New and forthcoming young readers’ editions bring notable works of adult nonfiction—from lesser-known histories to gripping memoirs—to children and teens.

Never Caught, the Story of Ona Judge: George and Martha Washington's Courageous Slave Who Dared to Run Away (Young Readers' Edition)

by Erica Armstrong Dunbar and Kathleen Van Cleve (Aladdin, Jan. 8, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-1617-8)

In this adaptation of National Book Award finalist Never Caught, the authors tell the story of Ona Judge, who escaped enslavement at age 22, living the rest of her life as a free woman.         

The Untold History of the United States, Volume 2: Young Readers' Edition, 1945–1962

by Oliver Stone and Peter Kuznick, adapted by Eric Singer (Atheneum, Jan. 15, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-4814-2176-8)

The Untold History of the United States, a book for adults, was written as a companion to Stone’s 2012 documentary of the same name. The book was adapted for volume one of a young readers’ series in 2014 by Susan Campbell Bartoletti, and Singer takes the helm for the second volume, with a survey of more under-explored aspects of American history.

George Washington's Secret Six (Young Readers' Adaptation)

by Brian Kilmeade and Don Yaeger (Viking, Jan. 29, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-425-28898-6)

This middle grade adaptation of Kilmeade and Yaeger’s historical nonfiction book focuses on George Washington’s intelligence network, the Culper Spy Ring. Additional content for young readers includes a new introduction, back matter, and art.

The Greatest Treasure Hunt in History: The Story of the Monuments Men

by Robert M. Edsel (Scholastic Focus, Jan. 29, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-338-25119-7)

This young readers’ edition of Edsel’s bestselling book spotlights the figures who sought to rescue and preserve historical buildings, monuments, works of art, and other objects of cultural significance during WWII.

The Perfect Horse: The Daring Rescue of Horses Kidnapped During World War II

by Elizabeth Letts (Delacorte, Feb. 12, $16.99, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-525-64474-3)

This historical narrative, based on Letts’s 2016 book for adults, tells the little-known story of the horses kidnapped by Hitler during World War II, and their heroic rescue by American soldiers.

Dear America (Young Readers' Edition): The Story of an Undocumented Citizen

by Jose Antonio Vargas (HarperCollins, Mar. 5, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-06-291459-0)

Journalist and filmmaker Vargas tells the story of emigrating to America at age 12 and, as a young adult, learning that he had been sent to the U.S. illegally. Vargas details his experience hiding his immigration status into adulthood, while raising questions about what it means to be American.

Fly Girls (Young Readers' Edition): How Five Daring Women Defied All Odds and Made Aviation History

by Keith O’Brien (Mar. 5, HMH, $16.99, ISBN 978-1-328-61842-9)

Based on his 2018 historical book for adults, O’Brien introduces five pioneering female pilots for young readers.

American Moonshot (Young Readers' Edition): John F. Kennedy and the Great Space Race

by Douglas Brinkley (Apr. 2, HarperCollins, $16.99, ISBN 978-0-06-266028-2)

This spring, Brinkley simultaneously publishes a chronicle of the moon landing for adults and an adaptation of that title for young readers. The work offers a detailed history of the space race and the successful mission to the moon.

It's Trevor Noah: Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood (Adapted for Young Readers)

by Trevor Noah (Apr. 9, Delacorte, $17.99, ISBN 978-0-525-58216-8)

Noah, host of The Daily Show, adapts his story of growing up in South Africa during apartheid as the child of a black mother and a white father.

Lies My Teacher Told Me for Young Readers: Everything American History Textbooks Get Wrong

by James W. Loewen, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff (Apr. 23, New Press, $19.99, ISBN 978-1-62097-469-8)

Stefoff presents a new edition of Loewen’s American Book Award-winning history book that famously challenged the erroneous content perpetuated through American text books. Stefoff also adapted Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of the United States for young readers.

Eiffel's Tower for Young People

by Jill Jonnes, adapted by Rebecca Stefoff (Seven Stories, Apr. 30, $17.95, ISBN 978-1-60980-905-8)

This addition to Triangle Square’s for Young People series is an adaptation of Jonnes’s 2009 nonfiction work for adults. Stefoff offers an accessible story of the 1889 World’s Fair and the creation of the Eiffel Tower.

An Invisible Thread: The True Story Adapted for Young Readers

by Laura Schroff and Alex Tresniowski (May 7, Simon & Schuster, $17.99, ISBN 978-1-5344-3727-2)

Drawing from her adult memoir of the same name, Schroff, a former sales executive, tells the story of how she developed an enduring friendship with a homeless boy.

Flying to the Moon: An Astronaut's Story

by Michael Collins (June 11, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, $19.99, ISBN 978-0-374-31202-2).

This adaptation of astronaut Collins’s autobiography, Carrying the Fire, first published in 1976, includes updated content and an introduction by astronaut Scott Kelly.

Dreamland: The True Tale of America's Opiate Epidemic

by Sam Quinones (July 16, Bloomsbury, $18.99, ISBN 978-1-5476-0131-8)

Quinones adapts the author’s adult book about the opiate crisis, with first-hand accounts of individuals affected by addiction.