You are Stardust by Elin Kelsey, 2012. j304.2 K29yThis innovative picture book shares the surprising ways that we are all connected to the natural world. It begins by introducing the idea that every tiny atom in our bodies came from a star that exploded long before we were born.Owlkids 9781926973357 $18.95

Awesome Autumn: All Kinds of Fall Facts and Fun by Bruce Goldstone, 2012. j508.2 G624aA seasonal tribute to autumn combining photographs, text, and craft ideas. Highlights range from falling leaves and migrating animals to football games and Halloween costumes.Henry Holt & Co 9780805092103 $16.99

Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy, 2012. j516.1 L484sAn assortment of dozens of diverse and colorful examples from quilts to cupcakes invite the reader to discover both line and rotational symmetry.Holiday House 9780823423606 $17.95

Ocean Sunlight: How Tiny Plants Feed the Seas by Molly Bang, 2012. j571.455 B216oA sweeping portrait of the world’s oceans lyrically explains the precarious balance that sustains life cycles and food chains under the sea. Packed with clear, simple science this will help children understand the astonishing role our oceans play in human life.Blue Sky Press 9780545273220 $18.99

Out on the Prairie by Donna Bateman, 2012. j577.44Adapting the rhyme “Over in the Meadow,” Bateman takes readers on a trip to Badlands National Park in South Dakota, highlighting 10 animals that make their homes there.Charlesbridge 9781580893770 $15.95

Coral Reefs by Jason Chin, 2011. j577.789 C539cA girl pulls a not-so-ordinary book from the library shelf. As she turns the pages in this book about coral reefs, the city around her slips away and she finds herself surrounded by the coral cities of the sea and the mysterious plants and animals that live there.Roaring Brook 9781596435636 $16.99

Best New Nonfiction Books for K-2

Books at Columbus Metropolitan Library

Swirl by Swirl: Spirals in Nature by Joyce Sidman, 2011. j578 S568sWith simplicity and grace, author and illustrator reveal the many spirals in nature – from fiddlehead ferns to elephant tusks. Celebrate the beauty and usefulness of this fascinating shape.Houghton Mifflin 9780547315836 $16.99

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner, 2011. j591.43 M585oOver the snow, the world is hushed and white. Discover the wonder and activity that lies beneath winter’s snowy landscape in this magical book.Chronicle Books 9780811867849 $16.99

The Beetle Bookby Steve Jenkins, 2012. j595.76 J52bThrough striking illustrations and intriguing information, this large-format book introduces the world of beetles – both familiar and strange.Houghton Mifflin 9780547680842 $16.99

Seahorses by Jennifer Keats Curtis, 2012. j597.6798 C979sA sumptuously illustrated chronicle of the life of a seahorse. He emerges in the ocean with his many siblings, grows up among spectacular coral reefs and eventually gives birth to his own offspring.Henry Holt & Co 9780805092394 $16.99

Robin, Where are You? by Harriet Ziefert, 2012. j598 Z65rA girl and her grandfather go to the park with the goal of seeing a robin. Other birds are found throughout the park - the reader discovers them by lifting the page flaps – until finally a mama robin delights the tenacious birdwatchers.Blue Apple Books 9781609051921 $17.99

Bird Talkby Lita Judge, 2012. j598.159 J92bBirds have lots of ways of communicating: They sing and talk, dance and drum, cuddle and fight. Filled with gorgeous illustrations, this look at the secret life of birds will get your students talking.Roaring Brook 9781596436466 $17.99

Mrs. Harkness and the Pandaby Alicia Potter, 2012. j599.789 P866mTraces the story of a female adventurer who brought America its first panda bear in the 1930s. She inherited a seemingly impossible expedition from her explorer husband and defied period conventions to travel into the wilderness to bring back a cub.Random House 9780375944482 $19.99

Balloons Over Broadway: The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Paradeby Melissa Sweet, 2011. j791.53092 S974bA tribute to the creator of the giant helium balloons that fill the sky during the annual Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Traces the work of this pioneering artist whose innovative “upside-down puppet” creations have become the parade’s trademark.Houghton Mifflin 9780547199450 $16.99

National Geographic Book of Animal Poetryby J. Patrick Lewis, 2012. j808.81936 N277Combines sumptuous photography with poems celebrating the animal world, in a dynamic collection selected by the U.S. Children’s Poet Laureate. Includes works by such poets as Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost and Rudyard Kipling.National Geographic 9781426310096 $24.95

I, Too, Am Americaby Langston Hughes, 2012. j811 H89iA beautifully illustrated edition of Hughes’ inspiring poem calls for equality while reminding readers that all Americans are united despite their differences.Simon & Schuster 9781442420083 $16.99

Hands Around the Library: Protecting Egypt’s Treasured Books by Susan Roth, 2012. j962.055 R845hIn January 2011, thousands of Egyptian students, library workers, and demonstrators surrounded the great Library of Alexandria and joined hands, forming a human chain to protect the building, standing together for the freedom the library represented.Dial Books 9780803737471 $16.99

The Camping Trip that Changed America by Barb Rosenstock, 2012. j979.447 R815cDescribes how in 1903, President Theodore Roosevelt joined naturalist John Muir on a Yosemite camping trip during which they shared conversations that ultimately led to the establishment of national parks.Dial Books 9780803737105 $16.99

Hanging Off Jefferson’s Nose: Growing Up on Mount Rushmore by Tina Nichols Coury, 2012. jB B7334, C866hLincoln Borglum was a young boy when his father began sculpting Mount Rushmore and recounts how he took over the iconic project after his father’s death.Dial Books 9780803737310 $16.99

Looking at Lincolnby Maira Kalman, 2012. jB L73, K14LWanting to know about the real man behind the legend, a little girl learns about some lesser-known aspects of Lincoln’s life, from his love of Mozart and his pet dog to the way he kept notes in his stovepipe hat.Frederick Warne & Co. 9780723269106 $20.00

Creating Innovators: The Making of Young People Who Will Change the World by Tony Wagner, 2012. 373 W135cReveals the importance of innovation in American global competitiveness, profiling some of today’s most compelling young innovators while explaining how they have succeeded through the unconventional methods of parents, teachers, and mentors.Scribner 9781451611496 $27.00

“Multiplication is for White People”: Raising Expectations for Other People’s Childrenby Lisa Delpit, 2012. 379.26 D363mDelpit presents a striking picture of the elements of contemporary public education that conspire against the prospects for poor children of color, creating a persistent gap in achievement during the school years that has eluded several decades of reform.New Press 9781595580467 $26.95

Help Your Kids with Science: A Unique Step-by-Step Visual Guide by DK, 2012. 500 H483 Following the success of Help Your Kids with Math, Help Your Kids with Science is a comprehensive and stress-free approach to science.Dorling Kindersley 9780756692681 $19.95

Why Before How: Singapore Math Computation Strategies by Jana Hazekamp, 2012. 510.7 H429wIntroduces a wide variety of computation strategies adapted from the acclaimed Singapore approach that will bring students a real understanding of number relationships and the meaning behind the math.Crystal Springs Books 9781934026823 $23.95