Like many expository literature titles, Mega-Predators of the Past has a strong, distinct voice.
What exactly is voice in nonfiction writing?
According to highly-regarded
literacy educator Ruth Culham, voice is the personality of the writing, it’s
how the writing makes the reader feel. I like to think of nonfiction voice as
spanning a continuum from lively to lyrical, with many different choices in
between.
I’d describe the voice of Mega-Predators
of the Past as lively, playful, and conversational. As this sample shows, I’ve used direct address, sprinkled the
text with questions, and I’m pretty sure it’s the only time I’ve ever used
“heck” in a book. 😊
Compare the voice in this book to the voice of the spread below from the
book Tree Hole Homes. I’d describe it as soft, soothing, and lyrical. It
also employs direct address and it includes a question, but it feels very
different. Ask students to look at the text characteristics that are responsible for this
difference.
A great question to ask your class as you share these spreads and others in
each book is: Does the voice of the text match the
style of the illustrations? Then encourage students to provide examples to explain
their rationale.
After the Holiday Break, I’ll be talking about rich language. Stay tuned.
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2 Responses
Inspirational as usual. My NF historical/contemporary biographical novel in letters keeps whispering to me to pick up the WIP that's sitting in a box. Your post gives me some great ideas. Thank you!
very helpful especially becuase I"ve been told I have two different voices styles in the same manuscript!