I’ve gone from reading The Prairie Builders to Susan Campbell Bartoletti’s Hitler Youth, and I’m reminded of a theory that I’ve had for some time: that a person could become the most absorbing cocktail-party conversationalist on earth by reading nothing but children’s and youth nonfiction.

Seriously. There’s just that much good stuff out there, presented in brief, engaging packages. Is anyone up for a challenge à la The Know-It-All?