10 Notable Nonfiction Books to Share With Students This Fall

Last updated on October 12th, 2024 at 07:35 pm

I can’t believe it is September already! Fall is almost upon us. Usually this is the time of year when apples, pumpkins, and fall become themes in the classroom. You might do apple taste testing to see which color apple is preferred. You might do a pumpkin investigation where students record their observations. Or you may do activities with fall leaves such as graphing the colors/shapes of leaves, doing a leaf rubbing, and more.

Whatever amazing activities you have planned, you’ll want some nonfiction books to go with them! Engaging fiction books, in my opinion, are way easier to find than nonfiction titles. So, I thought I’d make it easier by compiling a list of notable, high-interest nonfiction books to share with students this fall season!

Apples

1. I Am An Apple by Jean Marzollo- This book goes through the life cycle of an apple in a simple and easy to understand way for young children. Near the end, it, also, includes items that are made out of apples. This book could easily be read as an introduction to apples, before having students make the life cycle of an apple, or before cooking up an apple treat!

2. How Do Apples Grow? by Betsy Maestro- This one is for a little bit older of a student. It explains the life cycle of an apple in more detail and includes excellent vocabulary. It, also, includes the pictures and names of different kinds of apples.

3. Apples for Everyone by Jill Esbaum- There are great photos throughout this book making it a good choice for students. It, also, explains how apples were brought to America to get in a bit of social studies!

4. Apples by Erika L. Shores- This book has all the qualities of a nonfiction book with easy-to-read text. This makes it a nice choice for students to read on their own and/or for studying the qualities of a nonfiction book compared to a fiction book.

Pumpkins

1. Perfect Pumpkins by Jeff Bauer- This book is a short beginning chapter book. It includes many facts about pumpkins and great photos.

2. Pumpkin, Pumpkin by Jeanne Titherington- Not exactly a nonfiction book because it follows the story of a fictional boy named Jamie. However, I am including it because it is such a simple book that follows the life cycle of a pumpkin and the illustrations are very life-like. I always like to read this one before having students make the life cycle of a pumpkin.

3. Seed, Sprout, Pumpkin Pie by Jill Esbaum- This one goes through the life cycle of a pumpkin, tells what can be made from pumpkins, and even what unused pumpkins can be used for.

4. The Pumpkin Book by Gail Gibbons- Gail Gibbon’s books tend to have a lot of information about whatever topic her book is about. This one is no exception. So this one would be for older students or need to be broken up into manageable chunks for the younger student to digest. The end of the book shares the origin of Halloween.

Fall/Autumn

1. Red Leaf, Yellow Leaf by Lois Ehlert- This is another book that is fiction, but can be included in nonfiction because it tells the story of one child’s maple tree. We see the life cycle of the tree ending with the leaves changing color in the fall.

2. Hello, Autumn by Shelley Rotner- This book gives a fantastic description of autumn. It not only talks about what happpens to plants, but, also, what different animals do. It discusses what people do and what happens to the days during autumn.

3. Awesome Autumn by Bruce Goldstone- This is a long one! But it includes a good explanation of why trees lose their leaves in autumn. This book can easily be broken down into smaller chunks because it asks questions and, then, gives the answer. I like that it includes pictures of different types of leaves as well.

4. Why Do Leaves Change Color? by Betsy Maestro- This book gives a more detailed explanation about how leaves change color. The book does mention that evergreen tree leaves do not change color and fall off the trees, but doesn’t go into detail about it. The book, also, points out that leaves don’t change color in all places.

Conclusion

It’s important to include nonfiction books in your classroom library and encourage students to read them. Some students will gravitate more towards the nonfiction books and by having them you just might be able to turn a reluctant reader into a voracious reader just by having that type of book. Furthermore, “nonfiction helps children develop critical thinking, and analytical skills, as well as the ability to read and understand complex texts” (Simpson, 2020).

Check out my post on the Top 10 Ways to Build a Classroom Library on a Budget for ways to acquire these books at a discounted rate or for free! I hope your students enjoy them!