True Facts

Quench your thirst for information.

Make Music with the Greats

May 24, 2016 | strande
Trombone Shorty by Troy Andrews

A Grammy-nominated headliner for the New Orleans Jazz Fest describes his childhood in Tremé and how he came to be a bandleader by age six.

Frankie liked to sing by John Seven
How Jelly Roll Morton invented jazz by Jonah Winter

Introduces the story of Jelly Roll Morton, who overcame poverty and family strife to succeed in performing music, eventually crafting the style of music known as jazz.

Real People Making History

May 24, 2016 | strande

 

To earn eLectrified badges, follow the links to various media formats of each title, or read the print book to earn your bookworm badges. In the list of people below you will find that all of them have made history, but some are animal lovers, others creative types, and some explore the great outdoors.

Viva Frida. Spanish & English by Yuyi Morales
Also available in: e-audiobook | video | e-video

Bilingual text, accompanied by colorful photographs, explores the famous artist's life, and illuminates the laughter, love, and tragedy that influenced her work.

On a beam of light : a story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne
Also available in: video | e-video

Follows the life of the famous physicist, from his early ideas to his groundbreaking theories.

Keep it Real with History

May 24, 2016 | strande
Most dangerous : Daniel Ellsberg and the secret history of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin
Also available in: audiobook

The story of Daniel Ellsberg and his decision to steal and publish secret documents about America's involvement in the Vietnam War.

Journey into Mohawk Country by Harmen Meyndertsz van den Bogaert
Tommy : the gun that changed America by Karen Blumenthal

Examines the origins of America's debate over gun control sparked by a practical gun intended for military use that became a weapon of choice for outlaws before Congress attempted to remove it from the streets.

Picture Books of the Great Outdoors

May 24, 2016 | strande

Use these resources as inspiration to get outside, observe your own backyard, and complete challenges this summer.

Busy buzzers : bees in your backyard by Nancy Loewen

Describes the physical characteristics, life cycle, and behavior of honeybees.

Planting the wild garden by Kathryn Osebold Galbraith

An exploration of the different ways seeds are dispersed into the environment.

Smile with Nonfiction

May 24, 2016 | strande
Human body theater by Maris Wicks

A humorous and informative skeleton introduces each system of the human body, gaining a layer of her "costume" by the end of each act, becoming a fully formed human by the end of the play.

Bushnell's submarine : the best kept secret of the American Revolution by Arthur S Lefkowitz
Knucklehead : tall tales and mostly true stories of growing up Scieszka by Jon Scieszka

How did Jon Scieszka get so funny? He grew up as one of six brothers with Catholic school, lots of comic books, lazy summers at the lake with time to kill, babysitting misadventures, TV shows, and jokes told at family dinner.

Humorous Nonfiction for Kids

May 24, 2016 | strande
I'm trying to love spiders : (it isn't easy.) by Bethany Barton

This fresh and very funny non-fiction picture book shares lots of fascinating facts about spiders in an entirely captivating way. If I'm Trying to Love Spiders doesn't cure your spider phobia, it'll at least make you appreciate how amazing they are...and laugh a lot as you learn about them.

Pluto's secret : an icy world's tale of discovery by Margaret A. Weitekamp

People, children especially, have been baffled, bewildered, and even outraged by the fact that Pluto is no longer called a planet. Providing a history of the small, icy world from its discovery and naming to its recent reclassification, this book presents a fascinating look at how scientists organize and class our solar system as they gain new insights into how it works and what types of things exist within it. 

Manners mash-up : a goofy guide to good behavior

Simple text and color illustrations introduce young readers to proper etiquette, depicting various settings in which children often find themselves, and highlighting appropriate behaviors in these settings.

Learn About our Great State

May 24, 2016 | strande

These are just a few of the nonfiction books we have that contain information about Michigan. Use this list as a springboard to find out more about our pleasant peninsulas.

Michigan Sports

Michigan Wolverines by Ken Rappoport

Presents a brief history of the University of Michigan football team, profiling noteable players, coaches, and games.

100 Page Biographies

May 6, 2016 | strande

Suggested biographies that fall between 100 and 150 pages. Click on the book or series title for more information on location and availability.

The "Who was..." series.

The Wicked History series.

Ten days a madwoman : the daring life and turbulent times of the original "girl" reporter, Nellie Bly by Deborah Noyes

A biography of Nellie Bly, the pioneering journalist whose showy but substantive stunts skyrocketed her to fame.

Ada Lovelace by Gina Hagler

A forward thinking computing pioneer.

Critically Acclaimed Documentaries

April 15, 2016 | Alyssa Y
Man on wire [videodisc]

A look at the high-wire walk made by Philippe Petit in 1974 between the World Trade Center's Twin Towers in New York City, and how it is still considered one of history's most artistic crimes.

Life itself [videodisc]

The legacy of Roger Ebert's life, recounts the inspiring and entertaining life of the world-renowned film critic and social commentator, from his Pulitzer Prize-winning film criticism at the Chicago Sun-Times to becoming one of the most influential cultural voices in America .

Citizenfour [videodisc]

2014's Academy Award winning documentary Citizenfour is a real life international thriller that unfolds by the minute. With unprecedented access, this gripping behind-the-scenes chronicle follows award-winning director Laura Poitras (My Country, My Country) and journalist Glenn Greenwald's remarkable encounters with whistle-blower Edward Snowden in a hotel room in Hong Kong, as he hands over classified documents that provide evidence of mass indiscriminate and illegal invasions of privacy by the National Security Agency (NSA). The documentary not only shows the dangers of government surveillance, but makes audiences feel them. After seeing the film, viewers will never think the same way about their phone, e-mail, credit cards, web browser or digital footprint again..

What's Cooking?

April 12, 2016 | Alyssa Y

Learn about your food - where it comes from, how it's made, and the history of how and why we started to eat what we eat - with some of these informative documentaries.

The botany of desire

This film shows how human desires are an essential, intricate part of natural history by exploring the natural history of four plants -the apple, the tulip, marijuana, and the potato - and the corresponding human desires - sweetness, beauty, intoxication and control. This two-hour documentary begins in Michael Pollan's garden, and roams the world, from the fields of Iowa to the apple forests of Kazakhstan, from a medical marijuana hot house to the tulip markets of Amsterdam.

In defense of food: an eater's manifesto

"Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants." These simple words go to the heart of food journalist Pollan's thesis. Humans used to know how to eat well, he argues, but the balanced dietary lessons that were once passed down through generations have been confused and distorted by food industry marketers, nutritional scientists, and journalists. As a result, we face today a complex culinary landscape dense with bad advice and foods that are not "real." Indeed, plain old eating is being replaced by an obsession with nutrition that is, paradoxically, ruining our health, not to mention our meals. Pollan's advice is: "Don't eat anything that your great-great grandmother would not recognize as food."

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