Celebrating Non-Fiction November 2025
To celebrate Non-Fiction November, Read Manchester has spent the past month working with publishers and authors to promote non-fiction and gift fantastic fact books to pupils of Manchester schools. We’ve had some brilliant events featuring record-breaking hula hooping, explosive volcanoes, history, space and mind-boggling facts that are stranger than fiction.
A total of 509 pupils from 12 Manchester primary schools attended our three fabulous author events. Thanks to publisher support, every child attending these events received a free non-fiction book or magazine to take home with them.
Guinness World Records
165 pupils from three schools in Wythenshawe enjoyed an exciting Guinness World Records-themed event at Wythenshawe Forum Library.
Led by Craig Glenday, the Editor-in-Chief of Guinness World Records, the children learnt how the record book began and met Mariam “Amazi” Olayiwola, four-time hula-hooping world record holder!
They also had the chance to have a go at hula-hooping themselves and attempt to break a record. Every pupil received a copy of Guinness World Records: Gamer Edition, kindly donated by the publisher.
Quotes from teachers:
“The children loved the event, and it really created a buzz around reading more into the records. Thank you from all staff and pupils!”
“The children loved it and are excited to go and research records in their books back at school.”
“One child with SEND really enjoys fact books and could share his ideas.”
“Seeing a real record holder and getting to attempt a record brought it to life for the children […] a boy who is usually quite shy actually got up and attempted a record! We know he would love to read the Guinness World Records but were surprised to find out he hadn’t.”
Emma Young, author of the What if… series
Author and science journalist Emma Young visited Manchester Central library and spoke to 163 pupils from 5 Manchester Schools about her fantastic ‘What if…’ fact book series.
The big questions explored included:
– What if every volcano erupted at once?
– What if pigs could fly?
– What if you couldn’t fart?
Thanks to publisher DK Books we were able to gift every child attending a free copy of Emma’s book, ‘What if… Every Volcano Erupted at Once?’ The children left excited to learn more about the world around them and keep asking the important (and bizarre) questions, like ‘what would happen if you ate nothing but cockroaches for a year?’
Quotes from Teachers:
“So many questions – great to see – very engaging and provoked lots of thought and further questions”
“Lots of opportunities for children to share their thinking and ask questions”
“We’re going to do our own “What If” session on Friday 🙂”
Christopher Lloyd, author and founder of What On Earth Books
Our last brilliant author for the month was Christopher Lloyd, writer of many non-fiction books and editor of the fantastic What on Earth! magazine.
180 children from 4 primary schools were wowed with facts and entertained by Chris who showed off one of his fantastic ‘wallbooks’, which features a 2 metre-long fold-out timeline containing more than 1,000 pictures and captions – all of Earth’s history condensed into a single stretch of pages!
Chris talked about his book ‘Absolutely Everything: A History of Earth, Dinosaurs, Rulers, Robots and Other Things Too Numerous to Mention’ with help from his fabulous ‘story cloak’; each of its 16 pockets contained an item related to one of the books 16 chapters.
Quote from a teacher:
“Chris was so engaging and the free magazine was a real bonus. [The most valuable part of the event was] engagement with non-fiction texts. One child who is obsessed with non-fiction texts was in his element and answered every question asked. It was wonderful to see him shine and fully engage.”
Quote from a child:
“It made me feel curious about the world!”
Thanks to What on Earth books and Read Manchester, every child was gifted a magazine to take home and keep.
Why Non-Fiction?
In an article for the Book Trust, Christopher Lloyd writes:
You know that moment when a child comes of age – it’s that time when, at about the age of five, they start (and can’t stop) asking questions. Why do elephants have trunks? Why does my tummy rumble? Why can’t I meet a T.rex? Why…? Why….? Why…..?
[…]
that is the moment to stop, think and listen. Because, behind the questioning, is a simple but super-powerful reality – your child is telling you they want to read!
In research carried out by the National Literacy Trust, over half (56%) of children and young people said they read non-fiction. Motivation for reading among those who read non-fiction included curiosity and a desire to learn about other places and new things, mental wellbeing and relaxation, and connection with others.
Non-fiction reading is one of the best ways to encourage children’s natural curiosity and keep them asking those all important questions: ‘What if…’ … ‘Why…’ and of course ‘How many hula hoops can I do while standing on one leg?
