31 Days, 31 Lists: 2024 Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

As with any list of longer titles, I have to say right off the bat that what you’ll find here is more of a representative sample of the great older fiction of 2024 than what was actually the “best”. After all, I’m just one person and I wasn’t able to read all the older informational titles available in 2024. Would that I could! I leave that job to ALA’s Sibert Committee. In any case, I was able to scrounge up some truly magnificent books. You’ll have seen a number of these on other lists, but there are two brand new outliers as well. See if you can spot them!

If you’d like a PDF of today’s list, you can find one here.

Interested in similar titles? Check out the Older Nonfiction lists of years past:

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018
• 2017
• 2016

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2024 Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

Asteroid Vs. Comet by Dr. Marc J. Kuchner, ill. Matt Schu

The ultimate interplanetary smackdown comes alive on the page as these two titans of space head straight towards one another at incredible speeds. Who? Will? Win? I’ve been disappointed by a fair share of “ultimate showdown” books out there, but not this time! I absolutely love using the idea of what would happen if a comet hit an asteroid to be an excuse for learning a ton about the both of them. I also have a tendency not to trust books where the author has a “Dr.” in front of their name. Again, not a problem here. Kuchner may be an astrophysicist but he knows how to write gripping texts for kids. I’m placing into the older nonfiction section, but it really does make for a quick read. I could see a teacher reading this aloud in a class, getting votes from the kids on which object will survive this incredible collision. The design and layout of both the images and the text really hold up too. I declare this book to be a winner! Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

Born Naughty: My Childhood in China by Jin Wang with Tony Johnston, ill. Anisi Baigude

I’ve a particular penchant for fun stories from the past set in countries all around the globe. The first thing I thought when I laid eyes on Born Naughty was that it might make a nice companion to the graphic novel Little White Duck by Na Liu and illustrated by her husband, Andrés Vera Martínez. When that book came out, one of my Chinese co-workers was so relieved that for once there was a historical work that wasn’t JUST about the Cultural Revolution. I think she’d like this book as well. Jin Wang grew up in Inner Mongolia, and we get to hear all the fun stories of her wild and rambunctious childhood. It’s got everything from being attacked by wild dogs and getting the rabies sucked out by bricks (I ain’t kidding) to beating boys by climbing trees, snot-nosed family portraits, getting your tongue stuck to metal in the winter, and more. Some clever editor knew to pair Wang and Johnston with illustrator Anisi Baigude, who brings a particularly fun feel with her art to the piece. For this reason I would actually recommend that you eschew the audiobook. The art and text are integral to the piece’s success. Definitely a great addition to the genre of girls being wild and having fun genre. Previously seen on the Biography List.

Call the Bee Doctor! How Science Is Saving Honey Bees by Sandra Markle

Worried about what’s happening to the honeybees? Scientists are on the case! A book that acknowledges the problems facing bees and finds solutions. Though the book does get a little text heavy in some sections, this is a fascinating book of solutions to problems that I found really heartening. By this point kids may have heard that the honeybee numbers have declined due to viruses, exhaustion, and mites, as well as environmental factors. This book shows how scientists have come up with some seriously clever solutions. For example, I love that the scientists noticed sick bees drinking water from logs with certain types of fungus and as a result they realized that that fungus can help heal bees medically. That’s so neat! The photographs are also incredibly gorgeous. I had no idea honeybee wings could be iridescent! Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

Chasing Guano: The Discovery of a Penguin Supercolony by Helen Taylor

How do you find a massive, previously undiscovered colony of penguins? Satellite photography of their poop, of course! A fun tale of scientists in the field. This one sort of straddles the picture book/older reader line, but due to some of the complexity of the ideas and language I’d say it belongs here. Penguins are kind of an easy sell to begin with, but this is particularly cool because it includes (A) a hidden penguin colony (which is just neat) and (B) a really nice look at the amount of work that scientists have to do to solve a problem with research. You can read the main text and ignore all the bits and pieces in the sidebars if you want, or just read the whole kerschmozzle if you’re a science-y kid. A great pairing with G. Neri’s My Antarctica. A bonus for the Citizen Scientist info at the end. Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

