Two engaging “how does that work” non-fiction books for young readers to enjoy

Did you know that that distinctive smell of a pool that you always thought was chlorine is in fact a chemical reaction between chlorine (put in the pool to reduce bacteria) and urea (yes, found in pee, but also in sweat)? I did not. This fact in particular struck me since I’ve swum all my life and always assumed that smell meant there was too much chlorine in the pool. Instead it’s a sign that chlorine is doing its job. 

This is one of many surprises young readers will find in Ella Schwartz’s new release, “Is it Okay to Pee in the Ocean?”

It can be a challenge for non-fiction writers to tell a story in a new way, to catch a reader’s attention with just the right approach. This is particularly true of books like this one that don’t have a narrative arc, but are simply an exploration of a process or answering of a question, like this one. 

 “Is it Okay to Pee … ?” is a deft weaving of both how your body works (kidneys, urethras and bladder) and also an explanation of all the ways we rely on the ocean. Schwartz writes about the ways in which the ocean and its creatures are suffering and issues a call to action about how readers can help.

Schwartz’s book is the latest in a great parade of non-fiction middle-grade books that make potentially complex topics highly accessible. She uses humor, hands-on projects and surprising facts to engage readers. Some examples: pee is sterile and has no smell (what you think of as a pee smell is bacteria thriving on the pee) and lobsters can blast their pee in two jets from under their eyes when threatened. How about that?!

Another thing that makes this book so engaging is that Schwartz speaks directly to her audience (writing in second person, for you who are paying attention to that sort of thing). You feel like you are sitting with Schwartz, maybe over a cup of hot chocolate, as she shares all these fun and funny info bits with you.

My only quibble is how Schwartz makes fun of scientists for using unfamiliar words. For example, in one place she writes, “Scientists sometimes like to give different names to the same thing. Maybe this makes scientists feel smart, mostly because it makes everyone else confused.” Another place she refers to “fancy scientists,” but not in a complimentary way. I’ve seen this in other books too and it’s regrettable because it unconsciously makes young readers think scientists are either not cool or snobs.

 It seems an unkind and unnecessary swipe at an entire category of people. I know many scientists. I find them curious, creative, energetic and thoughtful people, so I just want to push back on that element of the book a little bit. 

Another non-fiction book that begins with a question is Roma Agrawal’s “How Was That Built?” with illustrations by Katie Hickey. This book, no surprise, is heavily and very effectively illustrated. It’s hard to imagine understanding many of the principles Agrawal talks about without those illustrations. 

It’s organized in a smart but simple way, with chapter headings such as “How to Build Flat,” “How to Build Clean” (that’s the sewer system section), “How to Build Tall,” and “How to Build on Ice.

I think any young reader, whether they lean toward engineering or not, would enjoy this book. If I had had a book like this growing up, who knows? I might have become an engineer! 

Agrawal, an award-winning structural engineer, uses building examples from all over the world, including places like London, Dubai and Lesotho. She also delves into history, talking about Maori (native New Zealanders) history and folklore in relation to a building project in New Zealand, and ancient Persia (modern-day Iran) in relation to an ancient system of wells and tunnels called a qanat. So we learn some history, some new words, something about many different places in the world. This book has something for everyone. 

“How Was That Built?” is a book you want to look at over and over again, so it might be good to buy it for your young reader rather than check it out of the library!

This review originally appeared in the Champaign-Urbana News-Gazette in 2023