Chapin LibGuides: Summer Reading 2022: Lower School: nonfiction

The Great Stink by Colleen Paeff; Nancy Carpenter (Illustrator)
It's the summer of 1858, and London's River Thames STINKS. What is creating this revolting smell? But the smell isn't the worst problem. Every few years, cholera breaks out, and thousands of people die. Could there be a connection between the foul water and the deadly disease? One engineer dreams of making London a cleaner, healthier place. His name is Joseph Bazalgette. His grand plan to create a new sewer system to clean the river is an engineering marvel. And his sewers will save lives. Nothing stinky about that.
The Secret Code Inside You by Rajani LaRocca; Steven Salerno (Illustrator)
There's a secret code inside you, a code called DNA. A code that tells your body's cells what they should do each day. It looks like twisted ladders, or tiny, twirling noodles. It makes us into people, instead of into poodles. Why can't humans breathe underwater? Why are some people tall and others short? Why do we resemble our parents and grandparents? DNA may be the blueprint for how a person looks, what you choose to do with your body is entirely up to you!
The Bug Club by Elise Gravel
Most people know that spiders have eight eyes, but what about the caterpillar? These little critters have them beat with a whopping twelve! Did you know mosquitoes are attracted to smelly feet? That the honey bee has hair on her eyeballs? These are just some of the many things about bugs that make them endlessly enchanting.
I Am the Shark by Joan Holub; Laurie Keller (Illustrator)
The learning and giggles never stop in this entertaining undersea story filled with the greatest shark facts in the ocean!
Zhang Heng and the Incredible Earthquake Detector by Randel McGee
When thousands of people die in China's earthquakes, Emperor Shun Di does not know what to do as it takes days for a city to communicate the news to the Emperor. He assigns his wisest advisor, Zhang Heng, to create a device that will tell the Emperor and his court where an earthquake took place. Can Zhang Heng accomplish this impossible task?
Milk Bar: Kids Only by Christina Tosi
Over 85 stellar, totally do-able desserts and other fun-fueled treats for kids (or adults!) to make, from the founder of Milk Bar and host of Bake Squad!
¡Mambo Mucho Mambo! the Dance That Crossed Color Lines by Dean Robbins; Eric Velasquez (Illustrator)
Millie danced to jazz in her Italian neighborhood. Pedro danced to Latin songs in his Puerto Rican neighborhood. It was the 1940s in New York City, and they were forbidden to dance together . . . until first a band and then a ballroom broke the rules. Machito and His Afro-Cubans hit the scene with a brand-new sound, blending jazz trumpets and saxophones with Latin maracas and congas creating Latin jazz, music for the head, the heart, and the hips. Then the Palladium Ballroom issued a bold challenge to segregation and threw open its doors to all.
Arab Fairy Tale Feasts by Karim Alrawi; Nahid Kazemi (Illustrator)
Told with intriguing details, these tales take young readers on a delicious cultural journey and invite them to consider an Arab perspective. Each tale symbolically incorporates food and concludes with a traditional recipe.
The Message by Michael Emberley (Illustrator)
Follow as a text message travels at near light speed around the world in this illuminating picture book about how our messages get from one phone to another, and connections they create between both people. Ever wonder how your text message gets from your phone to your friend's phone? You type it, hit send, and boom--the text appears on your friend's phone just moments later. But how?!
Nour's Secret Library by Wafa' Tarnowska; Vali Mintzi (Illustrator)
Forced to take shelter when their Syrian city is plagued with bombings, young Nour and her cousin begin to bravely build a secret underground library. Based on the author's own life experience and inspired by a true story, Nour's Secret Library is about the power of books to heal, transport and create safe spaces during difficult times.

Nano: the Spectacular Science of the Very (Very) Small by Jess Wade; Melissa Castrillón (Illustrator)
An acclaimed physicist and debut picture-book author introduces readers to the tiny building blocks that make up the world around us and reveal how very (very) small materials are manipulated to create self-washing windows; stronger, lighter airplanes; and other wonders of nanotechnology.
Just You and Me by Jennifer Ward; Alexander Vidal (Illustrator)
Celebrate perfect partnerships in nature with this fascinating rhyming picture book exploring symbiosis with vibrant illustrations and fun facts that will delight young animal enthusiasts.
Eat Your Rocks, Croc!: Dr. Glider's Advice for Troubled Animals by Jess Keating; Pete Oswald (Illustrator)
Dr. Sugar Glider travels around the world to help animals (and, on occasion, plants!) with all sorts of problems. Whether it's a crocodile with a sick stomach, a creeped-out krill, a stressed meerkat, or a male praying mantis trying to date, Dr. Glider is ready to offer advice!
Mimic Makers by Kristen Nordstrom; Paul Boston (Illustrator)
Who's the best teacher for scientists, engineers, AND designers? Mother nature, of course! When an inventor is inspired by nature for a new creation, they are practicing something called biomimicry. Meet ten real-life scientists, engineers, and designers who imitate plants and animals to create amazing new technology and discover how we copy nature's good ideas to solve real-world problems!
Opposites Abstract by Mo Willems
Using colors, shapes, lines and textures, Willems invites readers to explore abstract concepts through eye-popping, emotive, and highly-accessible artwork.
Rescuing Titanic by Flora Delargy
In the middle of the night, the Carpathia received a distress call from the sinking Titanic. The intrepid little ship heroically changed course and headed straight into the frozen sea to help save as many people as it could. Follow the Carpathia as it risks everything to navigate remote, treacherous ice fields in the dark and come to the rescue of passengers on the world-famous ocean liner.
The Three Princes of Serendip: New Tellings of Old Tales for Everyone by Rodaan Al Galidi; Geertje Aalders (Illustrator)
The twenty fables and folktales in this illustrated storybook have taken a long journey. Many have roots that stretch across Europe, Asia, and Africa, but when Al Galidi learned them in his homeland of Iraq, it was as Arabic folktales.
The Wild World Handbook: Creatures by Andrea Debbink; Asia Orlando (Illustrator)
Featuring seven categories of creatures, this handbook for middle-schoolers offers a roadmap for change and an invitation to explore the outdoors with fascinating facts, hope-filled stories, and hands-on STEAM activities. Each chapter highlights the biographies of scientists, artists, and adventurers from diverse backgrounds who have used their passion and skills to become courageous advocates for animals around the world.
Seeking Freedom by Selene Castrovilla; E. B. Lewis (Illustrator)
On the night Virginia secedes from the Union, three enslaved men approach Fortress Monroe. Knowing that Virginia's secession meant they would be separated from their families and sent farther south to work for the Confederacy, the men decided to plead for sanctuary. And they were in luck. The fort's commander, Benjamin Butler, retained them--and many more that followed--by calling them "contraband of war." Butler depended on the contrabands to provide information about the Confederates and whose heroism saved the fort from enemy hands. And, it was the plight of the contrabands that convinced President Lincoln that slavery MUST be abolished and inspired him to write his Emancipation Proclamation, ending slavery in the rebellious states.
The Whale Who Swam Through Time by Alex Boersma (Illustrator); Nick Pyenson
This sweeping nonfiction picture book explores the 200-year lifespan of a bowhead whale and the changing environment that surrounds her.