Non-fiction and fact books your child will love (older children aged 9-12)
Getting older children to love reading isn't necessarily about fiction and fairy tales.
There are loads of brilliant non-fiction books that can teach your child about the world, as well as being entertaining, funny and gorgeous to look at. Sometimes non-fiction is also a fantastic way to tempt a reluctant reader into sitting down with a book.
Here are just a few of our favourites to get them excited to read.
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Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Mouni Feddag
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
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Africa, Amazing Africa: Country by Country
Author: Atinuke Illustrator: Mouni Feddag
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 7+
A perfect book for young children interested in their cultural heritage or for those with a passion for travel and geography, this…
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Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor
Author: Patricia Valdez Illustrator: Felicita Sala
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
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Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor
Author: Patricia Valdez Illustrator: Felicita Sala
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
This amazing and deeply inspiring story of a largely unknown scientist – and pioneer of the care of Komodo dragons …
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Music Legends
Author: Herve Guilleminot and Jerome Masi
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
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Music Legends
Author: Herve Guilleminot and Jerome Masi
Interest level: 7-10
Reading age: 7+
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 …
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Earth’s Incredible Places: The Sahara
Author: Christina Webb Illustrator: Muti
Interest level: 9-11
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Earth’s Incredible Places: The Sahara
Author: Christina Webb Illustrator: Muti
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age:
The Sahara Desert – so large that it touches almost every corner of North Africa – is one of the wildest habitats on earth: a land…
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You Are History
Author: Greg Jenner Illustrator: Jenny Taylor
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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You Are History
Author: Greg Jenner Illustrator: Jenny Taylor
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A fun and riotous introduction to world history through fifty objects children encounter in everyday life.
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Women in Sport: 50 Fearless Athletes who Played to Win
Author: Rachel Ignotofsky
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
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Women in Sport: 50 Fearless Athletes who Played to Win
Author: Rachel Ignotofsky
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
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 thes…
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Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courageous Animals
Author: David Long & Kerry Hyndman
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
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Heroes: Incredible True Stories of Courageous Animals
Author: David Long & Kerry Hyndman
Interest level: 7-11
Reading age: 8+
For as long as there have been wars, animals have been saving lives. So begins the short preface to this fascinating and heartwarm…
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Kay’s Incredible Inventions
Author: Adam Kay Illustrator: Henry Paker
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
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Kay’s Incredible Inventions
Author: Adam Kay Illustrator: Henry Paker
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 8+
A funny, informative collection of inventions, both useful and failed, across the centuries from a best-selling author and illustr…
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We’ve Got This!: Six Steps to Build Your Empathy Superpower
Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande in partnership with Empathy Lab Illustrator: Juliana Eigner
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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We’ve Got This!: Six Steps to Build Your Empathy Superpower
Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande in partnership with Empathy Lab Illustrator: Juliana Eigner
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Split into six chapters, We’ve Got This! explores what empathy is, how it works, using empathy, learning to recognise em…
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You Are Awesome
Author: Matthew Syed Illustrator: Toby Triumph
Interest level: 10-16
Reading age: 9+
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You Are Awesome
Author: Matthew Syed Illustrator: Toby Triumph
Interest level: 10-16
Reading age: 9+
An accessible, funny self-help manual for pre-teens and teenagers, based on Carol Dweck’s growth mindset theory: how to train your…
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Good News
Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande Illustrator: Adam Hayes
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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Good News
Author: Rashmi Sirdeshpande Illustrator: Adam Hayes
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
From pandemics to war, world news can sometimes seem rather bleak, leaving many children feeling anxious and despondent. This supe…
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The Journey
Author: Francesca Sanna
Interest level: 7-9
Reading age: 7+
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The Journey
Author: Francesca Sanna
Interest level: 7-9
Reading age: 7+
What is it like to leave everything behind and travel somewhere strange? This incredibly poignant story introduces the concept of …
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The Brainiac’s Book of Robots and AI
Author: Paul Virr Illustrator: Harriet Russell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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The Brainiac’s Book of Robots and AI
Author: Paul Virr Illustrator: Harriet Russell
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Enjoyable and fascinating, this non-fiction book explores what robots are and what they can, and might, do. Timely and accessible.…
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Girl Power: Indian Women Who Took on the World
Author: Neha J Hiranandani Illustrator: Aditi Kakade Beaufrand and Niloufer Wadia
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
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Girl Power: Indian Women Who Took on the World
Author: Neha J Hiranandani Illustrator: Aditi Kakade Beaufrand and Niloufer Wadia
Interest level: 6-11
Reading age: 8+
Featuring 50 brilliant Indian women from history and the present day, Girl Power: Indian Women Who Took on the World is …
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Black and British: An Illustrated History
Author: David Olusoga Illustrator: Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Black and British: An Illustrated History
Author: David Olusoga Illustrator: Jake Alexander and Melleny Taylor
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
This fascinating illustrated book tells the often heartbreaking story of Black people in Britain’s history clearly, and with a foc…
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History’s Biggest Show-Offs: The Boldest, Bravest and Bra...
