Nonfiction Books

1. Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators KIDS CRAVE NONFICTION! Presented by Becky B. Nelson Library Media Specialist, Hearn Elementary, Frankfort, KY Adjunct Faculty, School of Library and Information Science, University of KY November 3, 2007

2. What IS Nonfiction? • Biography or Informational Literature • Biography: Factual information about the lives of actual people—their experiences, influences, accomplishments, & legacies. • Informational books give factual information about, or explain, any aspect of the biological, social, or physical world, including what is known of outer space.

3. Children’s Biography • Writing is more narrative than expository; Adheres to the elements of fiction • Benefits for children: • Find inspiration in stories of lives & accomplishments of people, many of whom overcame hardships & disabilities in early years to succeed & make their marks on history. • Learn history • Recognize the importance of childhood experiences; many biographies for children emphasize the early years of subjects’ lives.

4. Types of Biography • Adult biographies MUST be completely documented to be acceptable. • Biographies for children allow more latitude and degrees of invention. • From choosing what aspect of subject to emphasize to actually inventing fictional characters & conversation

5. Authentic Biography: all factual information documented • Eyewitness accounts/letters, diaries, audio and videotape recordings • For sake of art…may use interior monologue (what someone probably thought or said to himself based on known actions), indirect discourse (reporting gist of what someone said without “”); attribution (interpretation of known actions to determine probable motives), & inference in order to make stories lively and appealing and worth children’s time to read. Be careful of bias. Ex. • Authentic Biography: all factual information documented • Eyewitness accounts/letters, diaries, audio and videotape recordings • For sake of art…may use interior monologue (what someone probably thought or said to himself based on known actions), indirect discourse (reporting gist of what someone said without “”); attribution (interpretation of known actions to determine probable motives), & inference in order to make stories lively and appealing and worth children’s time to read. Be careful of bias. Ex.

6. Evaluation & Selection of Biography • Interesting to children; subjects’ lives/accomplishments should intersect with young readers’ lives & interests. • Facts should be accurate—no idealization of subject. Ex: • Include diverse subjects: female & male, people of all ethnicities and abilities. • Depth of coverage at appropriate level for intended audience. EX: • Documentation should be unobtrusive.

7. Fictionalized Biography • Based on careful research • Dramatic episodes created from known facts by using imagined conversation. Ex. • Biographical Fiction • Much artistic license allowed including • invented dialogue • Fictional secondary characters • Some reconstructed action • Known achievements reported accurately; otherwise works are as much fiction as fact. • Avoid…trend is toward greater authenticity in children’s books. Ex.

8. Biographical Coverage • Seek a balance between the need for adequate coverage and the tolerance that the target child audience has for detail. • Partial biography covers only part of the life of the subject: Helpful for the very young

9. Complete biography covers the subject from birth to death: John’s Secret Dreams/Dorleen Rappaport; Brian Collier

10. Information Books • Written to inform or explain. • Major benefits to children • Satisfies their inborn curiosity to find out about the world • Opens doors to information that can carry them far beyond the confines of schools & textbooks

11. Children’s Nonfiction • Primary purpose is to inform (expository) • Fiction’s primary purpose is to entertain (narrative) • Faction: • has elements of both fiction and nonfiction • Presents accurate factual information on an entertaining ribbon of fiction. • Some countries recognize as a separate genre. NA treats it as nonfiction. EX

12. Why Nonfiction Books Will Boom! • Interesting Contradiction • Though school & public library records indicate that nonfiction makes up 50-85% of children’s circulation, research and state assessments show that children have trouble reading & writing expository texts, partly because of a lack of classroom experience with nf in the early grades. • Only through repeated experience with a specific genre can one learn how to read and write that genre. • Research shows that students with experience reading magazines and nonfiction had higher average reading proficiencies that those who never read these types of materials. EX

13. TotalNonfiction Including Biography33.46% Picture Books28.45% Novels22.62% Total Fiction51.02%

14. SO… • Schools are going to realize this and • Select excellent works of nf to read aloud • Suggest similar works to parents for at-home reading • Promote nf as options in students’ self-choice reading (Mrs. Fuller ex.) • Add nf to classroom libraries • Add more nf to school and public libraries • Use nf across the curriculum • Publishers are now recognizing this too and publishing info books for ages 2+ EX

15. ALSO… • Boys reading text scores continue to lag behind those of girls • Boys don’t read literary fiction • Boys enjoy nonfiction • Amass expertise/collectors • “Be in charge of that knowledge whether it’s about all the dinosaurs in the world or every kind of truck that there is on the planet”… Jon Scieszka • Boys DO read: nonfiction, magazines, newspapers, computer manuals. Storytelling styles they prefer are humor, nonfiction, graphic novels. … Scieszka

16. Awards Recognize Nonfiction • The Orbis PictusAward for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children/National Council of Teachers of English/1990 • The Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Medal /ALSC/2001

17. What Draws Kids to Informational Books? • Purpose: not just to present data but to stir a reader’s interest in the subject by • A catchy title EX • Colorful, clear illustrations/photographs EX • Avoid condescension/anthropomorphism • Be objective; Avoid didacticism and propaganda

18. TOUR OF THE GENRES

19. Generalities: bibliographies/library and information science/news media/journalism/general collections

20. Philosophy & Psychology: small section

21. Religion

22. Social Sciences: political science and government/civil and political rights/military science/education/commerce/transportation/customs etc.

23. Language

24. Natural Sciences and Mathematics:

25. Technology (Applied Sciences):medical sciences/diseases/ engineering/ cookbooks/pets/buildings

26. The Arts (fine & decorative):drawing, recreational arts (sports)

27. Geography and History

28. Teachers’ & Librarians’ Wish List • Books that would help teach curriculum that puts it on the level of young children and interests them • Government • Economics • Visit your state’s department of education website and check curriculum. • Books about your state

29. PLEASE Keep Those Nonfiction Books Coming!