California Nonfiction

**Soon to be a major motion picture directed by James McAvoy** California Schemin' is the remarkable true story of how two rappers from Dundee duped the music industry out of hundreds of thousands of pounds. Gavin Bain and Billy Boyd – or Silibil N' Brains, as they became known – were two...

Zoom! A California sea lion makes a deep dive. Listen to learn all about these playful mammals.

After gold was discovered in California in 1848, thousands of people rushed there to strike it rich. They faced tough choices at every turn. Now the choices are yours. Would you rather use the slower method of panning for gold or use a more dangerous method of hydraulic mining? Would you rather run a store or a hotel in a California boomtown? It's your turn to pick this or that!

A 2026 FINALIST FOR THE LOS ANGELES TIMES BOOK PRIZE AND THE PEN/GALBRAITH AWARD FOR NONFICTION Five Days at Memorial meets Into the Raging Sea in this “vivid snapshot of a broken asylum system” (Kirkus Reviews)—the gripping true story of a devastating shipwreck during the biggest refugee...

Four starred reviews! A Kirkus Reviews Best YA Nonfiction of 2021 In this “riveting and indispensable” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) narrative history of Japanese Americans before, during, and after their World War II incarceration, Susan H. Kamei weaves together the voices of over 130...

In Lincoln and California Brian McGinty explains the relationship between Abraham Lincoln and the Golden State, describing important events that took place in California and elsewhere during Lincoln's lifetime. He includes the histories of Lincoln's close friends and personal acquaintances who made history as they went to California, lived there, and helped to keep it part of the imperiled Union.

This program features a bonus clip with archival recordings from several of the inmate firefighters and the author. A dramatic, revelatory account of the female inmate firefighters who battle California wildfires. Shawna was overcome by the claustrophobia, the heat, the smoke, the fire, all just...

What's so great about California? Find out the top 10 sites to see or things to do in the Golden State! Explore California's beaches, mountains, film studios, and colorful history. A special section provides quick state facts such as the state motto, capital, population, animals, foods, and more. Take a fun-filled tour of all there is to discover in California.