At World Book Day, we want every child to see themselves as a reader. Non-fiction can spark curiosity, answer questions and help children discover the world around them.

The best bit is, non-fiction can be found everywhere! From the back of a cereal packet at the breakfast table, to the books in your local library, you can read about all sorts of topics in entertaining and inspiring ways. Reading together is a fantastic way to stimulate discussion and with so many options to choose from, the possibilities are endless.

You could try…

• Fact books
• Newspaper and magazine articles
• Autobiographies / biographies
• Travel writing
• Recipes
• Diaries / journals

If you’re seeking inspiration from our fabulous £1/€1.50 books past and present, read on for some similar books!

First up, it’s our upcoming World Book Day 2024 £1 /€1.50 non-fiction book, ‘Can You Get Jellyfish in Space?’, which you can swap for your £1 /€1.50 token between Thursday 15 February – Sunday 31 March 2024. Keep a look out for this early next year!

Can You Get Jellyfish in Space?
Written by: Dr Sheila Kanani
Illustrated by: Liz Kay
Publisher: Puffin
Great for: Early/fluent readers

You’ve probably heard of dogs in space. Maybe even chimpanzees. But jellyfish? Almost certainly not! Join Dr Sheila Kanani as she discovers a weird and wonderful cast of animals who have travelled into space, from Ham the chimpanzee to Félicette the cat, and the 60,000 jellyfish who have orbited the Earth (did you know you can also get jellyfish-shaped galaxies?). You’ll meet the microscopic creatures that can survive in the vacuum of space, and wonder – could aliens really exist?

Click here to find out more about our fantastic line-up of World Book Day £1/€1.50 books.

Here are some recommendations of books similar to our previous non-fiction £1 books.

ANIMALS

LIFESIZE Deadly Animals

• Written by: Sophy Henn
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Great for: Beginning readers

This interactive non-fiction adventure features LIFESIZE illustrations of some of world’s smallest and largest deadly animals and invites children to think about how they compare with these amazing creatures.

Pets and Their People

• Written by: Jess French
• Publisher: DK
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Delve deeper into the world of pets than you ever have before with author and vet Dr Jess French!

In this heart-warming guide to pets, whether you’ve got them or not, children will enjoy learning lots about the different animals that we might think of as pets, including their history, behaviour, and body language. Discover practical things to do with pets, such as how to treat them kindly, look after their everyday needs, and give them the best life possible.

An Animal A Day

• Written by: Miranda Smith
• Illustrated by: Kaja Kajfež, Santiago Calle, Mateo Markov, Max Rambaldi
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Dip in each day to discover fascinating facts about a new animal and find YOUR birthday animal! Travel through the incredible ecosystems and habitats of our beautiful planet and meet some of the most fascinating animals that call them home. Dive into the oceans to find whales and giant squid, journey across the icy poles with penguins and polar bears, and race across the African savannah with lions and wildebeest.

CONFIDENCE, GROWING UP AND MENTAL HEALTH

Shy and Mighty

• Written by: Nadia Finer
• Illustrated by: Sara Thielker
• Publisher: DK
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Shy and Mighty can help kids go from invisible, to invincible!

Our noisy world sometimes feels like it’s not made for shy people. This book will help children understand shyness and find their inner voice, including simple tools and ideas to help children take small steps to get more involved, share their ideas, and make friends.

A Better Day: Your Positive Mental Health Handbook

• Written by: Dr Alex George
• Illustrated by: Dave Pratt
• Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
• Great for: Fluent/Independent readers

What if we could think of mental health in a positive way? Sweep away the rain clouds. Talk about what’s on our minds. And care for our mental health in the same way we look after our bodies.

In this empowering and hopeful handbook, Youth Mental Health Ambassador Dr.Alex George is here to show us how. A Better Day is a positive, accessible and practical toolkit guiding young readers in how they can care for their mental health with confidence.

How to Be a Boy

• Written by: Dr Ranj Singh
• Illustrated by: David O’ Connell
• Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
• Great for: Fluent/independent readers

Do you ever pretend to like something you don’t, just to fit in? Is it sometimes hard to tell others how you’re feeling? Do you wish there was less pressure on you to ‘man up’?

Explore these questions in this empowering and inclusive guide to masculinity by the nation’s favourite doctor, Dr Ranj. Whether it’s thinking about hobbies or standing up to your mates, Dr Ranj is here to encourage boys to grow up happy with confidence, positivity and kindness.

OUR WORLD

Be Plastic Clever

• Written by: Amy and Ella Meek
• Publisher: DK
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Join teenage activists Amy and Ella Meek on their mission to rid the world of single-use plastics in this practical book, perfect for budding eco-warriors.

Be Plastic Clever will teach children about the dangers of plastic pollution and climate change, but also to help them find their voice. With an incredible foreword by wildlife presenter Steve Backshall, diary entries from Amy and Ella detailing their journey, and plenty of tips on what you can do to help, it’s the ultimate guide to ridding the world of single-use plastics.

If Our World Were A Hundred Days

• Written by: Jackie McCann
• Illustrated by: Aaron Cushley
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Great for: Beginning to fluent readers

 A thought-provoking way of looking at world history and our place within it.

The Truth Detective

• Written by: Tim Hartford
• Illustrated by: Ollie Mann
• Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
• Great for: Fluent readers

Did you know that a toy spaceship can teach you about inflation? Or that a pooping cow can show you how to invest your pocket money? And that even the greatest detectives have been fooled by fake news and dancing fairies?

The world is often full of bamboozling headlines and numbers that don’t add up. But don’t panic. Within these pages you will transform into a Truth Detective, hunting down the truth about the world around you.

SCIENCE

What’s the Weather

• Written by: Frasier and Judith Rolston
• Publisher: DK
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Discover the science behind wild and wonderful weather in this fact-packed book!

Ever wondered what causes thunderstorms, how snowflakes form, or why our climate is changing? From heatwaves and big freezes to tornadoes and fog, this science book gives your budding meteorologist a glimpse into all the action that happens in the sky. Learn about all kinds of weather and marvel at how powerful it can be!

Little Experts: Amazing Bodies

• Written by: Dr Ronx
• Illustrated by: Ashton Attzs
• Publisher: HarperCollins
• Great for: Early/fluent readers

Award-winning, trans, non-binary emergency doctor Dr Ronx takes you on a jaw-dropping non-fiction journey to discover more about the incredible human body. Learn about spongy brains, gooey guts and everything in between!

Where are you really from?

• Written by: Dr Adam Rutherford with E.L. Norry
• Illustrated by: Adam Ming
• Publisher: Hachette Children’s Group
• Great for: Fluent/Independent readers

Who do you think you are? Have you ever thought about who you might be related to? What if we told you that you were related to EXTRAORDINARY EMPERORS, GREAT KINGS and MAGNIFICENT QUEENS?

Well, your majesty, you are. In fact, everyone is. And geneticist Adam Rutherford is here to tell you how.

Armed with a deeper understanding of science and history, readers will learn how to dismantle common myths of who we really are – like what race is, where we come from, and what it means to be human.

Happy reading!

Check out our Fantastic Facts reading recommendation list for links to these books.

You can also find some of the other brilliant non-fiction titles by these authors the next time you visit your local library.