Factual and informative reads to blow little minds

The other day in an attempt to coax my kids out of Kmart’s toy aisle, I offered them a bribe. I told them they could each pick something SMALL but then we had to go. The deal was it had to be $5 or less and not be made of plastic (to one day end up in landfill).

Now please don’t judge the bad parenting. I know it was, but It was 6pm and I was hungry and over it. I didn’t have any more parenting fight in me. Desperate times call for desperate measures when you are in kid hell at the shops!

Both boys scurried off into the toy either, and I braced myself.

After telling my little guy that the huge $30 nerf gun MADE ENTIRELY OF PLASTIC didn’t meet the criteria, he settled on some novelty erasers for $1. Score!

Then my seven-year-old boy, to my total surprise, came back with the least expected item.

A BOOK.

Now this is surprising as he is also my reluctant reader. Getting him to open a school home reader is a chore. But then I read the title and it all made perfect sense:

You see, although my boy isn’t a keen reader – he is a keen learner. He is just now realising that books are a vessel for information. He loves to memorise facts and this book being all about the human body, was a winner in his mind.

It was also a winner in mine as this was a self-chosen read, and therefor much more likely to be attempted.

I’m starting to think he might even become a non-fiction fan, going by the sort of books he borrows from the library – always science, factual and a bit nerdy. One time he even borrowed the ‘Illustrated Dictionary of Physics’ – yep. That one made for fun bedtime reading.

Now, if you also have a little one who is more into learning about what makes up DNA or how volcanoes erupt, than a fantasy world where dragons roam, then they might lean towards books that are more informative than imaginative.

These books are a wonderful way for kids to learn about science, history, events, people and places in an age-appropriate way.

And yes, there are loads of wonderful books out there for these little fact fans.

Many are illustrated to really bring the subject matter alive and encourage visual literacy. They are designed to intrigue and thrill, without the need for fantasy.

Here are just some of Children’s Books Daily’s fave factual and informative books for kids in lower primary to middle primary. I can already see a few titles I’ll be grabbing my son.

Oh and don’t forget that Human Body book is $5 at Kmart, just in case you also need the kid-bribe next visit.

Factual reads to blow little minds