Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Behind the Books: Even More About Nonfiction Structure

Okay, I admit it. I’m
obsessed with structure in nonfiction writing. I could talk about it all night
and all day. And sometimes I do.


The more I discuss
the topic with people like Alyson Beecher, Cathy Potter, Carrie Gelson, Mary
Ann Scheuer, Loree Burns, Deb Heiligman, and Sarah Albee, the more I learn and
the more my ideas and understanding evolve.


I think it’s
interesting that a huge majority of nonfiction books for kids have a sequence
structure. I used to focus on narrative nonfiction when I discussed sequence
structure, and to be sure, all narrative books (that I can think of, as least)
have that structure. I even went so far as to divide sequence structure into at
least 5 subcategories.



But recently I’ve
begun to notice more and more expository texts with a sequence structure, and
I’ve started to develop some subcategories. I plan to keep working on this during
my summer reading binge, but here’s what I have so far:
 

Chronological sequence structure, expository style

Bugged:
How Insects Changed History by Sarah Albee


Poop
Happened!: A History of the World from the Bottom Up by Sarah Albee


Why’d
They Wear That?: Fashion as the Mirror of History by Sarah Albee


Cumulative sequence structure, expository writing style

Here Is the Tropical Rain Forest by
Madeleine Dunphy


No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart


Older Than the Stars by Karen C. Fox


How-to sequence structure, expository writing style

Dessert
Designers: Creations You Can Make and Eat by Dana Meachen Rau


How
to Swallow a Pig by Steve Jenkins and Robin Page


The
Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes by Doug Stillinger


Roald
Dahl’s Revolting Recipes by Josie Fison and Felicity Dahl


Try
This! 50 Fun Experiments for the Mad Scientist in You by
Karen Romano Young


What do you think?

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