We’ve been talking lately about the importance of reading for fun. With a summer reading regiment in mind, we’d like to recommend a few more books. This time, we’ll be looking at 10 nonfiction books for teens. These are just not any list of books for teens, these are books that teach you lessons, take you on adventures, and spark creativity - make sure you sell it as more than just a book, it's an adventure, a journey!
Whether you’re interested in science, history, or the arts, nonfiction reading is a fun way to learn at your own pace. Let’s get started!
1. Heads Up Sociology by DK
Sociology is the study of how societies are organized and what helps them function or go wrong. With simple terms and engaging graphics, Heads Up Sociology explores key sociology topics like poverty, gender, class, and crime.
2. Rhythm Ride: A Road Trip Through the Motown Sound by Andrea Davis Pinkney
Recommended for all music lovers. Rhythm Ride tells the story of Motown: a Detroit record label that revolutionized pop music during the 1960s. In the midst of the American Civil Rights and Countercultural Movements, Motown artists like Marvin Gaye became cultural icons of change.
3. Muhammad Ali: The King of the Ring by Lewis Helfand
Helfand’s graphic novel explores the many lives of Muhammad Ali: a three-time World Heavyweight Champion boxer, a poet, and a lifelong activist. Muhammad Ali is an educational, entertaining, and inspiring read.
4. Rad Women Worldwide: Artists and Athletes, Pirates and Punks, and Other Revolutionaries Who Shaped History by Kate Schatz
Here’s another inspiring graphic novel. Rad Women Worldwide pairs well-researched biographies of amazing women throughout history with expressive cut-paper portraits. Recommended for rad women and men!
5. The Movie Book by DK
This edition of DK’s fantastic series of visual non-fiction books goes deep into the history of film. Full of quotes, film stills, original posters and memorable, The Movie Book is a future-director’s dream.
6. Women in Science: 50 Fearless Pioneers Who Changed the World by Rachel Ignotofsky
A New York Times best seller, Women in Science spotlights the contributions of fifty women to the fields of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics throughout history.
7. Help Yourself for Teens: Real-Life Advice for Real-Life Challenges by Dave Pelzer
Being a teenager is complicated. That’s why best-selling author Dave Pelzer wrote Help Yourself for Teens. This book offers teens advice on how to overcome hardships, make good decisions, and achieve greatness.
8. Heads Up Money by DK
Yes, we love these DK books. Making use of infographics, fun images, and jargon-free text, Heads Up Money is an approachable introduction to economics.
9. Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom (With a Few Flat Tires Along the Way) by Sue Macy
Wheels of Change highlights a surprising ally in the fight for gender equality: the bicycle. With vintage photographs, advertisements, cartoons, and songs, Macy’s book explains how bicycles helped empower women’s liberation.
10. Guns, Germs, and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies by Jared Diamond
Ok, so this one is not actually written for teens—but it’s approachable and fascinating. Guns, Germs, and Steel examines how environmental and geographical factors shaped the modern world. Recommended for ambitious readers ages 17 and up.
Alright, we hope this reading list of books for teens was inspiring enough to get them to approach the book and not have the book approach them. Little Tip: Take them to the book store, let them pick the books, you can always give them examples and places to start, but give them the independence to pick the book they are going to read for fun. We all remember reading for school, it made reading a chore and not an enjoyable part of the day, so use this list as a guide, but not the end all and be all!
Talk soon,
- The Laurus Crew
