Non Fiction Books

The internet is a great source for information of many sorts, yet non fiction books remain a fantastic way to nurture a child's interest in the world around them; boost their general knowledge; develop their study skills and introduce them to new topics or deepen their interest in a subject. Books of all sorts provide children with a more intimate experience than a computer can offer, and the best non fiction ones bring a subject to life in a truly portable format. Here's our recommendations for some of the best and most interesting ones with links to where you can buy those that take your fancy. As with all the pages of our site the content on this one will be refreshed and amended as inspiringyourkids.com develops and grows.

I Wonder Why Big Book Of Knowledge

A great book for the curious or inquisitive child as its mixture of fact filled pages, quirky cartoons and lavish artwork presents highly readable and digestible information on a spectrum of over 500 topics. Here is accessible and engaging material on ancient Egyptian and Greek civilisations, fascinating details about many of the wonders of the natural world, and absorbing facts about the planets and stars beyond our world. The clear and concise style makes this a fabulous source book for kids to dip into when they're looking for answers to questions prompted by their own lively minds, or which are posed as part of their homework. Available from Woolworths Group plc

Ed Emberley's Drawing Book : Make A World

Children, including teenagers, of whatever level of drawing skill and accomplishment will be able to improve their level of output and enjoyment by incorporating the tools and techniques offered in this great book. Ed Emberley uses a set of simple shapes to enable would-be artists to draw over 400 things that kids will want to produce. The illustrations and colours used will assist pencil wielding youngsters to satisfyingly create everything from anteaters and kangaroos to submarines and gondolas. Available from Waterstones

Gladiator Activity Book

This popular low priced activity book on the Roman gladiators and their gory and gruesome games is one of a series for 7 - 11 year olds available from the British Museum, which brings people and places from the past to life in a fun and informative way. It includes games, puzzles and maps as well as drawing, colouring and making activities. This book and the other titles in the series can variously help with homework, play a part of the preparation for a visit to a museum or simply help satisfy curiosity about aspects of history. Available from The British Museum Online Store

Rainy Day Activity Book

Seventy two pages of imaginative but easy suggestions of things to paint, make and do with your children. This hardback book comes with coloured craft paper and foam. Available from Amazon

101 Ways to Save the Earth

Conservationist David Bellamy provides younger readers with clear explanations about how they can help protect and restore Planet Earth, through a range of exciting green projects that save energy, protect wildlife and help clean up our water and air supplies. Available from Waterstones

Children's Quick & Easy Cookbook

For kids in the 9 - 12 age bracket (and adults wanting them to begin to get in to cooking) this is something of a masterpiece. Authors Angela Wilkes and Jane Suthering have produced a book with writing that is clear and easy to follow, and has excellent photographs which combine to let children know what they are supposed to do and what they will be doing next. The coherent step by step manner enables youngsters to produce each of about a hundred sweet and savoury dishes that will genuinely appeal to children and that the whole family will be happy to eat. There's no recourse to hard to access ingredients and recipes require a minimum of adult supervision. Available from Amazon

Children's Miscellany

Children of eight and over will love this engaging and amazing collection of unusual, strange and quirky facts about history, animals, planets, plants and people. This is a truly entertaining way to have fun reading and expand general knowledge at the same time, with two more volumes available for fans to graduate onto. Available from Waterstones

The Art Of Magic & Sleight Of Hand

For children and teenagers who are outgrowing magic sets but still enjoy the thrill of amazing friends and family members with magic, this attractively produced book provides clear step by step instructions that will enable them to perform over a hundred magic tricks that range from the simple to the advanced. Divided into sections to let readers focus on types of tricks that especially appeal to them, the book also contains fascinating information on various aspects of the history of magic. Available from Amazon

My First Joke Book

Children of all ages love telling jokes and riddles though what they find funny varies enormously as they age. For kids of four and up, starting out on the humour trail, this is an excellent collection of teasers. Some of the jokes are tried and tested ones, others are new and each is accompanied by its own illustration. Available from The Good Book Guide

Wizard Things To Make And Do

As a publisher Usborne are dependable in producing quality products for kids, and this title from their 'Activities' series is no exception. Complete with that most essential of otherworldly tools - the magic wand - this book presents budding wizards with a wide range of enchanting activities, ranging from creating a starry pointed hat to devising a bubbling cauldron collage. With spells, black cats and warty toads escaping from its pages it's a great aid to imaginative play and is available from Pickabook

The Usborne Children's Picture Atlas

For pre-school children and those in their first couple of years at primary school this atlas offers a great introduction to maps, world cultures and geographical concepts. Its simple but non patronising approach offers young readers a fascinating global journey. Each map shows countries; their capital cities; famous landmarks and key natural features such as most significant rivers and mountains. The use of pictorial stories supplement the information displayed on the maps. This great resource is available from Amazon