Introduction
Chapter 1 Preschoolers (Ages 3-5)
Chapter 2 Early Readers (Ages 5-9)
Chapter 3 Middle Readers (Ages 9-13)
Chapter 4 Young Adults (Ages 13-17)
Chapter 5 Adults (Ages 18+)
Chapter 6 Special Interests
Chapter 7 Twenty-Five Contemporary Writers You Should Know
Appendix 1 Preschool Booklist
Appendix 2 Early Reader Booklist
Appendix 3 Middle Reader Booklist
Appendix 4 Young Adult Booklist
Appendix 5 Adult Booklist
Bibliography
William Patrick Martin is a book lover. His vision was to create a uniquely authoritative reference that he could use to make the best possible nonfiction choices for himself and his family. He has been a professor of education at Temple University and Monmouth University. He did his dissertation on the epic University of Chicago Great Books debate of the 1930s and 1940s. While at Monmouth University, Martin was also the director of the Governor’s School on Public Issues, a selective residential summer program for New Jersey gifted and talented teenagers. His career in Pennsylvania state government has included stints as a press secretary, management consultant, and special advisor to the Lieutenant Governor.
Nonfiction, especially children’s, is a buzzword at the moment,
thanks to the Common Core State Standards. And for a few years now,
more authors and publishers have been answering the call and
writing exceptional informational books. In an effort to separate
the wheat from the chaff in a very crowded genre, bookstore owner
and former education professor Martin has compiled this hefty guide
to the 500 most recommended nonfiction books for ages 3 to 103.
What makes the list stand out is that it culls from more than 100
other authorities (annual awards as well as recommendations from
noteworthy sources including librarians, teachers, magazines, and
more), providing a vast number of diverse points of view. Covers
are shown and titles are annotated and there is a great
multicultural representation. The book is divided into appropriate
sections (e.g., preschoolers, early readers, young adults, etc.). .
. .VERDICT Appropriate as an additional purchase for a
parent-teacher collection.
*Library Journal*
Building on the current focus on nonfiction in schools, former
education professor and bookstore owner Martin creates The Mother
of All Booklists by offering citations and annotations for 500 of
the most recommended nonfiction books. This unique booklist is
particularly valuable because it does not rely on one person's view
or even group opinion; the author created his rankings by compiling
information from 155 awards and reading lists. For each of five age
categories, sections comprise the top 100 most-cited works from all
the sources. The brief annotations are conversational in tone, give
a comprehensive overview of the work, and often end with a comment
on the types of readers who would most likely connect to it.
Topping off the useful information that this text offers, a
'Special Interests' section groups the titles into broad subject
categories (e.g., 'Adventure,' 'Biography,' 'Nature'), and another
features biographical sketches of 25 selected nonfiction authors.
Other booklists abound, but the approach the author uses to collect
data and his organizational scheme make this one stand out. Ideal
for librarians doing readers' advisory or collection development
and appealing to general audiences too, Martin's booklist will
prove to be a staple for identifying good books. Summing Up: Highly
recommended. General readers, teachers, and librarians.
*CHOICE*
William Patrick Martin, former education professor at Temple and
Monmouth Universities and unabashed book lover, has put together an
attractive, informative, well-organized and readable collection
that includes thumbnail covers and descriptions of the best
available books of nonfiction written in English. . . .The Mother
of All Booklists is a great resource, whether for
cross-referencing, investigating, age/subject-appropriate
narratives, or simply a pleasurable, random stroll through its
interesting and entertaining pages.
*Book/Mark Quarterly Review*
The Mother of All Booklists is amazing. A valuable resource and a
good read in itself!
*Judy Allen, author of Awaiting Developments, winner of the
Whitbread Children’s Novel Award and the Friends of the Earth
Award*
A brilliant, heartfelt, beautifully written and well-chosen
compilation of some of the best books for children, teens, and
adults. A fabulous resource for teachers, librarians and
parents.
*Dianna H. Aston, author of A Rock Is Lively, a Boston Globe’s Best
Children’s Book of the Year*
A treasure trove for lovers of non-fiction!
*Don Brown, award-winning author of He Has Shot the President!:
April 14, 1865: The Day John Wilkes Booth Killed President
Lincoln*
Martin’s The Mother of All Booklists provides a terrific resource
for teachers, students, librarians, and anyone who loves books. Its
focus on nonfiction not only caters to professionals looking for
Common Core materials, but helps validate the interests of the huge
number of readers who have always preferred factual books. Most of
all, it’s just a great read, and will send people scurrying to the
library.
