Non-fiction and fact books for age 8+

When faced with climate change, the biggest threat that our planet has ever confronted, it’s easy to feel as if there is nothing you can do. Luckily, Lily Dyu’s Earth Heroes is here to tell us different. It’s perfect for young activists in the making, aged 8 and up. 

A fun and jokey guide to astrophysics, focused on some of the more sensational elements of space.

A perfect book for young children interested in their cultural heritage or for those with a passion for travel and geography, this would also make a gorgeous gift for anyone interested in Africa.

So many women’s achievements in sport have been overlooked in favour of men’s over the years, so it’s a great pleasure to see these 50 women celebrated. The text is engaging and factual, represented clearly and with a focus on inspiring and empowering readers.

This amazing and deeply inspiring story of a largely unknown scientist – and pioneer of the care of Komodo dragons – is a fascinating read, beautifully illustrated. 

For as long as there have been wars, animals have been saving lives. So begins the short preface to this fascinating and heartwarming book, featuring 33 true stories of heroic animals in wartime.

An informative, fun and cool guide to 40 of the greatest musical acts of the modern era, perfect for any young fans keen to learn more about their favourite bands.

An anthology to inspire and help children understand how far self-belief and guts took adventurers from the past – and to wonder how far these qualities could take them too. Includes stunning illustrations.

A vibrantly colourful celebration of India, its people, history and wildlife. A beautiful and fascinating book to dip into and pore over.

Who are the biggest show-offs of all time? The people that have done some of the flashiest and most outrageously impressive things? Some of them were super powerful, some others were amazingly talented and some were extra clever. This book aims to give children an introduction to some of humanity’s greats, and inspire them to want to show off about their talents, too – and grow up to be just as inspirational!

In New Mexico in the late 1800s, the wolves that had once roamed the landscape of the Old West were becoming scarce because of the rising number of settlers to the area. 

This considers likely future occupations in the technology industry for today’s children and explains the tech world in an accessible and helpful way.

This fascinating illustrated book tells the often heartbreaking story of Black people in Britain’s history clearly, and with a focus on the real humans involved. Doubtless, the book will be an education for many parents, as well as their children. 

A funny, informative collection of inventions, both useful and failed, across the centuries from a best-selling author and illustrator pair. 

What is a doctor and how do you become one? What do doctors need to learn, and what are the different kinds of doctors you can be? Answering these and many more questions, such as ​‘Who looks after older people?’ and ​‘What happens when someone has a baby?’ this helpful picture book, perfect for mid-and upper-primary readers, explains how a variety of people in healthcare help us and what their jobs consist of. 

Split into six chapters, We’ve Got This! explores what empathy is, how it works, using empathy, learning to recognise emotions, being a good communicator and, finally, puts it all together to help you become an empathy superhero. 

Enjoyable and fascinating, this non-fiction book explores what robots are and what they can, and might, do. Timely and accessible.

This beautiful and useful picture book is a mine of information on the subject of human migration, which is sadly so topical and which many children will have questions about. Altarriba is very thorough on the subject, making sure that he asks the right questions in the right order as he progresses from explaining how humans have always migrated for various reasons, to explaining what might cause this to happen now and reminding children that when people leave their own countries, it’s only for the most dire of reasons.

From pandemics to war, world news can sometimes seem rather bleak, leaving many children feeling anxious and despondent. This superb, upbeat book redresses the balance, highlighting amazing news stories from around the globe.

An inspirational book detailing the achievements of 100 women of colour which includes a full page portrait and biography of each amazing woman.

Maths is made appealing by relating it to its use in the modern world and by the use of comic book style illustrations. With answers and glossary.

Plants are amazing, complex organisms. In Plants to the Rescue, Vikram Baliga, a horticulturalist, takes readers through many ways that plants are helping humans deal with tricky environmental problems, from producing food to dealing with climate change. In fact, it could be said that plants are coming to our rescue!

This gentle guide for children experiencing feelings of grief and loss is written by Julie Stokes, a clinical psychologist and founder of childhood bereavement charity Winston’s Wish.

This is a wonderfully funny and informative book, which helps us take a fresh look at the world (and universe) we live in, with no boring bits and an abundance of fascinating facts!

A fun and funky graphic exploration of some of the greatest scientists you’ve ever heard of – and maybe a few you haven’t!

A perfect book for a budding news hound or any child who takes an interest in the world, this fun and stimulating read by a real-life news journalist is a great guide to what news actually is and how it works. 

A fun and riotous introduction to world history through fifty objects children encounter in everyday life.

The Sahara Desert – so large that it touches almost every corner of North Africa – is one of the wildest habitats on earth: a land of extremes where only the tough survive. Fascinating and beautiful.

In this often hilarious, comic-style book, Mike Barfield and Franziska Höllbacher take readers through a huge variety of zany, unusual, and often wacky jobs.

An accessible, funny self-help manual for pre-teens and teenagers, based on Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory: how to train your mind and take a more positive, proactive attitude to life.