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Jane Goodall’s life and chimpanzee research are told alongside focused information about animals she observed. The book also introduces ethical questions and changing knowledge about great apes, including language, tool use and newer research technology.

A gentle story about a young skink whose changing appearance unsettles his sense of self, with a friendship that helps him notice what else makes him special.

A first-person account of growing up as a Maasai cattle herder in Kenya, this memoir follows Lekuton through schooling, soccer and eventual study in America. Personal episodes also introduce Maasai community life and practices.

A concise life story links Sotomayor’s New York childhood and education with her legal career and rise to the Supreme Court, while bringing in others’ perspectives and women’s ambitions.

A picture-book biography about how Billie Holiday made a protest song her own, set against racial discrimination and the history of lynching.

A brief, illustrated introduction to Lincoln’s life, told through selected scenes and free verse rather than a comprehensive biography.

A short, high-interest story about a teenager facing distress, secrets and changing friendships. The plot centres on Darcy’s efforts to recover and support a friend, rather than on an informational account.

A personal life provides a route into Washington’s changing landscape and national history, with diary passages and images offering more than a straightforward overview.

A fact-led tour of extreme weather, pairing real-life accounts and photographs with information about what storms and other severe events can do.

A broad tour of India featuring photographs combines places, wildlife, history and culture with details about family life, food and the economy.

A broad introduction to the role of machines in daily life, the rise of factories and the shift towards computer-directed production.

A structured history resource, it mixes factual accounts with enquiries and activities rather than offering narrative alone. Its stated scope is England from 1901 to the present.

A broad historical account links the 1918 armistice with later political and economic changes, while also asking how the war dead are remembered.

The book ranges across Vietnam’s history, government and economy as well as cultural and everyday topics. Its introduction also frames the country as a destination for tourists and a changing economy.

A wide-ranging introduction to Libya, linking its history and present-day circumstances with information about its people, environment and culture.

A broad account of post-1945 US history, with civil rights at its centre and political, social and cultural developments also in view.

This is a history of cotton told through people whose lives were shaped by farming, slavery, sharecropping and textile mills. Personal voices and photographs sit alongside a broader account of American change.

A visually lively introduction to evolution, this book connects cells, changing environments, extinction events and human origins across immense stretches of time. Its clear sequence and labels may help readers build a first framework for how life changes.

This is an approachable informational guide that explains puberty, body care and healthy habits through conversational advice, illustrations and practical instructions. It presents bodily variation as normal and invites readers to seek support from trusted adults.

This offers a focused introduction to dynastic China by connecting rulers, peasants and other social groups with wider historical change.

A concise life-and-career account of the Three Stooges, from early performance and vaudeville to films, physical comedy, changing membership and enduring popularity.

A faith-centred biography that presents Isobel Kuhn’s personal change and missionary journey as an adventurous, challenging life story.

A useful introduction to video games as an industry rather than simply a pastime, showing the many specialised workers, skills and educational routes involved in making them.

Expect a football-centred childhood story rather than an account of Burglar Bill. Its unofficial team, friendships and setbacks provide comic energy, while the reflective voice gives the book a poignant, nostalgic dimension.

A broad, image-led reference book about cars, trains, ships, planes and many other vehicles. It combines visual discovery with factual entries, transport timelines, record breakers, notable developments and a glossary-index structure.

This is an image-rich account of polar-bear field biology: scientists search from helicopters, work on sea ice, gather measurements and samples, and use long-term data to understand the animals.

A compact introduction to Pope Francis’s background, Catholic belief and church structures, with attention to his public leadership, humility, concern for poor people and views on issues affecting the Catholic Church.

A broad, structured introduction to New York City’s history, linking people, places, politics, geography, conflict and change. It suits a reader who enjoys learning through chronological chapters and visual material, with optional hands-on activities alongside the historical account.

A lively introduction to a deaf baseball player whose practical solution to communication barriers became part of the sport. It combines biography, baseball history and bright illustrations celebrating persistence and ingenuity.

A historically grounded creative-life story in which the origins of Curious George are closely tied to a Jewish couple’s flight from wartime Europe. Its strongest elements are human connection, artistic work, and a tense escape.

This is a structured introduction to how popular music changes: genres are placed alongside social and cultural events, technology, artists and industry developments. Its broad sweep and case studies may help readers see music as part of wider history rather than as isolated songs or performers.

A fact-rich investigation of rubbish as a cultural, economic and environmental problem, combining statistics and history with vivid people and practical examples of communities reducing waste.

This is an illustrated historical account of Alice Cogswell, Thomas Gallaudet and the emergence of American Sign Language, combining biography, education, institutional history and Alice’s letters.

This is a broad Earth reference book for dipping into: readers can move between natural features, weather and planetary facts, encountering memorable measurements, comparisons and surprising details.

This offers an energetic introduction to how children’s books emerged, combining a biographical journey with history about printing, bookselling, typography and changing ideas about what children might enjoy reading.

A light science-fiction adventure combines space travel, a search for a lost species and an environmental idea: neglecting nature can leave the world empty. The imaginative setting may invite discussion without presenting the book as a factual account.

This is a history-led tour of the White House, mixing anecdotes, personal recollections and practical details about occupants, workers, rooms, customs and change across two centuries.

A substantial ocean reference for browsing or dipping into: it combines striking nature photography with explanations of creatures, ocean zones, weather, geology, climate and exploration, while including conservation information and practical ways people can help.

This is a focused introduction to sports injuries, combining medical and sporting perspectives rather than concentrating only on scores. It may suit a reader wanting organised background on factors involved in injury and how the issue is addressed.

Expect a playful ecology read: Fern leads attempts to raise a fallen tree, while forest characters contribute information about their roles. Its main pleasures are inventive puns, cartoon exchanges and the eventual shift from rescue mission to ecosystem insight.

A concise nature-focused introduction to summer in the UK, linking longer, warmer days with changes in plants, insects and animals. It highlights fruit, bees, storms and the solstice as things to notice.

A visually rich introduction to freshwater, moving from scientific foundations to living habitats and worldwide challenges. Its final practical section invites readers to connect large environmental questions with choices at home and in their communities.

This is a lively guide to finding creativity and confidence through magic, comedy, circus skills and science. It mixes practical activities with encouragement to practise, check facts, share ideas and accept that people can grow and change.

A lively introduction to women’s contributions across history and different fields, presented through colourful illustrations, short profiles, facts and quotations. Its page-by-page structure supports dipping in, revisiting individual figures and noticing links between personal achievement and wider social change.

This is a visually led Earth-history journey, using one pebble to connect geological change with the appearance of living things and human activity. Its chronological sweep may invite shared looking, pausing and questions rather than one quick read.