Nonfiction November

Founded by Adam Lancaster and organised by the Federation of Children's Book Groups, this annual event promotes factual reading for pleasure among children and young people. The whole month now celebrates all those readers that have a passion for information and facts and attempts to bring non fiction celebration in line with those of fiction.

This year’s theme is ‘Reading is an Adventure’. It will be encouraging children and young people to use non-fiction books in the outside world – not just to read them, but to use the information in a more practical way. For example, read a book about bugs and then be inspired to go on your own bug hunt. Another example could be to read about learning a skill and then doing the skill, or read about a place then go to it. The topics will be Bugs, Animals, People, Places, Nature, and Adventures at Home.

The Federation of Children's Book Group has a suggested reading list here, but you do not have to stick to their books. You can do a display that includes your own suggestions. Nonfiction books have changed greatly in the time I have been a teacher librarian. 

The internet has meant that there is less of the traditional nonfiction book that was used for research. They had short titles that told you what the book was about, photographs, contents pages, an index and a glossary. Now there is much more browsable nonfiction with superb illustrations. 

I have written about this month before here and made several suggestions as to authors and illustrators who do wonderful nonfiction. The Read and Wonder series, now known as Nature Storybooks are also examples of great nonfiction for young children.

Back to the bug theme...I'm going to include these in a display:

The Big Book of Bugs  by Yuval Zimmer

The Book of Brilliant Bugs  by Jess French and Claire McElfatrick

There are Bugs Everywhere  by Britta Teckentrup

Big Book of Bugs by  Theresa Greenaway

Leaf Litter  by Rachel Tonkin

Backyard  by Ananda Braxton-Smith and Lizzy Newcomb

and these

    

25th October Grandparents Day

Australia celebrates Grandparents Day annually on the last Sunday in October. This year that will be the 25th October.

NSW Grandparents Day celebrates the diversity of grandparent relationships across age groups, cultural backgrounds, and geographical locations.

Lots of New South Wales Libraries will be celebrating Grandparents Day. In  NSW there is an award for Local Grandparent of the Year, and official resource packs are available with posters and activities to do. The NSW government also puts together activities, posters and promotional material for you to use in your community. It even includes a picture book list.

Grandparents Day is not only about spending time with family but also about acknowledging what we can gain from grandparents, such as an understanding of our history, wisdom, and guidance.

At the school I teach at the Kindergarten students look at grandparents as part of a unit of inquiry and because the classes are very multicultural these books provide a focus:

• What Do You Call Your Grandma? by Ashleigh Barton

• What DoYou Call Your Grandpa? by Ashleigh Barton

• I Call My Grandma Nana by Ashley Wolff

• I Call My Grandpa Papa by Ashley Wolff

• My Nonno Loves  by Adelle Frittitta

• My Nonna Loves  by by Adelle Frittitta

  

• My Grandma's Guide to Happiness  by Andrew Daddo

• My Grandpa's Guide to Happiness  by Andrew Daddo

• How to Babysit a Grandma  by Jean Reagan

• How to Babysit a Grandpa by Jean Reagan

and better still

• How to Read to a Grandma or Grandpa  by Jean Reagan

For more suggestions of picture books see Pinterest.

For a very special grandparent book that shows just how involved grandparents can be in family life find

We Go Slow  by Mariahadessa Ekere Tallie and Aaron Becker. See review here at Momotimetoread .

For Grufflalo fans this has just arrived

• Gruffalo's Granny  by Julia Donaldson

October Coming Up

Coming up there is a lot to celebrate. All of these days I have written about before  so see what to read on these days.  

International Sloth Day 17th

World Okapi Day 18th

International Chefs Day 20th

Reptile Awareness Day 21st

World Earthworm Day 21st

Count Your Buttons Day 21st

International Wombat Day 22nd

International Stuttering Awareness Day 22nd

Nut Day 22nd

International Snow Leopard Day 23rd

24th - 31st October Global Media and Information Literacy Week

Theme of Global MIL Week 2026: “We All Play a Part – Media and Information Literacy for the People”.

The theme reflects the idea that advancing media and information literacy is a shared responsibility that relies on contributions from every part of society.

