- The best American science and nature writing 2021, Ed Yong, editor
- Fat and queer, an anthology of queer and trans bodies and lives, edited by Bruce Owens Grimm, Miguel M. Morales, Tiff Joshua TJ Ferentini
- Emmet to the rescue, by Julia March
- Honey, the dog who saved Abe Lincoln, written by Shari Swanson ; illustrated by Chuck Groenink
- The XX brain, the groundbreaking science empowering women to maximize cognitive health and prevent Alzheimer's disease, Lisa Mosconi, PhD ; foreword by Maria Shriver
- The secret life of the sea otter, Laurence Pringle ; illustrated by Kate Garchinsky
- The key from Spain, Flory Jagoda and her music, by Debbie Levy ; illustrated by Sonja Wimmer
- The spacesuit, how a seamstress helped put man on the moon, written by Alison Donald ; illustrated by Ariel Landy
- The price of the ticket, collected nonfiction, 1948-1985, James Baldwin
- Little Unicorn is angry, Aurélie Chien Chow Chine
- Animal facts by the numbers, a book of infographics, Steve Jenkins
- Tails from the animal shelter, by Stephanie Shaw ; illustrated by Liza Woodruff
- Until further notice, a year in pandemic time, Amy Kaler
- Grace Banker and her Hello Girls answer the call, the heroic story of WWI telephone operators, written by Claudia Friddell ; illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley
- Hope is an arrow, the story of Lebanese American poet Kahlil Gibran, Cory McCarthy ; illustrated by Ekua Holmes
- Team photograph, Lauren Haldeman
- Go for the moon, a rocket, a boy, and the first moon landing, Chris Gall
- Hold on to your music, the inspiring true story of the children of Willesden Lane, by Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen ; adapted by Emil Sher ; illustrated by Sonia Possentini
- I'm a volcano!, by Bridget Heos ; illustrated by Mike Ciccotello
- Ocean!, waves for all, by Ocean (with Stacy McAnulty) ; illustrated by Ocean (and David Litchfield)
- The last winter, the scientists, adventurers, journeymen, and mavericks trying to save the world, Porter Fox
- Mars!, Earthlings welcome, by Mars ; (with Stacy McAnulty) ; illustrated by Mars (and Stevie Lewis)
- Sex matters, how male-centric medicine endangers women's health and what we can do about it, Alyson J. McGregor, MD, MA, FACEP
- The lost family, how DNA testing is upending who we are, Libby Copeland
- Four hundred souls, a community history of African America 1619-2019, edited by Ibram X. Kendi
- Jane against the world, Roe v. Wade and the fight for reproductive rights, Karen Blumenthal
- A ghost in the throat, Doireann Ní Ghríofa
- The whale who swam through time, a 200-hundred-year journey in the Arctic, written by Alex Boersma and Nick Pyenson ; illustrated by Alex Boersma
- If you had your birthday party on the Moon, by Joyce Lapin ; illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli
- How Emily saved the bridge, the story of Emily Warren Roebling and the building of the Brooklyn Bridge, Frieda Wishinsky ; pictures by Natalie Nelson
- The best American nonrequired reading 2019, edited and introduced by Edan Lepucki ; managing editor, Beatrice Kilat
- The animal toolkit, how animals use tools, Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
- Alphamaniacs, builders of 26 wonders of the word, [by] Paul Fleischman ; art by Melissa Sweet
- Marcel's masterpiece, how a toilet shaped the history of art, Jeff Mack
- Birds of prey, terrifying talons, Joe Flood
- Little Unicorn is scared, Aurélie Chien Chow Chine
- I'm trying to love math, words & pictures by Bethany Barton
- The view from the cheap seats, selected nonfiction, Neil Gaiman
- A history of underwear with Professor Chicken, written by Hannah Holt ; illustrated by Korwin Briggs
- Fungus is among us!, [written by Joy Keller ; illustrated by Erica Salcedo]
- The secret life of viruses, incredible science facts about germs, vaccines, and what you can do to stay healthy, Mariona Tolosa Sisteré, The Ellas Educan Collective
- Critter chat, what if animals used social media?, Rosemary Mosco
- Writing true, the art and craft of creative nonfiction, Sondra Perl, Mimi Schwartz
- 300 arguments, Sarah Manguso
- Where Lily isn't, Julie Paschkis ; illustrations by Margaret Chodos-Irvine
- So you want to be an owl, Jane Porter ; illustrated by Maddie Frost
- Why we swim, Bonnie Tsui
- The tyranny of merit, what's become of the common good?, Michael J. Sandel
- Henry Knox's noble train, the story of a Boston bookseller's heroic expedition that saved the American Revolution, William Hazelgrove
- The address book, what street addresses reveal about identity, race, wealth, and power, Deirdre Mask