Are they interested in reading biographies? If so, how about Karen Blumenthal's
Steve Jobs: The Man Who Thought Different (YALSA-ALA Excellence in YA Nonfiction Finalist)--I've read the adult biography of Jobs and found it fascinating--haven't read this YA bio yet.
Steve Sheinkin used to write history textbooks, but after seeing that all the "good" stories would often get edited out, he decided to write "history books" that include all those "good" stories! You might want to check those out too.
Enjoy,
~Val