...in case you were wondering what to nominate for the Nonfiction Middle Grade & Young Adult category, I have noticed several books (some I've already reviewed others I plan to review in the coming months) that have yet to be recognized. Part of why I'm on the final judging panel for this category is because I review quite a bit of NF throughout the year (more than most YA bloggers I imagine). NF is near and dear to my heart and I hate to see some good books overlooked. So if you are still wondering what to nominate, here are a few to consider:

1. CLEOPATRA RULES! The Amazing Life of the Original Teen Queen by Vicky Alvear Shecter. From Boyds Mill, great design, tons of illustrations and a bit of a cheeky attitude. I've just started this one but it's a riot thus far.

2. LINCOLN'S FLYING SPIES: Thaddeus Lowe and the Civil War Balloon Corps by Gail Jarrow. From Calkins Creek, lots of b/w illustrations - a book with a very vintage feel to it and a fascinating subject. Flying spies! How cool is that?

3. ADVENTURE BENEATH THE SEA: Living in an Underwater Science Station by Kenneth Mallory. From Boyds Mill again - glossy color photos and it's all about life in the underwater lab in the Florida Keys. This is science at its "wow - I want to do that" best.

4. THE BRAVE ESCAPE OF EDITH WHARTON by Connie Nordhielm Wooldridge. From Clarion, tons of photos and a truly amazing story of a woman who broke all sorts of societal constraints to become a great and famous writer. Remember "keeping up with the Joneses"? Well, her family was the Joneses. It's fabulous.

5. WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE: HIS LIFE AND TIMES by Ari Berk. From Templar (Candlewick) this scrapbook design is the absolute best way to get a kid excited about Shakespeare. The pages are gorgeous, the information solid - it's really what introductory NF for a person like Shakespeare should be. It works for a wide range of kids - it's aimed at 8-12 but I think it should go all the way to high school and college.

6. CHARLES DARWIN AND THE MYSTERY OF MYSTERIES by Niles Eldredge and Susan Pearson. From Roaring Brook, another Darwin title. I can't get enough of these as he is so important. They have a nice approach here, focusing on natural selection and providing less biographical detail than others. This is more a science biography - esp good for older teens. (B/W illustrations)

7. LIBERTY OR DEATH: The Surprising Story of the of Runaway Slaves Who Sided With the British During the American Revolution by Margaret Whitman Blair. From Nat Geo, this really rocked my world. I learned nothing about slaves fighting for the British when I was in school. (And hey - one of them was owned by George Washington!). I'm reviewing it in my November column as a "Cool Read" but suffice to say, they had their reasons, there were a lot of them, and Blair follows their story beyond the war and into the decades after. Tons of illustrations.

8. SKY SAILORS: True Stories of the Balloon Era by David Bristow. From FSG, a really unique history of balloonists from 1783 forward including all sorts of record making flights, crashes, and exciting moments. This one gets points for being unusual - although you have to love that it and the Lincoln ballooning book both came out this year. I have an ARC but the final copy is supposed to have color illustrations.

9. IF STONES COULD SPEAK: Unlocking the Secrets of Stonehenge by Marc Aronson. From Nat Geo - full color photos, awesome design, and it's Stonehenge! What more could you want? Aronson follows along with a team of archeologists trying to unlock its secrets. This story never ever gets old - it has major appeal.

10. FORT MOSE, And the Story of the Man Who Built the First Free Black Settlement in Colonial America by Glennette Tilley Turner. From Abrams - I had no clue this settlement even existed which is shameful as it is in FL. Gorgeous design with great full color illustrations and photos plus a lovely background illustration on each page (that extends to the edges - it's really quite cool and eye catching). It's about the first legally sanctioned free black community in North America, just north of St Augustine and est in 1738. This is completely forgotten history - includes personal end note, nods to Zora Neale Hurston and other historians and copious details. We should all know about Fort Mose.