Question for you book people!

[winterswan]

My nephew's 9th birthday is approaching and he wants a good non-fiction book. He's very interested in facts and things about the natural world. For example, he loves his guiness book of world records book and his book about the mechanics and history of sailing. Does anyone have any good ideas about that sort of book?

Thanks!

Comments

[egowumpus]

This book is sweeeet.

[ryxander]

Robert Sabuda's Encyclopedia Prehistorica books are amazing older-kid pop-up books chock full of awesome facts about dinosaurs, prehistoric mammals, and the like. I enjoy them greatly as a grownup, so I don't think 9 would be too old... We have Mega-Beasts (mostly prehistoric mammals) and Dinosaurs, and I think Mega-Beasts is better overall (though both are awesome).

There are always the David McAuley (sp?) books... I haven't read any, but he's kind of the classic guy who writes books for bigger kids about how stuff works... he's supposed to be super awesome. Stuff like "The Way Things Work." I think he might also be the guy who did the "Castle" books? Or was that someone else?

Sorry for lack of proper sources, here, just doing a flyby... will think more on it, too!

[egowumpus]

David Macaulay, who did The Way Things Work, also did Castle, Pyramid, Cathedral and a host of other 'building structures' books, which are all wonderfully illustrated and I definitely adored at that age.

[greymalkin42]

I didn't read very much nonfiction as a kid (or adult) but my brother and I both enjoyed Castle and Pyramid (I was into medieval stuff and egyptian stuff so I did actually read those) and I recall some interest in The Way Things Work but usually I just asked my Dad :D From what I remember and from your nephew's interests I think these books would be right up his alley so all these recommendations thirded! :D