I also think that
because the “gatekeepers” have put so much focus on narrative books in recent
years, some of the other great nonfiction titles being published haven’t
received as much attention as they deserve. And I believe that does young
analytical thinkers a disservice.

Narrative nonfiction began
to pop up in adult books as early as the 1960s and 1970s. Some
people cite Truman Capote’s In Cold Blood
as the first book in which a narrative arc was sustained throughout an entire nonfiction
work.

The first evidence
I’ve found of narrative nonfiction in children’s books dates to the late 1990s.
The form slowly built steam during the 2000s, and in recent years, it’s been
all the rage.

What I like about the
new classification is that it names, and in so doing, legitimizes six other
kids of nonfiction books for kids. It shows us all that kids (and authors) have
lots of options. We should all explore those options and appreciate that they
exist.

I hope that authors like Candace Flemming and
Steve Sheinkin and Elizabeth Partridge continue to produce engaging true
narratives for young readers, but I’m really excited that this new system
recognizes other forms and invites readers and authors to branch out.