Author: Andy Seed Illustrator: Sam Caldwell
Interest level: 8-9
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History’s Biggest Show-Offs: The Boldest, Bravest and Bra...
Author: Andy Seed Illustrator: Sam Caldwell
Interest level: 8-9
Reading age:
Who are the biggest show-offs of all time? The people that have done some of the flashiest and most outrageously impressive things…
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Breaking News
Author: Nick Sheridan Illustrator: David O’Connell
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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Breaking News
Author: Nick Sheridan Illustrator: David O’Connell
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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-l…
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Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past a...
Author: Jamia Wilson Illustrator: Andrea Pippins
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
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Young, Gifted and Black: Meet 52 Black Heroes from Past a...
Author: Jamia Wilson Illustrator: Andrea Pippins
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
This beautiful and eye-catching hardback celebrates a selection of black icons from history and the present day to inspire all chi…
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How Loud Can You Burp?
Author: Glenn Murphy
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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How Loud Can You Burp?
Author: Glenn Murphy
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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…
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How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs
Author: Dr Punam Krishan Illustrator: Sol Linero
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 6-8
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How to Be a Doctor and Other Life-Saving Jobs
Author: Dr Punam Krishan Illustrator: Sol Linero
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 6-8
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?…
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My Period: Find your flow and feel proud of your period!
Author: Milli Hill Illustrator: Sarah Eichert
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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My Period: Find your flow and feel proud of your period!
Author: Milli Hill Illustrator: Sarah Eichert
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
Explaining what puberty is, how your period works, the period products there are on the market, how to chart and understand your m…
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You Will Be Okay
Author: Julie Stokes Illustrator: Laurène Boglio
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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You Will Be Okay
Author: Julie Stokes Illustrator: Laurène Boglio
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
This gentle guide for children experiencing feelings of grief and loss is written by Julie Stokes, a clinical psychologist and fou…
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Survivors
Author: David Long Illustrator: Kerry Hyndman
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 7+
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Survivors
Author: David Long Illustrator: Kerry Hyndman
Interest level: 7+
Reading age: 7+
An anthology to inspire and help children understand how far self-belief and guts took adventurers from the past - and to wonder h…
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HERSTORY: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World
Author: Katherine Halligan Illustrator: Sarah Walsh
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
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HERSTORY: 50 Women and Girls Who Shook the World
Author: Katherine Halligan Illustrator: Sarah Walsh
Interest level: 8-11
Reading age: 8+
Celebrated in this lavish hardback, the stories of 50 great women redefine their “herstory”, from disability activist Helen Keller…
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Holes
Author: Jonathan Litton Illustrator: Thomas Hegbrook
Interest level: 6-10
Reading age: 7+
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Holes
Author: Jonathan Litton Illustrator: Thomas Hegbrook
Interest level: 6-10
Reading age: 7+
A fascinating book on holes, from subways to sinkholes, as well as the philosophical concept of a hole and some surprising cultura…
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Pirates: Dead Men’s Tales
Author: Anne Rooney Illustrator: Joe Wilson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9-12
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Pirates: Dead Men’s Tales
Author: Anne Rooney Illustrator: Joe Wilson
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9-12
This beautiful hardback reveals the gruesome truth about being a pirate with profiles of buccaneers like Blackbeard, the Barbaross…
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A Time Traveller's Guide to Life, the Universe and Everyt...
