I couldn’t get it down to five; six was hard enough. Nonfiction is my favorite. I don’t think any of the books on this list will win awards, but they were the ones I found most interesting.
The Airport Book by Lisa Brown. Published by Roaring Brook Press.
A boy explains each step of an airplane trip, from packing up at home to driving from the airport to Grandma and Grandpa’s house. The pictures are as busy as LaGuardia at Thanksgiving.
Quiet Power: The Secret Strengths of Introverts by Susan Cain with Gregory Mone and Erica Moroz. Published by Dial Books for Young Readers.
The most practically helpful book I read this year. Wish I had had it middle school. Unfortunately, despite my enthusiastic recommendations, I haven’t been able to get any actual teens to check it out of the library. They’re probably too embarrassed.
Their Great Gift: Courage, Sacrifice, and Hope in a New Land by John Coy, with photographs by Wing Young Huie. Published by Carolrhoda Books.
Looking at present-day immigrants, this book puts sympathetic human faces on a group that is all too often used as pawns in political debates.
In the Shadow of Liberty: The Hidden History of Slavery, Four Presidents, and Five Black Lives by Kenneth C. Davis. Published by Henry Holt.
American history and the Founding Fathers in a whole new light. I couldn’t put it down.
Animals by the Numbers: A Book of Animal Infographics by Steve Jenkins. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.
Come on…you didn’t think the president of Steve Jenkins’ fan club was going to leave him off her list of favorites, did you?
Rising Above: How 11 Athletes Overcame Challenges to Become Stars by Gregory Zuckerman, with Elijah and Gabriel Zuckerman. Published by Philomel Books.
I don’t think this book has gotten to rest on a library shelf since I bought it for my school last spring. Even I, a non sports fan, found it extremely inspiring.
A Kids Book A Day 
HUGE NF fan here too! I have too many favorites to list, but as an introvert, I’ll definitely have to check out Quiet Power.
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Janet, Quiet and Quiet Power were the Great Escape book club selections for 2016. The Girl Scout volunteers who read it were united in praising Quiet Power as helpful for teens. In fact, I recommended to one of my girls and she downloaded it to her kindle that very day and later told me that she would use some of the helpful hints on her destination! And, I gave it as a gift to a couple of young people I thought it might suit! If nothing else, I think reading these books will make introverts feel better about themselves, to know that the way they are is a gift, not a flaw.
http://gsgreatescaper.blogspot.com/2016/07/great-escape-book-club.html
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That’s so great to hear! As a long-time Girl Scout leader, I can appreciate the book being used there. I do think middle school and high school introverts would find it extremely helpful and empowering.
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