The Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders of 2024

Nonfiction may be the best way to enjoy the learning process. If you aren’t sure what the top nonfiction for 6th graders is, you will find them in this post. We will talk about choosing and reading a perfect nonfiction book. The books we picked for you, cover topics that 11-year-olds find the most attractive. You will find history nonfiction, nonfiction about social issues, human body, aminations and movies, sports, art, and some other topics.

If you want to just get back to studying, get our top choice for nonfiction books for 6th graders here.

Last update: 2024-05-05

Our Favorites for Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders

Human Body Theater: A Non-Fiction Revue by Maris Wicks

If you want to learn more about your body but feel like biology books are too complicated, this book will explain your body in an easy way. In it, each biological system of the human body is a new layer of a costume. Good and bad germs, body cells, and organs are characters of the book.

Why Choose this Book:

• The pictures show body organs in detail, and the explanations are very descriptive.
• It is one of the most popular 6th-grade nonfiction informational books written in a comic style. You can laugh and learn at the same time.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• Many parents said they used this book to introduce their children to the reproductive system. The author talks about all the other body systems and makes having a reproductive system as normal as having a skeleton or a heart.
• It answers many of the kids’ and teenagers’ questions. If you feel embarrassed when asking private body-related questions, this book will help.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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Why is Art Full of Naked People: And other vital questions about art by Susie Hodge

This book is perfect for people that are interested in art. It is also great for people that don’t know anything about art. The book is designed to answer twenty-two questions about art at the same time introducing to art and its history. Why is art expensive? Do you have to be smart to appreciate art? This book will answer many other common questions that artists and viewers of art ask.

Why Choose this Book:

• This book opens kids’ eyes to the purpose of art and encourages art appreciation. It makes art more accessible to the general public.
• It encourages children to ask questions and shows that asking “weird” questions is normal. You will be more confident in searching for answers and “reading” art for yourself.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• The book introduces you to art pieces from centuries ago to contemporary art.
• The book is engaging, and it is a fun introduction to the art world. The answers are written in an easy to understand manner.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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The Dictionary of Difficult Words: With more than 400 perplexing words to test your wits! by Jane Solomon

We all think that dictionaries are boring but not this one! Do you know what is spaghettification, flapdoodle, or cryptozoology? You will learn 400 words that are strange to most children and adults. Most of these words are difficult to spell and pronounce, but the definitions in the book are easy to understand. The author is a lexicographer, and she will show you the beauty of the words in the English language.

Why Choose this Book:

• You will not simply learn the definitions, but also parts of speech and how to figure out words’ meanings yourself.
• The words are explained not only with easy words but also with colorful pictures.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• Even though you don’t use most of the words every day, you will be surprised how often you come across these words. It is nice to know what flibbertigibbet is without looking it up.
• The words are organized in alphabetical order, and each letter has a final entry with one of the words highlighted. You can open it on any page and learn a new word.

Last update: 2024-05-06

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Runner Ups for Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders

Smile: A Graphic Novel by Raina Telgemeier

We all know that middle school can be challenging, especially if you look different from others. The author writes about her middle school years and how she faced many social issues during that time. One day on the way home, she trips when racing with her friends and loses two front teeth. She has to wear braces, undergo surgery, use a headgear, attach fake teeth. Can you imagine her embarrassment, the bullying, and boys’ reactions? Besides all the teeth drama, she deals with other life problems.

Why Choose this Book:

• This book shows that you are strong, that you don’t have to care what others think, and that you have to understand and love yourself.
• It gives you a feeling that you are not alone and that some kids go through the same or even worse problems. It also shows the importance of real friendships.

What Makes this Book Unique: 

• This book is written in a comic style, in an original and very realistic way. Some readers say that you can finish a book relatively quickly.
• The book describes four years of Raina’s life, and it is interesting to watch her grow from a child into a teenager. You will love her first crushes on boys, how she recognizes mean and real friends, and how the thoughts change.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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How to be a Scientist (Careers for Kids) by Steve Mould

How to make science even more entertaining? Read a book written by a science comedian!

In the book, he offers you a playful and even bold approach to science with more than 40 fun questions, games, and experiments. He takes real-life scenarios and turns them into scientific discoveries. He explains how scientists think, how they fail and succeed, what approaches they use to prove or disprove their theories.

Why Choose this Book:

• Most of the experiments in the book are easy to do, and most items needed you will have at home. You can use these experiments to engage with your younger siblings of friends.
• It helps with school homework. Some teachers even use it in class as the language, and with examples, kids can relate to.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• Steve Mould has a YouTube channel where he talks about science and more fun experiments.
• You will learn how to think like a scientist, how to look with a scientists’ eye at everything around you: your body, mold, rainbow, flowers, bugs, and many other things.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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The Disney Book: A Celebration of the World of Disney by Jim Fanning

This book is a must-read for Disney fans! Jim Fanning is a Disney historian who will introduce you to much more than just the history of Disney. He will show you how they managed to revolutionize the industry of animation. With this book, you will get behind-the-scenes of most popular Disney movies and see how they were made. You will discover the entire history of Disney from the first characters to modern ones.