Author: Ian Flitcroft Illustrator: Britt Spencer
Interest level: 9-17
Reading age: 10+
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A Time Traveller's Guide to Life, the Universe and Everyt...
Author: Ian Flitcroft Illustrator: Britt Spencer
Interest level: 9-17
Reading age: 10+
In this quirky, fantastical graphic novel, Albert Einstein is at your service to guide you through time and space on a beam of lig…
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Impossible Inventions
Author: Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielinska & Daniel Mizielinski
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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Impossible Inventions
Author: Matgorzata Mycielska Aleksandra Mizielinska & Daniel Mizielinski
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
In Impossible Inventions, the team behind the bestselling Maps detail a wealth of incredible inventions, from 1st-c…
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Plants to the Rescue
Author: Vikram Baliga Illustrator: Brian Lambert
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
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Plants to the Rescue
Author: Vikram Baliga Illustrator: Brian Lambert
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9+
Plants are amazing, complex organisms. In Plants to the Rescue, Vikram Baliga, a horticulturalist, takes readers through many ways…
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Corpse Talk: Ground-Breaking Scientists
Author: Adam and Lisa Murphy
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
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Corpse Talk: Ground-Breaking Scientists
Author: Adam and Lisa Murphy
Interest level: 9-13
Reading age: 9+
A fun and funky graphic exploration of some of the greatest scientists you’ve ever heard of – and maybe a few you haven’t!
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The Wolves of Currumpaw
Author: William Grill
Interest level: 8+
Reading age: 10+
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The Wolves of Currumpaw
Author: William Grill
Interest level: 8+
Reading age: 10+
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…
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True Stories of Heroes
Author: Paul Dowswell
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
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True Stories of Heroes
Author: Paul Dowswell
Interest level: 10+
Reading age: 10+
From animals to astronauts, and captured spies in World War II, this collection of thirteen short stories celebrates some truly am…
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Survivors of the Holocaust
Author: Kath Shackleton Illustrator: Zane Whittingham and Ryan Jones
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9-11
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Survivors of the Holocaust
Author: Kath Shackleton Illustrator: Zane Whittingham and Ryan Jones
Interest level: 9-11
Reading age: 9-11
Six people tell their stories of living through the Holocaust as children in this compelling and deeply thought-provoking graphic …
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Professor Astro Cat’s Atomic Adventure
Author: Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
Interest level: 10-12
Reading age: 10-12
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Professor Astro Cat’s Atomic Adventure
Author: Dr Dominic Walliman and Ben Newman
Interest level: 10-12
Reading age: 10-12
Laid out beautifully, covering a science topic on each double-page spread, with information in bite-size chunks, this book will gi…
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My Name is Book
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Neil Packer
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
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My Name is Book
Author: John Agard Illustrator: Neil Packer
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 9+
If you are intrigued as to how sheep and birds have played important roles in the recording of the written word then this is the d…
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Launch a Rocket Into Space: You do the Maths
Author: Hilary Koll and Steve Mills Illustrator: Vladimir Aleksic
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8
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Launch a Rocket Into Space: You do the Maths
Author: Hilary Koll and Steve Mills Illustrator: Vladimir Aleksic
Interest level: 9+
Reading age: 8
Maths is made appealing by relating it to its use in the modern world and by the use of comic book style illustrations. With answe…
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