We all want our kids to read more, for a few reasons:

They’re quiet when they read (except when they’re on the flip-flip pages of Captain Underpants); they’re less likely to break things (same Captain Underpants issue); and it’s good for their brains, not only building vocabulary but also making them less gullible.

So what books are we loving lately around our house? That is, loving enough to steal from our kids? Here’s a list—and come back for more, as I’ll add to it as time goes by:

Kids Nonfiction Book Recommendations:

4 True Stories—picture books for little kids who like to keep it real. If you have a kid who likes nonfiction (as many boys do), here are four great picks:

14 Cows for America, by Wilson Kimeli Naiyomah, Carmen Agra Deedy and Thomas Gonzalez. When the news of the 9/11 attacks reached Kenya, a Maasai village there offers the gift of fourteen cows. It’s a powerful story of friendship.

Nubs: The True Story of a Mutt, a Marine & a Miracle, by Brian Dennis, Mary Nethery and Kirby Larson. This one’s about a dog in Iraq who adopts a U.S. marine as his very own—and crosses the desert to keep him. It’s been optioned as a film, too.

Ron's Big Mission, by Corrine Naden and Don Tate. The true story of a future Challenger’s astronaut to get his own library card in segregated 1950s South Carolina.

Life in the Boreal Forest, by Brenda Z. Guiberson and Gennady Spirin. We’ve heard a lot about the importance of the Amazon rainforest, but the Boreal Forest—which is as big and as important—is equally at risk. Kids will love learning about the animals that live there (including bears, who eat 70,000 berries in a day).

Get more book recommendations for kids. Read Part II and Part III of Martha's series.