Why Choose this Book:

• There is a lot of visual material that you won’t find in any other book, including some original sketches and wonderful pictures from the Disney archives. You will see how different some of the characters looked before the final release.
• Lovely addition to the book is a film strip included.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• Fanning’s writing style makes you feel like he is chatting with you, talking about many details but not to the point of boredom. The information is meant for older children and adults, but younger readers will appreciate the colorful pictures.
• There is a chapter called Pixar Easter Eggs. It reveals the scenes in Pixar movies where Easters eggs were hidden circling them out.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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Value Picks for Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders

Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

This book is one of the best history books for middle school about WWII and the Nazis. It is a true story written in a diary by a teenage Jewish girl whose family was hiding from the Nazis. In the book, she describes how they are dealing with hunger, boredom, and fear of the next day. There are two versions of the book: edited and unedited; the unedited book includes everything from Anne’s diary, in edited version pages, that some parents find inappropriate were excluded.

Why Choose this Book:

• Anne Frank wrote her diary when she was around 11-14 years old. The book will give you a teenager’s perspective of WWII and the tragic loss of lives during those times. This perspective will help you understand the events and feel the true horror of the Holocaust.
• Anne Frank was an intelligent girl who studied several languages, was a feminist, an activist, and she could have achieved great things. The book shows all the potential of millions of people killed during the Holocaust and wars.

What makes this Book Unique:

• The diary ends when Anne is taken into the concentration camp. There is a book that collects memories of people who knew the girl. It explains what happened to her during her last months. The book is The Last Seven Months of Anne Frank by Willy Lindwer, Anne’s stepsister.
• In her diary, Anne writes about her goals, dreams, pleasing her parents, finding hope in the moments of despair. These are the things that all teenagers are going through. After contrasting her conditions with your own, you will appreciate your life and be grateful for everything you have.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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LeBron James: The Inspiring Story of One of Basketball's Greatest Players by Clayton Geoffreys

You may know that Geoffreys is one of the most popular authors who write basketball players’ biographies. If you want to learn about the careers and the lives of basketball legends, Geoffreys is one of the most popular authors of biography books for 6th-graders. People who aren’t basketball fans recognize LeBron James’ name, and crowds are going crazy when they see the player. Today he is among the most professional and respected players in the league. But once others doubted him as an athlete. In this book, you will see how his basketball career turned out so successful.

Why Choose this Book:

• The writing style is age-appropriate for 6th-graders. You don’t even have to know anything about basketball to understand the story.
• It is free with Kindle subscription. In addition, there is a free audiobook available.

What Makes this Book Unique:

• You will learn my details of LeBron’s life, like growing up without his father, high school basketball career, and handling the media.
• It teaches young readers not to give up on their dreams, not listen to others, be persistent, and work on themselves, especially at school age.

Last update: 2024-05-05

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How to Choose the Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders for You

There are thousands of nonfiction books for kids, but how do you know which one to choose? There are a few simple steps that will help you choose a perfect nonfiction reading:

• Find a topic you want to learn more about. What are your hobbies? What do you talk to your friends about? What documentaries and videos do you watch? What news do you notice more often?
• Ask your friend for a recommendation. Sometimes friends share the same interests, and a book you both have read can be an excellent topic for discussion.
• Look through the book titles we reviewed (or any other list of popular 6th-grade nonfiction informational books). Write down the titles or the topics that caught your attention.
• Visit your local public library and see if they have the book you want or books on the topic you are interested in.
• Read some information about the author. Only read a book if it was written by a professional who loves the topic.
• Read a few pages or a free sample of the book online to see if you like it if the writing is easy to understand if there are additional materials like maps, glossaries, diagrams, definitions, explanations, comments, pictures.

Don’t always trust bestseller lists or reviews. Bestsellers lists are often out-of-date or feature books that are most advertised, which doesn’t mean they are the best. Read the bad reviews about the book first, to see what the main complaints are; sometimes, people complain about irrelevant things.

After you finish a few books, we recommend you write a short 6th-grade nonfiction book report for yourself. You can even use a separate notebook or a paper to write a few words about each book you read. This way you will see what you like and dislike about books, and you will have some recommendations for friends.

Wrapping Things Up: The Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders

Putting everything together, in this guide we reviewed the following:

Last update: 2024-05-05

We hope you will find a perfect nonfiction reading with our advice and suggestions. Don’t forget that the main characteristic of a good book is that you enjoy reading it. Sometimes you start a book and then realize you don’t like it. Don’t hesitate and quit that book. Nothing kills your desire to read more than a boring book or a too complicated book. Find another one! There are thousands of good books on the market. Keep searching until you find the best nonfiction book for you. With this variety of nonfiction books for kids, we are more than certain that there is a masterpiece waiting till you discover it.

Did you enjoy this post? Then you’ll love the other posts related to reading books. Check them out below:

> The Best 6th Grade Reading List

> The Best Book Series for 6th Grade Boys

> The Best Book Series for 6th Grade Girls

> The Best Nonfiction Books for 6th Graders (11-Year-Olds)