Back in January, I wrote this brief post about the importance of the hook in an expository nonfiction
picture book. After reading that post, several people asked me to write about
his topic in more detail. Your wish is my command.
picture book. After reading that post, several people asked me to write about
his topic in more detail. Your wish is my command.
The hook is the spark that ignites the
reader’s curiosity and inspires them to keep reading. Shana Frazin, a staff
developer for Columbia University’s Teacher’s College Readers and Writers
Project, created a terrific anchor chart pointing out the specific craft moves
I used to build the hook in No Monkeys,
No Chocolate.
reader’s curiosity and inspires them to keep reading. Shana Frazin, a staff
developer for Columbia University’s Teacher’s College Readers and Writers
Project, created a terrific anchor chart pointing out the specific craft moves
I used to build the hook in No Monkeys,
No Chocolate.
I describe the evolution of the hook for Can an Aardvark Bark? and its interplay
with the book’s text structure in this interactive
timeline.
Sometimes the hook makes a complex concept or
process more relatable to young readers. It shows how the information in the
book connects to a child’s everyday life or experience in the world. Examples
include:
process more relatable to young readers. It shows how the information in the
book connects to a child’s everyday life or experience in the world. Examples
include:
Actual Size by Steve Jenkins
The Street Beneath My Feet
by
Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer
by
Charlotte Guillain and Yuval Zommer
Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sara Levine and T. S. Spookytooth
If You Hopped Like a Frog
by David M. Scwartz
by David M. Scwartz
No Monkeys, No Chocolate
by Melissa Stewart and Nicole Wong
by Melissa Stewart and Nicole Wong
Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs by Melissa Stewart and
Stephanie Laberis (coming in September)
Stephanie Laberis (coming in September)
What Do You Do with a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page
In other cases, the hook gives readers the
opportunity to think about a familiar topic from a unique perspective. It may
encourage them to question what they thought they knew. It may even lead them
to reconsider their view of how the world works and their place in it. Examples
include:
opportunity to think about a familiar topic from a unique perspective. It may
encourage them to question what they thought they knew. It may even lead them
to reconsider their view of how the world works and their place in it. Examples
include:
Feathers: Not Just for Flying
by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen
by Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen
Give Bees a Chance by Bethany Barton
A Hundred Billion Trillion Stars
by Seth Fischman and Isabel Greenberg
by Seth Fischman and Isabel Greenberg
If Sharks Disappeared by Lily Willams
A Leaf Can Be by Laurie Purdie
Salas and Violeta Dabija
Salas and Violeta Dabija
One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley
Pink Is for Blobfish: Discovering the World’s Perfectly Pink Animals by Jess Keating and David DeGrand
A Rock Is Lively by Dianna Aston
Hutts and Sylvia Long
Hutts and Sylvia Long
This Is How We Do It: One Day in the Lives of Seven Kids from around the World by Matt Lamothe
Weeds Find a Way by Cynthia
Jenson-Elliott and Carolyn Fisher
Jenson-Elliott and Carolyn Fisher
Finding just the right hook for an expository
nonfiction book takes time and patience and persistence. Seriously. Sometimes
it takes me years. The process
involves digging deep and thinking about a topic from many different angles.
And it requires the ability to see the world from a child’s point of view.
nonfiction book takes time and patience and persistence. Seriously. Sometimes
it takes me years. The process
involves digging deep and thinking about a topic from many different angles.
And it requires the ability to see the world from a child’s point of view.
In all likelihood, your search for a hook
will lead to one dead end after another, but it’s worth the effort. When you
finally stumble onto the perfect hook, all the pieces will suddenly fall into
place. You’ll know exactly what your manuscript needs to be and how to achieve your
vision. And the result will be a captivating book that only you could have
written.
will lead to one dead end after another, but it’s worth the effort. When you
finally stumble onto the perfect hook, all the pieces will suddenly fall into
place. You’ll know exactly what your manuscript needs to be and how to achieve your
vision. And the result will be a captivating book that only you could have
written.
Most Popular Posts
Resignation
37 Comments
Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone
34 Comments
We Need Diverse Nonfiction
31 Comments
The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
28 Comments
Behind the Books: Does Story Appeal to Everyone?
27 Comments
10 STEM Picture Books
25 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart
22 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Deborah Heiligman
19 Comments
Is It Fiction or Nonfiction? A Twitterchat
19 Comments
5 Kinds of Nonfiction, Book Lists
18 Comments
Topics
Most Popular Posts
Resignation
37 Comments
Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone
34 Comments
We Need Diverse Nonfiction
31 Comments
The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
28 Comments
Behind the Books: Does Story Appeal to Everyone?
27 Comments
10 STEM Picture Books
25 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart
22 Comments
Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Deborah Heiligman
19 Comments
Is It Fiction or Nonfiction? A Twitterchat
19 Comments
5 Kinds of Nonfiction, Book Lists
18 Comments
3 Responses
So true, Melissa! Looking forward to your new books!
I love this, Melissa–and thanks for including LEAF CAN BE…. I often struggle with finding/choosing the just-right hook, and trial-and-error is all part of the process. Off to share this with some other writers:>)
Hooks are like titles, so difficult to find the right one, but when you do, it resonates! Thanks for a terrific post!