Global Media and Information Literacy Week was set up by UNESCO in 2021 to highlight the importance of helping people around the world become media and information literate citizens by providing them with the skills to:

• Search, access and critically evaluate information
• Use and contribute content wisely, both on and offline.

UNESCO is encouraging people and organisations around the world to think about what role they can play in strengthening media and information literacy.

That could mean an educator bringing MIL into the classroom. A content creator thinking carefully about the information they share. A parent helping a young person navigate the digital world. A journalist making complex information clearer. A researcher sharing knowledge beyond their own discipline. A community creating opportunities for people to talk, question and learn together.

Or it could simply mean each of us becoming a little more thoughtful about the information we encounter and pass on.

As well as Statement on School Libraries and Information Literacy, Australian School Libraries and teacher librarians have a Statement on School Libraries and Media Literacy to use as as starting points.

Britannica Education's site is also a good place to start.

If you are looking for picture books which can start discussions this is a great start.

And, your library might have these:

21st - 28th October Green Libraries Week

Green Libraries Week is an annual celebration of the important role libraries play in schools and the wider community, with a focus on supporting sustainability and tackling climate change. Set up to showcase the creative and innovative work that libraries do to support their communities and help users develop their skills and confidence, Green Libraries Week 2026 will take place from 21 October – 28 October 2026.

The theme for 2026 is Climate Facts for a greener future: Navigating mis- and disinformation in libraries. In the UK this initiative is led by CILIP (the library and information association). Its focus is to highlight how libraries help users evaluate claims, spot misinformation, and find credible, trustworthy evidence regarding climate change and sustainability. 

The week is a showcase of the very best that libraries have to offer, where they explore and celebrate inventive and inspiring activities engaging with local communities and the media to highlight the diverse ways that they are working with users to build skills and confidence at every stage of their lives.

With young students like the ones that use the school library teaching them about sustainability and the environment is a combination of hands-on learning in the school garden or doing STEM activities in their classroom as well as having access to wonderful picture books to further their explorations.

This list of 17 Sustainability and Gardening Books for Kids to Inspire Young Environmentalists

put out by Let's Go Compost is a great place to start. There is also a children's book list on the CILIP website. They also have guidance for how to spot misinformation and disinformation.

15th October White Cane Safety Day

The white cane is a mobility tool that gives independence by making it possible for blind and visually impaired people to safely move around on their own. In addition to allowing people with vision impairments to move around safely, a white cane (sometimes with a red tip or marking) is an indication for those nearby that the person may need some extra space and appropriate care.  

Only around 2-8% of people who are visually impaired actually use a white cane. Instead, they either rely on their own remaining vision, a guide dog or a sighted guide.

The white cane got its start as a symbol for vision impairment in the decades between the two world wars. Beginning in Europe, the indicator of the long white cane then spread to North America and other places as well. Today, the National Federation of the Blind supplies a long white cane free of charge to everyone in the USA with low vision or blindness to help them navigate and also act as a safety indication to others.

It has also become a day on which the achievements of the blind and visually impaired are celebrated and offers the chance to educate and raise awareness of the blind and visually impaired.

How fitting that this new book will be published on the 13th October.

All the Ways I See is a joyful, lyrical story about a day at the beach from a blind child's perspective as she experiences the baking heat, the sticky sand, the hum of the ocean, the smell of hot chips and the splash of the waves.

This Australian picture book is a groundbreaking collaboration between Nas Campanella, the National Disability Affairs Reporter for ABC News, and writer, musician and disability advocate, Eliza Hull OAM, gorgeously illustrated by the award-winning Sophie Beer. 

This book has been designed with blind, low vision, Deaf and/or hard of hearing audiences in mind, as well as families who are looking for stories about mindfulness and living in the moment. Innovative accessibility features include easy-to-turn pages with rounded corners, textured elements for a tactile experience, a link to access audio and sign language interpreted readings and a link to order a braille translation produced by Braille House.

Your library might also have this book.

15th October World Mushroom Day

I have written about Mushroom Day before, here and here, but while I was in Canada I finally read Kallie George's book,  Mushrooms Know

and once again I was fascinated by how much our world depends upon mushrooms (and or fungi). Then when I got home, Sally Soweol Han's new book The Mushroom and the Flower was in all the bookshops and here was an excuse to buy another mushroom book.

And here's some that have been published in the last few years:

For more books see Pinterest.