The Dark! Wild Life in the Mysterious World of Caves by Lindsey Leigh

How well do you know your cave dwellers and systems? Learn more about the incredible creatures and constructions that exist where the sun don’t shine. I was such a fan of Lindsey Leigh’s previous book The Deep that it makes sense that I’d be naturally inclined to also greatly enjoy her follow up, The Dark. I’m wracking my brain, trying to think of another book that’s done such a deep dive (ha ha) into cave dwellers, and I’m coming up empty. Leigh’s great strength is her ability to encapsulate such a large number of creatures, locations, types of cave formations, and more within a relatively short number of pages. Better still, she adds humor and smarts to make the whole book appealing to kids. When we talk about making science interesting to young readers, this is what we mean. I learned more about what glow worms really are, why we call oilbirds by that name, the ecosystem of bat guano, and more than I ever expected to find. Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

The Enigma Girls: How Ten Teenagers Broke Ciphers, Kept Secrets, and Helped Win World War II by Candace Fleming

Imagine you’re just a teen and you’ve been recruited to monitor and/or break codes, and catalog German intelligence information. The thrilling story of the young women who helped break the German ciphers. I primarily went into this trying to figure out if the book was more teen or middle grade, and after my read I can definitely say that in spite of its teen protagonists, this is 100% MG. The romances are there but awfully odd and British (Gwen’s is by far my favorite) and Fleming cleverly cuts the narrative up with spy and codebreaking information. It even works as an audiobook! You get a real feel for these girls, and I loved how much silliness made its way in. Plus, I’m sorry but it’s kind of a relief to read a WWII book for once that doesn’t have to do with the bomb (apologies to Oppenheimer).

The Incredible Octopus: Meet the Eight-Armed Wonder of the Sea by Erin Spencer

Think you know everything that there is to know about octopuses? Think again! Take a deep dive with these incredible creatures. I know we’ve seen a slew of octopus books in 2024, but those have all tended to be on the younger side. This older reader exemplifies perfectly how a book can be written for kids in the upper grades, retain that complex text, and still remain interesting. First off, it’s all about the design. This book understands how to use those sidebars, pull-out boxes, and extra text. The illustrations and photographs are woven together seamlessly. Then there’s the fact that there are two sections on environmental issues that both include “How To Help?” portions, which I really appreciated. Check out that Glossary. Marvel at that list of websites a kid could visit. There’s even a site for educators on how to use this book. The icing on the cake? I took out a copy of this from the library and it was WELL loved. Kids are actually reading this thing. What better indication of a great book could there be than that? Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

A Meerkat Diary: My Journey Into the Wild World of a Meerkat Mob by Suzi Eszterhas

Wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas takes you up close and very personal with a meerkat family and their various trials and tribulations. Adorable and informative. I regret to inform you that Suzi Eszterhas does it yet again. To my mind she’s too darn reliable. Every book she creates is just chock full of great research and amazing photography. Now what’s so strange about this book is that this particular mob of meerkats has been specifically groomed, so to speak, to be comfortable around humans. That doesn’t mean the humans intervene and I do wish there were more explanation for why this has occurred, but if I were to hazard a guess it’s for research purposes, so as to study them more closely. The photographs in this book are, as you might imagine, extraordinary. You simply will not find better meerkat images anywhere else. It’s the perfect length and chock full of facts. Resist if you can. Previously seen on the Photography List and the Science and Nature List.

