A new school semester has started for most students, and the need for top-notch nonfiction is high. These intriguing and interesting new books will certainly help young learners in their quest for reference and biographical guides.

"A Really Short History of Nearly Everything" by Bill Bryson; Delacorte Press; 176 pages; $19.99.

Adapted for ages 9 to 12 from Bill Bryson's worldwide best-seller, "A Short History of Nearly Everything," this book is an amazingly informative must-have. As Bryson thoughtfully and succinctly guides readers from one amazing scientific discovery to another, his humor and adventurous storytelling skills add accessibility and break down complicated subjects. In fact, the full-color art throughout the book not only reinforces the text, but also adds funny visual dimension so kids aren't bogged down by scientific jargon.

The appealing book is also organized into six sections — "Lost in the Cosmos," "The Size of the Earth," "A New Age Dawns," "Dangerous Planet," "Life Itself" and "The Road to Us," each filled with two-page spreads on specific topics and glorified by timelines, maps, fossil photos and cartoons.

A spellbinding journey from the Big Bang to the rise of civilization, "A Really Short History of Nearly Everything" makes an invaluable classroom and home resource for children as well as adults.

"Q is for Quark: A Science Alphabet Book" by David M. Schwartz; pictures by Kim Doner; Tricycle Press; 64 pages; $9.99.

Are you science curious or science phobic? No matter what, this engaging paperback with humorous illustrations presents young readers with challenging information in a clever and accessible way. Beginning with "A is for Atom," "B is for Black Hole" and "C is for Clone," Schwartz's disarmingly entertaining guide is also full of cutting-edge research and surprisingly kid-friendly topics — jet-propelled squid, honey bee dances and why your big brother's sneakers can be worse than a dead skunk.

Extensively vetted by both educators and scientists, "Q is for Quark" joins Schwartz's popular math tome, "G is for Googol."

"The Word Snoop" by Ursula Dubosarsky; illustrated by Tohby Riddle; Dial Books for Young Readers; 246 pages; $16.99.

Meet the Word Snoop. She knows tons about the often witty and daring evolution of the English language, spilling it all in this engaging book. From the first alphabet in 4000 B.C. to anagrams, palindromes and even modern-day text messages, Dubosarsky's word snoop teaches all about the twists and turns of how our language came to be.

Much more fun than a staid textbook, "The Word Snoop" offers riddles to solve, codes to break and pun-filled, black-and-white illustrations to decipher. Truly fun, wild and quirky, this English language introduction is a must for every aspiring writer or reader.

"The Great and Only Barnum" by Candace Fleming; Schwartz & Wade Books; 151 pages; $18.99.

Circuses aren't what they used to be, but what they are is a highly entertaining part of history. This Junior Library Guild Selection is subtitled "The Tremendous, Stupendous Life of Showman P.T. Barnum," and it lives up to its vivid adjectives. Barnum, the founder of the Barnum & Bailey Circus, makes for one of the most amazing biographical subjects any kid could choose. Whether used as a research guide for a biographical report, or for simply perusing for its historical wonder, Fleming's coffee-table tome rocks.

Come one, come all to this larger-than-life biography of one of the most interestingly vivid people who ever lived. Plus, meet the Swiss bearded lady, miniature man Tom Thumb and his 32-inch tall bride, and witness costumed performers waving, lions yawning, elephants parading.

With old circus posters, photographs, etchings, ticket stubs and authentic playbills decorating the awe-inspiring pages, award-winning author Fleming presents history — a man as larger-than-life as the big top.

"The Boy Who Invented TV: The Story of Philo Farnsworth"; by Kathleen Krull; illustrated by Greg Couch; Alfred A. Knopf/Random House; 40 pages; $16.99.

Kathleen Krull, acclaimed children's biographer, introduces another fascinating icon that young scientists, historians and TV fans will cherish. A particularly child-centered biography, "The Boy Who Invented TV" should motivate youngsters, who'll learn that Philo Farnsworth was just 14 when he was inspired by parallel rows of potato crops and started to think of inventing the first TV.

Krull's conversational tone and vivid anecdotes make this picture-book biography highly accessible for children 5 years and up. I wouldn't be surprised if this amazing true story is played out on the big screen in the future.

To find out more about Lee Littlewood and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.