a hat trick of a book – a personal story of his own awkward middle school years seen through the prism of one trip to Europe. This book hits all the right notes – the travelogue aspect, a chance to see Santat’s incredible illustrations of Europe in the 1980s, and his realistic, humorous depiction of his own experiences with friendship, first love, and…Fanta, the European soda. Middle school readers will come for the drawings and stay for the thoughtful, poignant, and thoroughly engaging musings of the brilliant Dan Santat. Ages 10+
Published: August 1, 2023
Picture this: a Winnebago full of your EIGHT siblings, as you travel into Mexico, where you have barely been, even though you are a Mexican-American family, to find your abuelita and bring her back with you to the United States. This reads like the best premise of a novel, but is the true story of Pedro Martin, describing his own journey! Told in a poignant yet hilarious fashion, Martin’s graphic memoir (which won a Newbery Honor) shares family misadventures and anecdotal insights into Mexican-American culture that everyone will appreciate. Ages 9+
Published January 5, 2016
A nonfiction classic that weaves strands of agricultural innovation, strength in adversity and of a community coming together, this book, also the subject of multiple movies and documentaries, doesn’t get old. This book tells the fascinating story of a boy and a community. William Kamkwamba, who was born into a small village in Malawi, faces the terrible consequences of a drought that hits his village. Losing all their crops and struggling to farm their land with the rising cost of maize and faced with a government that cannot or would not be able to help much, Kamkwamba ends up creating a windmill out of old, scavenged parts that help their community pump water back into the village’s land. Told with strength, joy, humor and energy, this nonfiction book is a great read-aloud or book to be shared between middle schoolers and adults alike. Ages 9+