*Sneed B. Collard, author of Animal Dads, The Prairie Builders, and
Sneed B. Collard III's Most Fun Book Ever About Lizards*
This is a resource I'll keep nearby, not just to guide my own
reading, but as a secret reference to use when people ask me to
recommend good books for them to read. Martin’s thorough and smart
review of recent nonfiction will make me look smart when I'm asked
to talk about books worth reading. This book is a must-have for
school and public libraries. Patrons and librarians will wear out
this resource in their search for great nonfiction books. Teachers
at all levels will also find great value in it. Considering how
much information this book contains, it's surprisingly easy to
navigate, and the author has anticipated readers' needs by, for
example, rearranging the master lists into smaller, subject-defined
categories. I also appreciated the short biographies of 25
contemporary authors and the extensive bibliographies at the end of
the volume. The annotations are engagingly written, and the range
of books included impressive. If this book can't help someone find
a nonfiction book they want to read, I don't know what will.
*Chris Crowe, professor of English at Brigham Young University and
author of Death Coming Up the Hill*
Now that my children are teenagers, I seem to have forgotten how to
select books for kids of any other age. Fortunately, I’m among
readers who can “listen to mother” to reliably make choices, and
not just for children, but for readers of all ages. The mother in
this case is Bill Martin, author of A Lifetime of Fiction: The 500
Most Recommended Reads for Ages 2 to 102 and its nonfiction sequel,
The Mother of All Booklists: The 500 Most Recommended Nonfiction
Reads for Ages 3 to 103. Bill took on the overwhelming task of
delving into the opinions of a legion of book reviewers, and
researching multi-year book lists across the board so that his
selections represent the combined points of view of critics rather
than the opinion of just one or a few. His exceptionally
easy-to-use guide enables parents, teachers, and interested readers
to quickly select books based on readers’ ages, in five categories,
from preschool through adult. Each category contains 100 titles and
descriptions. Thank you, Bill, for creating such a valuable
resource. Your book will no doubt be one of the most dog-eared in
every school and public library.
*Jennifer Keats Curtis, award-winning author of Kali’s Story: An
Orphaned Polar Bear Rescue*
A wide ranging and wonderfully varied celebration of nonfiction,
proving that this genre provides a rich a nourishing diet to grow
the minds of young readers. I wish we had this in the UK!
*Nicola Davies, zoologist, children’s author, one of the original
presenters of the BBC wildlife program “The Really Wild Show”*
This is the most comprehensive and well-organized non-fiction
booklist I’ve ever seen. An absolute must-have resource for readers
and educators.
*Matt de la Pena, author of the critically-acclaimed young adult
novel, The Living*
What a useful resource William Martin’s The Mother of All Booklists
will be! This guide reflects the best of today’s nonfiction for all
ages.
*Kay Frydenborg, author of Wild Horse Scientists*
For those of us who know we’re living in the Golden Age of
Nonfiction, The Mother of All Booklists is a godsend. Bill Martin
has done the heavy lifting for parents, teachers, and devoted
readers, providing us with a one-stop source for acclaimed modern
nonfiction organized by age, genre, and interest category. Mother
testifies to the brilliance, beauty, and sometimes-unbelievability
of the Truth found in great nonfiction.
*Gary Golio, author and illustrator of Spirit Seeker, selected as
one of the New York Public Library's 100 Titles for Reading &
Sharing*
The Mother of All Booklists is the mother of all nonfiction best
book guides. It belongs in every home, school, community, and
university library.
*Greg Grandin, professor of history at New York University and
prize-winning author of The Empire of Necessity: Slavery, Freedom,
and Deception in the New World*
The Mother of All Booklists is a well-organized composite of major
award and booklists, a great timesaver for accessing the best
nonfiction books for any age group. This guide will efficiently
help educators, parents, and readers meet Common Core
standards.
*Christy Hale, author and illustrator of Dreaming Up: A Celebration
of Building, a Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s
Book*
How do you find the best nonfiction books for yourself or a child
in your life? This well-researched, well-written, comprehensive
“mother list” is the perfect place to start. An invaluable
resource!
*Deborah Heiligman, author of Charles and Emma: The Darwins’ Leap
of Faith, winner of the first YALSA excellence in nonfiction
award*
Think of The Mother of All Booklists as a treasure chest filled
with ideas for great reads. William Martin profiles a huge variety
of wonderful books sure to inform, entertain, and inspire readers
of all ages.
*Barbara Kerley, award-winning author of The Dinosaurs of
Waterhouse Hawkins and A Home For Mr. Emerson*
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