Expository literature is a form of nonfiction that uses a strong voice and rich, engaging language to creatively share information about a focused topic. It usually demonstrates carefully chosen text and an innovative presentation. Here’s an overview of expository literature, and a look at some of our best-selling expository literature titles!
If We Were Gone: Imagining the World without People
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
- Reading Level: Grade 1
Water, air, sunlight, plants . . . we need these elements to live in this world. But does the world need us? And what would happen to the world if humans were gone? This is the premise of a thought-provoking picture book from John Coy. His insightful text explores how nature would reclaim the planet, accompanied by Natalie Capannelli’s gorgeous watercolor illustrations. Back matter gives further context and discusses what kids (and all of us) can do to truly help our planet.
Wild Style: Amazing Animal Adornments
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Check out these cool critters and learn how their wacky adornments help them survive!
What do a crab waving pom-poms, a bug with a backpack of dead ants, and a mud-spattered vulture have in common? They all have wild style! Meet animals including crabs in sponge hats, caddisfly larvae wearing suits of armor, lacewing larvae dressing up with jewelry to hide themselves from ladybug predators in this fun and fascinating photo book!
A Garden in Your Belly: Meet the Microbes in Your Gut
- Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
- Reading Level: Grade 2
“A Garden in Your Belly’s colorful world helped me wake up…This book is as powerful as it is beautiful!” —Eric Carle, author of The Very Hungry Caterpillar
Your belly is full of tiny creatures—and they love to eat! Along the river of your gut, tiny creatures move, eat, and grow. Learn more about the garden of microscopic flora growing inside the body and come on a journey that explains an important biological concept: the microbiome, the health of which affects everything in our bodies. Did you know that some foods are better for your microbiome (and you!) than others? Striking, original watercolor illustrations keep things from getting too gross. Informational back matter goes further into the science of the microbiome and reveals amazing facts about the gut.
Small Matters: The Hidden Power of the Unseen
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Can something small matter at all? Of course it can! In this book for young readers (who know a thing or two about being small), you can take a super close look at details too little to be seen with the human eye. Powerful shots from scanning electron microscopes show shark skin, bird feathers, the hairs on a honeybee’s eye, and so much more, proving that tiny details can make a BIG difference.
On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Snowmen droop / Cardinals swoop, Rabbits bounce / Foxes pounce
In the early days of spring when the snow begins to melt, plants and animals stir to life. High-impact photos and simple, rhyming text make for an engaging read-aloud while back matter offers more detail about each of the creatures featured in this celebration of spring’s arrival.
“Clever, thoughtful, and engaging.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
If you were dormant / waiting out the cold, the dry, the heat / you would pause.
Captivating photos of animals accompany simple, engaging text to explain dormancy in nature. This highly curricular book teaches young readers about different kinds of dormancy and which animals do what. Featuring creatures like ladybugs, chickadees, squirrels, and even alligators, this book won’t put curious kids to sleep!
“A refreshingly original exploration of a physical process both common and important in the natural world.”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
Flash and Gleam: Light in Our World
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 2
- Reading Level: Grade 2
The soft glow of a candle, the blink of a firefly, a burst of fireworks—light is everywhere in our world!
Rhyming text and luminous illustrations follow four children as they experience many different forms of light.
“[M]ultiple STEAM applications, from poetry and creative writing to introductions to energy and light to how the sun affects human life, and doubles as a great read-aloud or a starry bedtime story.”—starred, Booklist
I See Sea Food: Sea Creatures That Look Like Food
- Interest Level: Preschool – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
Can you find pancakes and pizza crusts in the ocean? The answer might surprise you!
Meet some of the wackiest creatures under the sea—creatures that look like food—through eye-catching photos and engaging text. This funny, informative book introduces readers to the egg yolk jellyfish, the lettuce sea slug, the chocolate chip sea star, and many more! Accessible text and engaging photos make this a very fun read.
“. . . sure to be a hit with young audiences, whether shared during storytime or read (and reread) by deep-sea enthusiasts.”—starred, Booklist
Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready for Winter
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 2
There is more than one way for animals to prepare for winter. Some, such as mice, foxes, and moose, simply tolerate the cold. Of course black bears hibernate, but chipmunks, wood frogs, and garter snakes do too. And then there are the creatures that migrate, including hummingbirds, blue whales, and even earthworms! This rhyming nonfiction picture book by Laura Purdie Salas tells you all about how animals survive chilly weather.
Play Like an Animal! Why Critters Splash, Race, Twirl, and Chase
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 3
- Reading Level: Grade 3
Dash! Hide! Splash! Ride! Exuberant text celebrates all the different ways animals play, from rhinos taking mud baths and parrots somersaulting through the air to kangaroos boxing and dolphins diving through the surf. Additional text explains how playing benefits animals. Fascinating back matter gives more information about the featured animals in the book and encourages readers to make time to play every day!