Mountain of Fire: The Eruption and Survivors of Mount St. Helens by Rebecca E.F. Barone

When the earthquakes started, it looked like Mount St. Helens would blow. But when would it happen? A truly gripping and terrifying recounting of the people who survived (and the ones that didn’t). Worst cover. Gripping book… but not at first. A co-worker pointed out to me the fact that it starts kind of slow. You meet all these scientists and reporters and not a lot happens which, of course, is what actually happened when Mt. St. Helens started to rumble. But I tell you, once that thing blows you are in for a whirlwind ride with all kinds of people trying to survive. Did you know that if trees start falling down after a volcano explodes you should jump in the pit where their roots were to escape the fiery blast of air that’s to come? You do now! And now here’s a secret: I kinda like that inaccurate cover. Just don’t be surprised when the readers drawn to it just skip to the good parts of the book. Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

My Antarctica: True Adventures in the Land of Mummified Seals, Space Robots, and So Much More by G. Neri, ill. Corban Wilkin

Take a trip with G. Neri as your guide to the coldest, windiest, highest, and driest place in the world. Ideal for budding scientists of all stripes! So THAT’s where G. Neri’s been! I hadn’t seen the guy around in a while, so it was a relief on a couple of levels to see this book coming out. And whatta book! This is just fun. Fun fun fun fun fun. It answers every darn question you ever had about Antarctica and teaches you just loads of stuff. Stuff like, who’s there now and why? And what do you eat when you’re there? Neri never shies away from the fact that he’s one of the few Black guys there during his time. The copious photographs are keen but I thought it was clever of someone to add in art by Corban Wilkin as well. I have never, not a day of my life, ever wanted to visit Antarctica before. Now? Seriously tempted… Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien by John Hendrix

If you love the Narnia and Lord of the Rings books and want to know the story behind them, look no further! A fascinating dual biography of the best friends who wrote the titles together. This is definitely for the very good readers who peruse our shelves. Honestly, I think this book is ideal not simply for Lord of the Rings and Narnia lovers, but for kids who want to write fantasy. I mean, this is all about the origins of the kinds of fantasy that we love today. Hendrix is one of the very authors I know who can get away with talking about Christianity in non-Christian publisher books, and he does it exceedingly well. This book also does something I haven’t seen since Louis Sachar wrote The Cardturner. He has these long in-depth discussions for older readers that the younger readers can skip if they want to. I’d consider pairing this with Nathan Hale’s Treaties, Trenches, Mud and Blood, since it’s one of the best encapsulations of the inanity of WWI for kids I’ve seen. Previously seen on the Fantasy Book List and the Biography List.

The Observologist by Giselle Clarkson

You don’t have to be an adult scientist to explore the world. Become an observologist and use this highly hilarious and factually accurate book to explore nature in your own backyard. It seemed fitting for me to read this after reading the aforementioned How It All Ends by Emma Hunsiger since the two books have a very similar sense of humor. You’d expect that in a comic, but not necessarily in a nonfiction book of this sort. I’m so delighted this got a Kirkus star, since it would have been an easy one to miss. In spite of the fact that this is a New Zealand import, they’ve managed to make this book applicable in a lot of ways to American kids. Granted, they may wonder why “pillbug” isn’t one of the many names given to rollie pollies, and they might notice the sheer number of weirdo New Zealand bugs held up as examples, but there are enough familiar faces here. Let’s just all ignore the fact that being an observologist in New Zealand definitely gives kids of that country an advantage over our own children. This one is a huge hoot. Previously seen on the Older Funny Books List and Blueberry List.

One Long Line: Marching Caterpillars and the Scientists Who Follow Them by Loree Griffin Burns, ill. Jamie Green

Two scientists, separated by a century, try to unlock the mysteries of the pine processionary caterpillars. A fun and clever look at how scientists ask questions and come up with experiments to test their answers. Let me tell you how much I like this book. I like it so much that I don’t even mind that it talked at length about my LEAST favorite insect of all times: tent caterpillars. Where I come from we call them tent worms and they were my #1 childhood fear creature. Like maggots in spiderwebs, that’s how I always saw them. Fortunately, this book is about the far more adorable pine processionary caterpillars. I thought it was an amazing look not simply on the scientific process and how to test theories, but also how to disprove old theories that may not have taken certain factors into consideration. Best of all, it’s one of those books for kids that ends by pointing out just how much we still don’t know about the world. I love it when authors make that clear. Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

