Three Favorite Nonfiction Finds at ALA

The American Library Association Annual Conference is a joyful long weekend of lively reunions and insightful panels, library advocacy and celebrations of outstanding books. A highlight is walking the exhibition hall, arms full of FREE books. My school library hosts an annual Free Book FAIR and the ALA giveaways, often signed, help me ensure all of my students get two free books each year for their home libraries. I loaded up on picture books, early readers, middle grade novels and graphic novels, and wait for it…a Pokémon COOKBOOK! I didn’t even have to lug them back in my suitcase. There is a post office facility right inside the convention center so I could ship them straight to my library. How convenient is that?

Of course, once I sent home a nice big box, I returned for the happy, organized chaos of Monday afternoon, the last hours of the conference. At this time, nearly all the display books and boxes of leftovers are distributed en masse. I nabbed some splashy middle grade for my daughter and a few picture books for me, including three spectacular nonfiction finds.

A beautiful bio about a legendary children’s librarian being signed AT a librarians’ conference? Yes, please! The language is lyrical and accessible and the illustrations are stunning. GO FORTH AND TELL: THE LIFE OF AUGUST BAKER, LIBRARIAN AND MASTER STORYTELLER received a Coretta Scott King Honor for April Harrison’s illustrations, and Breanna J. McDaniel’s text is equally exceptional. A book for anyone who loves books! And along that same theme…

JIM! SIX TRUE STORIES ABOUT ONE GREAT ARTIST: JAMES MARSHALL by Jerrold Connors is a burst of nostalgia for anyone who grew up on Miss Nelson is Missing or Marshall’s retellings of Red Riding Hood and Goldilocks. Told in a series of six vignettes, ala George and Martha, this book beautifully encapsulates the life of one great artist with humor, silliness, and sadness, too. A completely unique and engaging read!

And last but not least, is HOW THE SEA CAME TO BE: AND ALL THE CREATURES IN IT, a fabulous, fascinating history of the ocean, told from the formation of the sun to today. And even though I knew what was going to happen, I could not WAIT to find out what was going to happen. I read it from cover to cover at the Eerdmans Publishing booth, and then came back during the Monday afternoon free-for-all and hung around for 20 minutes waiting to see if I could take it home. The illustrations are striking (the cover doesn’t do it justice—each page is more glorious than the last). And the whole thing is told in rhyme. Practically perfect, unexpected, gorgeous rhymes. This book came out in 2023, but I must not have been paying attention, and I’m glad I know about it now!

There you have it, three wonderful titles for fans of informational picture books. Happy Reading!