Special Collections
2025 National Nonfiction Day
Description: A collection of well-regarded nonfiction books for diverse interests and ages.
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Make Good Trouble
by Jamia WilsonRead real stories about moments that changed history, and find out what you can do to make a difference!
"Our struggle is not the struggle of a day, a week, a month, or a year, it is the struggle of a lifetime. Never, ever be afraid to make some noise and get in good trouble, necessary trouble."– John Lewis, Twitter 2018
Inspired by civil rights activist and congressman John Lewis’s call to challenge injustice, explore famous moments of global activism throughout history with more than 70 narrative stories.
Featured stories include the Newsboys’ strike of 1899, the Freedom Summer Project of 1964, Greta Thunberg’s first School Strike for Climate, and students against book banning. A must-have, illustrated narrative non-fiction guide through stories of exemplary activism.
Topics for every interest: Stories cover protests about climate change, racism, feminism, LGBTQIA+ pride, disability, and more from around the world. Beautifully told stories and useful resources: Alongside the moving narrative retellings of historical moments, kids can find information about how they can be activists in a safe way, alongside a glossary and key dates for annual activism moments from across the globe.
Written by Jamia Wilson: The acclaimed author of Shining Bright, Shining Black, Big Ideas for Young Thinkers, and Young, Gifted and Black.
Each true story in Make Good Trouble shares how activists across a variety of beliefs, ages, and backgrounds called for change, empowering young readers of all ages, abilities, and circumstances to make a difference. Brimming with illustrations and additional resources, including a timeline and information about how kids can get involved, this is essential reading for budding activists.
Where Have All the Birds Gone?
by Rebecca E. HirschBirds are disappearing. Birds are nature's essential workers, and they are crucial members of ecosystems around the world. Hummingbirds pollinate our flowers; cardinals munch on beetles, grasshoppers, and other pests that damage crops; owls eat rodents that can spread disease; vultures clean up roadkill and other waste. Beyond their practical aspects, birds bring us joy through their songs and beautiful feathers. But since 1970, nearly 30 percent of all birds in the United States and Canada have vanished. Scientists are scrambling to figure out what may be causing such a drastic decline. The answer: humans. City lights and tall glass skyscrapers disorient migrating birds. Domesticated cats prowling outdoors kill billions of birds each year. Pesticides contaminate fish and insects, which are then consumed by birds of prey. And climate change might disrupt and even wipe out feeding grounds for entire species. Discover the vast impacts birds have on ecosystems, food systems, and human communities, and learn more about what scientists are doing to protect them. “Never have my astonishment, wonder, and admiration been so stirred as when I have witnessed these birds drop from their course like meteors from heaven.” —Simon Pokagon, Potawatomi tribal leader “In pushing other species to extinction, humanity is busy sawing off the limb on which it is perched.” — American biologist Paul R. Ehrlich “There’s something everyone can do in their lives and in their communities to make it a better place for birds and people.” — Gary Langham, chief scientist, National Audubon Society
I Am Malala
by Malala YousafzaiThe bestselling, "remarkable" (Marie Claire) memoir by the youngest recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize, I Am Malala will make you believe in the power of one person's voice to inspire change in the world.
"I come from a country that was created at midnight. When I almost died it was just after midday."
When the Taliban took control of the Swat Valley in Pakistan, one girl spoke out. Malala Yousafzai refused to be silenced and fought for her right to an education. On Tuesday, October 9, 2012, when she was fifteen, she almost paid the ultimate price. She was shot in the head at point-blank range while riding the bus home from school, and few expected her to survive. Instead, Malala's miraculous recovery has taken her on an extraordinary journey from a remote valley in northern Pakistan to the halls of the United Nations in New York. At sixteen, she became a global symbol of peaceful protest and the youngest nominee ever for the Nobel Peace Prize.
I Am Malala is the remarkable tale of a family uprooted by global terrorism, of the fight for girls' education, of a father who, himself a school owner, championed and encouraged his daughter to write and attend school, and of brave parents who have a fierce love for their daughter in a society that prizes sons.
The Glass Castle
by Jeannette WallsJeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains.
Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.
Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town--and the family--Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.
What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms. For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.
A New York Times Bestseller
Accountable
by Dashka SlaterWhen a high school student started a private Instagram account that used racist and sexist memes to make his friends laugh, he thought of it as “edgy” humor. Over time, the edge got sharper. Then a few other kids found out about the account. Pretty soon, everyone knew.
Ultimately no one in the small town of Albany, California, was safe from the repercussions of the account’s discovery. Not the girls targeted by the posts. Not the boy who created the account. Not the group of kids who followed it. Not the adults—educators and parents—whose attempts to fix things too often made them worse.
In the end, no one was laughing. And everyone was left asking: Where does accountability end for online speech that harms? And what does accountability even mean?
Award-winning and New York Times–bestselling author Dashka Slater has written a must-read book for our era that explores the real-world consequences of online choices.