Nonfiction Picture Book Wednesday - what's in my nonfiction stack? 9.25.19

Wednesdays I join Alyson Beecher from kidlitfrenzy and other

#kidlit bloggers to share wonderful nonfiction picture books.

The intention of today's blog post is to give professionals that work in the
education field new nonfiction reading material and ideas to use 

with students to promote a love of reading nonfiction materials.

Here are the nonfiction picture books that jumped out of my stack recently:


Billie Jean! How Tennis Star Billie Jean King Changed Women's Sports
written by Mara Rockliff
illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
With the recent books about superstar tennis players, the Williams Sisters, I'm glad to have a picture book biography about the woman who helped pave their way - for women to be equal on the courts!  
While the book focuses on the fact that Billie Jean was a tremendous athlete who worked hard at what she loved doing, it also shares some of the great work Billie Jean did to get women equal rights on the court.  There is even mention of the "Battle of the Sexes" match against Bobby Riggs.
Billie Jean's sexuality is mentioned in the author's note which further explains the additional work Billie Jean did to speak out against discrimination in all forms.


Birds of a Feather: Bowerbirds and Me
by Susan L. Roth
This book is really unique.  It's about the bowerbirds.  There's information about how they use tools, how they create their nests, why they create their nests, the work they do.  Sounds like a typical nonfiction book, right?  But Roth puts a spin on it by comparing all of those things a bowerbird does to they way she works as an artist.  The backmatter has additional information about both the bowerbird and Roth, their similarities and how they work.


Birth of the Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound
written by Kathleen Cornell Berman
illustrated by Keith Henry Brown
If this book doesn't inspire you to go listen to Miles Davis play his trumpet, I'm not sure what will!  This book recounts the part of his life where he was struggling to find his own sound.  I liked that this book showed he had ups and downs and he had to learn from what didn't work.
Additional information in the backmatter from the author, illustrator and musician Wynton Marsalis.


When Jackie Saved Grand Central: The True Story of Jacqueline Kennedy's Fight for an American Icon
written by Natasha Wing
illustrated by Alexandra Boiger
I bet you know about Grand Central Station - where it is, the importance of the building.  But you might not know that it was almost going to be torn down and the land be used for another skyscraper.  And I bet you know who Jackie Kennedy was, but maybe not for this reason.  Jackie Kennedy felt strongly about historical institutions and preserving our past.  And she also knew how to fight for her beliefs.  A good book to share with readers about our history that might be an unknown story!


Happy nonfiction reading!