Outspoken Paul Robeson, Ahead of His Time: A One-Man Show by Carole Boston Weatherford, ill. Eric Velasquez

From the moment he was born to the day he died, take this deep dive into the remarkable life of one of America’s great heroes. Activist, actor, athlete, and scholar, there never was, nor will there ever be, anyone quite like Paul Robeson. Dear lord. I swear, you never know what you’re going to get with a Carole Boston Weatherford biography, do you? This is one helluva book, and sort of turns on its head my usual statement about how picture book biographies don’t have to be birth to death. It’s like Weatherford read that and said, “Oh yeah? I am going to show you EVERY aspect of this man’s life!!” I have literally never seen a picture book bio goes this deep into anyone, but if any subject deserved it then it would have to be Paul Robeson. I learned a ton about him here, and the author isn’t afraid to show the controversies that dogged his life either. Also didn’t expect to see an image of someone getting electroshock therapy in a mental institution on my 2024 bingo card, but here we are. I’ve put this in the Nonfiction for Older Readers section for good reason. I think it’s fair to say that you have never read a picture book biography like this. Just be prepared to carve out a little time in your day if you want to read it. Previously seen on the Biography List.

Sounds Good by Hans Könnecke, ill. Ole Könnecke, translated by Melody Shaw

Discover 50 instruments, accompanied by delightful animal musicians, as they introduce you to a world of music. From glockenspiels to bongos and congas, a marvelous entry point for any kid looking for an instrument to love. Whenever people try to claim that Germans don’t have a good sense of humor, Ole Könnecke’s the one I like to offer up as a counter-example. So this is, at its heart, just a book meant to introduce kids to a range of instruments, but something I really love about it is that it isn’t afraid to take a trip outside the usual European orchestra ones. As a result you get a nice worldview that includes things like the sitar, didgeridoo, steelpan, kalimba, and more. My personal favorite, was definitely the theremin, and for that one I just had to try the QR code that appears on every page. Apparently the author composed a musical piece for each instrument. I didn’t listen to the code where all the instruments play together, but I can attest that that’s one fine theremin at work.

Spooky Lakes: 25 Strange and Mysterious Lakes that Dot Our Planet by Geo Rutherford

Generally speaking, the words “The Official Book Based on the Hit Tik Tok Series!” do not inspire a great deal of confidence. I mean, you show me the best children’s book born out of TikTok and maybe I’ll change my tune… oh. Shoot. It just happened. Because this book? It’s excellent, y’all. Now I know it’s one of those large 14 inch by 10 inch nonfiction books that are the bane of our shelves (onto its side it goes when it comes to fitting on our library shelves, amiright?) but let’s see if you can’t display this prominently in some way to get young eyes on it. I mean, it’ll definitely work during the Halloween season (they ain’t lying about the “spooky” part of this) but any time is the right time for decomposing bodies in the deep. Right off the bat I learned some interesting facts. You know The Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald? Well apart from being one of my favorite songs to annoy my kids AND my mom with simultaneously (“Does anyone know where the love of God goes, when the wave turn the minutes to hourrrrrs?”) I literally assumed from that song that the wreck happened in the 20s or 30s or something. Nope! Thanks to this book I now know that happened in 1975. So… pretty much right before that Lightfoot song came out. Geez. This book also has all sort of good gory stuff, like the creepy corpse made out of soap that floats in its boiler room to this day and doesn’t decompose due to the cold fresh water. If ever you wanted to read a book with topics like “Crusty Death” and “Blood Gold” and is full of itty-bitty ghosts hidden throughout, this is the one for you. Love it! Previously seen on the Gross List.

