5KN: Narrative Nonfiction

As a young man growing up in Greenland, Leif Ericsson had heard stories about a land to the west across the Atlantic Ocean. One day, he gathered a crew and set off to explore the land… Read More →

"Nelson plaits her narrative with Western lingo and homespun similes. . . . James' painterly oils swirl with energy, visible daubs creating the dusty, monumental landscape and equally… Read More →

The Apollo astronauts gave people a new way of looking at the world—and so did modern artist Alma Thomas. In 1969, people around the world watched as the Apollo 10 astronauts sent the… Read More →

Lindsey Vonn is one of the most successful skiers of all time. She's won seventy World Cups and holds records for the most victories in both downhill and super-G skiing. She is also known for Read More →

In 2009 American composer and performer Lin-Manuel Miranda stood on a stage at the White House, about to perform a rap song at the White House Poetry Jam. When he explained that the song's… Read More →

Lionel Messi is one of the best soccer players in the world. He's led his team—Fútbol Club (FC) Barcelona—to several championships, he's won the FIFA Ballon d'Or award five times, and he's… Read More →

Lionel Messi dominates soccer. Claiming every major trophy in soccer, Messi is one of the sport’s most decorated players. He has an Olympic gold medal, a World Cup win, seven Copa del Rey… Read More →

From the time she was a very young girl, Rachel Carson felt a bond with nature. Growing up in Pennsylvania, she spent hours exploring meadows and woods, dreaming of seeing the ocean. As… Read More →

The world is changing for two girls in China in the 1970s. Da Qin—Big Piano—and her younger sister, Xiao Qin—Little Piano—live in the city of Wuhan with their parents. For decades, China's… Read More →

Melissa Vivianne Jeffersion, known professionally as Lizzo, wasn’t always the celebrity that we know her as today. She started as a musician playing flute in the elementary school band. She… Read More →

In 1963, more than 30 African-American girls ages 11 to 16 were arrested for taking part in Civil Rights protests in Americus, Georgia. They were taken without their families' knowledge to a… Read More →

On April 27, 2015, a packed Senate gallery watched as Loretta Lynch became the first African American woman to be named US attorney general. Long before Lynch became attorney general, she… Read More →

The day Rena had been waiting for had finally arrived. She was going to the Easter egg roll at the White House, and nothing was going to spoil it for her. But then. . .well, what would you do Read More →

Louis Pasteur's passion for laboratory experiments led to major, life-saving changes in medicine. His research targeted unusual problems from the spoiling of wine to disease in French… Read More →

Ludwig van Beethoven (1770–1827), a German composer and pianist, bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. Known for his emotionally charged and groundbreaking compositions, including the… Read More →

In 2019, Luka Doncic became the second basketball player from Europe ever to win the National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie of the Year Award. Doncic, star shooting and point guard for… Read More →

Luke Kuechly of the Carolina Panthers is one of the National Football League (NFL)'s hardest-hitting defenders. The star linebacker led the NFL with 164 tackles in 2012, his first season in… Read More →

A teen with bipolar disorder fights for survival in Ella Grace Foutz's memoir in verse. Foutz weaves an intimate and gripping chronicle of her experience with mental illness. Amidst the… Read More →

Lupita Nyong'o became an internationally known actor after appearing in 12 Years a Slave, winning the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her role in the movie and becoming the first Kenyan Read More →

In 1977, Lusia Harris made history as the first and only woman ever drafted by an NBA team, the New Orleans Jazz. Though she chose not to play for the NBA, her incredible accomplishments on… Read More →

Madam C.J. Walker was one of the first Black woman millionaires in the US. While she was a laundry worker, she started having trouble with her scalp and decided to create a solution. She… Read More →

Mae Jemison, the first black woman in space, is an engineer, physician, teacher, Peace Corps volunteer, and founder of multiple technology companies. This fascinating bio tells about her… Read More →

Malala Yousafzai's activism has placed her in grave danger from the Taliban, but she remains determined to defend girls' right to an education around the world. Follow Yousafzai from young… Read More →