Summer Green to Autumn Gold: Uncovering Leaves’ Hidden Colors
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
- Reading Level: Grade 3
Yellow and red, orange and brown—fall is full of color!
This nonfiction picture book, written and illustrated by Mia Posada, beautifully explains why leaves change color in fall. It highlights both the eye-catching colors of the season and the science behind the colors. Back matter offers additional scientific details for curious readers as well as suggested further reading and links to hands-on activities.
“A visually appealing and unusually informative picture book for curious kids.”—starred, Booklist
“[G]lorious art . . .”—starred, Kirkus Reviews
Fossil by Fossil: Comparing Dinosaur Bones
From the Series Animal by Animal
- Interest Level: Kindergarten – Grade 4
- Reading Level: Grade 3
What dinosaur would you be if you had a bony ridge rising from the back of your skull and three horns poking up from the front?
Answer: a triceratops!
This picture book will keep you guessing as you find out how human skeletons are like—and unlike—those of dinosaurs!
Little Monsters of the Ocean: Metamorphosis under the Waves
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 4
Everyone knows that butterflies and frogs go through metamorphosis. But a number of sea creatures do too! Experienced science writer Heather L. Montgomery explores wacky details in the life cycles of some of the world’s most bizarre and fascinating ocean animals in this fresh spin on a highly curricular topic.
Eek, You Reek! Poems about Animals That Stink, Stank, Stunk
- Interest Level: Grade 2 – Grade 5
- Reading Level: Grade 4
Eek, you reek,
You make a funk.
Where you have been
Things stink, stank, stunk.
You’ve left a path,
A swath of smell,
And—yuck!
You did it very well.
Readers will be delighted by the malodorous melodies of poems calling out the different pungent attributes of a full cast of foul-smelling creatures.
When Plants Attack: Strange and Terrifying Plants
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 4
Science writer and plant expert Rebecca E. Hirsch presents fun and gross facts about a variety of plants along with explaining the science behind why they do what they do. Featured plants include the Venus Flytrap, an African tree that houses stinking ants to protect itself from hungry animals, a “vampire vine” that sucks nutrients from other plants, and fiendishly invasive kudzu.
Living Fossils: Survivors from Earth’s Distant Past
- Interest Level: Grade 3 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 5http://lernerbooks.com/shop/isbn/9781541581272?utm_source=blog
In the history of life on this planet, 99.9 percent of all species have gone extinct. But a few have survived almost unchanged. Author Rebecca E. Hirsch introduces readers to six living fossils, including the chambered nautilus, the horseshoe crab with its sticky blue blood, and venomous platypuses that sting, as well as a comprehensive explanation of evolution and extinction for readers who may not be familiar with the terms yet. Readers will also discover a a spectacular timeline of the history of animal life on Earth. Dive into the stories of these incredible animals and find out how they help scientists piece together evolutionary history.
Nature’s Ninja: Animals with Spectacular Skills
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 5
Did you know that some animals have natural ninja-like talents? In this book, you’ll learn all about them, including geckos, sea urchins, bombardier beetles, and more. For example, geckos can grip almost any surface—including walls and ceilings—with their amazing toes. And when collector urchins are attacked, they release tiny, sharp objects that bear a striking resemblance to throwing stars. You will also meet the scientists who are studying these animals’ amazing abilities.
Death Eaters: Meet Nature’s Scavengers
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 8
- Reading Level: Grade 5
What happens to the bodies of animals and humans after death? Nature’s army of death eaters steps in to take care of clean up. Without these masters of decomposition, our planet would be covered in rotting bodies. This high-interest science text dives into the science behind how bodies decompose.
Follow Those Zebras: Solving a Migration Mystery
From the Series Sandra Markle’s Science Discoveries
- Interest Level: Grade 4 – Grade 6
- Reading Level: Grade 5
Every year in Namibia, about two thousand zebras suddenly disappear from their grazing area along the Chobe River. Months later, the herd returns. Where do they go? And why? Thanks to satellite-tracking collars, scientists were able to solve the mystery, but several questions remain. Award-winning science author Sandra Markle reveals the process scientists used to study the zebras, and she also delves into the science of migration, exploring how animals know where to go, how to get there, and when to leave.
Expository Literature is a category of Melissa Stewart’s Five Kinds of Nonfiction. This post is part of a weekly series of guest articles by nonfiction authors about their craft, their process, and their amazing books. Stay tuned each week to learn more by visiting the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction page for poster and flyer downloads, curated booklists and more. You can also follow the Lerner Blog’s 5 Kinds of Nonfiction series, or the hashtag #5KNF on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn.