For a reader who just finished
after American Shaolin: Flying Kicks, Buddhist Monks, and the Legend of Iron Crotch: An Odyssey in the New China by Matthew Polly
Nonfiction
Adult memoir about training at Shaolin Temple; entirely outside the 5–9 target band and not appropriate for children in this age range.
Same style
by Sy Montgomery
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L
Sy Montgomery's vivid, precise prose turns a real scientific expedition into a page-turner; kids learn how field biology works and why a single species matters, not through preaching but through genuine adventure.
by Sy Montgomery
Nonfiction · ages 8–12 · grades 3–7 · 720L
Montgomery's infectious curiosity and on-the-ground reporting make conservation science visceral and urgent—kids finish this wanting to know how to help, not just what the problem is.
by Jennifer Armstrong
Nonfiction · ages 10–14 · grades 5–9 · 800L
The gold standard for introducing true adventure and moral courage to middle graders — Armstrong's restraint and primary-source integration make a 100-year-old disaster feel immediate and real.