Urban Coyotes (Scientists in the Field) by Mary Kay Carson and illustrated with photographs from Tom Uhlman

The wily coyotes of Chicago are the subject of this latest entry in the Scientists in the Field series. Find out why they’re here, what they eat, and how much of a problem they truly are. Boy, coyotes are hard to resist, aren’t they? First off, love the local Chicago connection here. But aside from that, let’s just examine what it is that Mary Kay Carson is doing to make this book appealing to young readers. The Scientists in the Field series has been around a number of years at this point and I feel that though the essential elements have all remained the same, the design has subtly shifted to become more reader friendly over time. In this book, right at the start, Carson outlines six essential questions about what urban scientists need to know about coyotes. This is separated out into a little box with questions like “Are they a danger to Chicagoans?” and “Are they eating pets and garbage or rats and rabbits?” The design of these pages also does such a nice job in filling them occasionally with just photographs and captions. This is great! Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

What Is Color? The Global and Sometimes Gross Story of Pigments, Paint, and the Wondrous World of Art by Steven Weinberg

We use colors all the time but what are they exactly? Join this wacky deep dive into all your favorites and their murky, dangerous, and often gross beginnings. This is color like you’ve never seen it before! Oh boy, oh boy, this is just loads of fun! I’ve seen plenty of books try to explain where colors come from individually, but rarely do I see a book try to tackle the whole spectrum in one fell swoop. Turns out, Steven Weinberg is just precisely the right guy to do it, though. Honestly, this reads like an advanced version of Jeff Mack’s Time to Make Art (and the two would pair beautifully in a presentation or display hint hint). The book is definitely aimed at older readers, but that’s part of what makes it so much fun. It’s like an inclusive Monty Python running through everything from the LGBTQIA+ flag to cow pee. Lots and lots of cow pee. To my mind it’s all worth it for the sequence on green fashion laden with arsenic and the arms reaching out saying zombie-like, “Must… wear… cool… clothes”. This is a hoot! Previously seen on the Older Funny Books List and the Gross List.

Who Knew? The Wonders of Biomimicry by Kathleen E. Madden

How have moth’s eyes changed your iphones, polar bear fur affected space travel, and bats inspired new robots? Discover the incredible world of biomimicry, where scientists take a page out of nature’s book. Admittedly, every year we see one new biomimicry book for kids come out and they’re usually perfectly decent but not all that interesting aside from the subject matter. This one, I’m rather taken with. Maybe it’s the photography, which is really nicely designed and incorporated with the text. Maybe it’s the fact that I like how the big focus is on the natural world with the sidebars being about what the human scientists are doing. I’m placing this in the older nonfiction section because of the content but honestly the author keeps all of this pretty simple. We’re not going to dive into the logistics of who made these inventions or how. The only one that left me with more questions than I liked was the lobster vision, since I couldn’t exactly understand how the lobster’s field of vision inspired an x-ray imaging device. Would be worthy of your children, in any case. Previously seen on the Science and Nature List.

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So with all that in mind, here are the other lists for 2024:

December 1 – Great Board Books

December 2 – Picture Book Readalouds

December 3 – Simple Picture Book Texts

December 4 – Transcendent Holiday Picture Books

December 5 – Rhyming Picture Books

December 6 – Funny Picture Books

December 7 – CaldeNotts

December 8 – Picture Book Reprints

December 9 – Bilingual Books for Kids

December 10 – Math Books for Kids

December 11 – Books with a Message / Social Emotional Learning

December 12 – Fabulous Photography

December 13 – Translated Picture Books

December 14 – Fairy Tales / Folktales / Religious Tales

December 15 – Wordless Picture Books

December 16 – Poetry Books

December 17 – Unconventional Children’s Books

December 18 – Easy Books & Early Chapter Books

December 19 – Comics & Graphic Novels

December 20 – Older Funny Books

December 21 – Science Fiction Books

December 22 – Fantasy Books

December 23 – Informational Fiction

December 24 – Gross Books

December 25 – Science & Nature Books

December 26 – Unique Biographies

December 27 – Blueberry Award Contenders (Celebrating the Environment)

December 28 – Nonfiction Picture Books

December 29 – Nonfiction Books for Older Readers

December 30 – Middle Grade Novels

December 31 – Picture Books

Filed under: 31 Days 31 Lists, Best Books, Best Books of 2024