The process of non-fiction reading is different than most other genres. Children who reject stories are often labeled as reluctant, or reticent readers, but closer observation reveals that they thumb through magazines, peruse cereal boxes, or flip through the Guinness Book of World Records. They may be non-fiction readers who have not yet discovered their preferred venue.
Biographies please both kinds of readers and a child-centered book always holds appeal.
Some names are familiar, like Anne Frank, while others are less well known, like the 11th century Tibetan saint, Milarepa. Each depiction contains a centerpiece written from the child's point of view, framed by more traditional biography bits. When fun is the focus, all children want to play at science. Kids Can Press begins a new hands-on introduction in their Starting With Science series. Living Things, Plants and Simple Machines, the other books in the series, are also written by informed, enthused authors who suggest further activities to ignite parents and teachers.