Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Behind the Books: Writing STEM Picture Books, Part 4

For the last few weeks, I’ve been discussing
the surprising amount of time it can take to write a STEM picture book. Staying
the course requires patience and passion. For me, passionate nonfiction starts
with a question. It also needs to have a personal connection and irresistible
hook. (Scroll down for a full discussion of these characteristics.)

 

When I stumble upon a topic that has all
three of these characteristics, it’s time to take out my writing toolbox and
get to work. What’s inside my toolbox? The six major elements of nonfiction
craft—categories, writing style, text structure, text format, voice, and point
of view.

 

I’ve discussed all of these elements before
on this blog, but the way I think about them is constantly evolving, so I’m going
to take a fresh look at each one with a specific STEM picture book lens in the
upcoming weeks.  

 

Today, I’m starting with category. All
nonfiction books for children can be classified in one of four categories.


But nearly all STEM picture books are either
life stories or concept books. 

Once you determine which category you are
writing, you can think about writing style. That’s what I’ll focus on next
week.

 

2 Responses

  1. This is such a helpful way of categorizing NF, Melissa! Your blog is my go-to source for all things NF!

    Love seeing Coyote Moon here among some of my very favorite books!! Thank you for including it :)!

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