Behind the Books: Nonfiction Point of View, Part 2

Melissa
February 11, 2015

This week I’m
continuing my discussion of point of view in nonfiction writing. In
second-person point of view, the author engages his/her readers by addressing
them directly with liberal use of the word “you.”

When the author is
writing with an expository style, the voice is usually lively and
conversational. Examples include Bugged:
How Insects Changed the World by Sarah Albee, If You Hopped Like a Frog by David Schwartz and my book Animal Grossapedia. Here’s a sample:

Snot. Poop. Pee. We humans think these gross, gooey, stinky substances
are totally disgusting!

But here’s a surprise: Some animals have a very different view
of this yucky stuff. Burrowing owls collect poop. Desert tortoises use pee for
protection. And camels puke on one another when they’re mad. Yep, it’s true.

Want
to know more? Well, ur-ine luck!

When the author is writing with
a narrative style, his/her intent is to bring readers right into the middle of
the action. The voice is often energetic and descriptive. Examples include Journey
into the Deep by Rebecca L. Johnson, If You Decide to Go to the Moon by Faith McNulty, and Army Ant Parade by April Pulley Sayre. Here’s a sample:

If you awake in a tent

under a green canopy of trees

one morning in Panama,

and all you hear is your heartbeat

and a strange silence,

then you know they are coming.

While second-person point of view is
becoming increasingly popular in nonfiction for kids, most titles continue to
be written tried-and-true third person.

2 Responses

Mary Bowman-Kruhm says:

July 7, 2015 at 12:02 pm

Very nice post. Love the examples.
Melissa Stewart says:

July 7, 2015 at 12:04 pm

Thanks, Mary.

Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Behind the Books: Nonfiction Point of View, Part 2

2 Responses

Most Popular Posts

Wait, that’s Not Broccoli. It’s Chocolate Cake! Part 1

Resignation

Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone

We Need Diverse Nonfiction

The 5 Kinds of Nonfiction

Behind the Books: Does Story Appeal to Everyone?

Wait, that’s Not Broccoli. It’s Chocolate Cake! Part 2

Behind the Books: Nonfiction Writers Aren’t Robots

10 STEM Picture Books

Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Melissa Stewart

Nonfiction Authors Dig Deep by Deborah Heiligman

Is It Fiction or Nonfiction? A Twitterchat

Behind the Books: What Is the Heck Is Informational Fiction?

5 Kinds of Nonfiction, Book Lists

Steve Sheinkin Explains His Nonfiction Storyboarding Process

Topics