Last week, I began a close-up look at blended books—titles that feature
characteristics of two or more categories in the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
classification system.
This week I’m continuing that discussion by focusing on books that blur
the line between browsable nonfiction and expository literature.
feature a colorful, eye-catching design with such text features as layered
text, sidebars and factoids, photos and captions, and bulleted lists. In
addition, each spread functions as a discrete unit, making it easy to skip
around (broweseable). But instead of providing a broad overview of a topic, these
books are narrowly focused. They have a strong hook and delight readers with
rich language and a strong voice (expository literature).
World of Weird Animals series, which includes the uber-popular title Pink Is
for Blobfish. Another book that walks the line between browsable and
expository literature is my upcoming title Ick! Delightfully Disgusting
Animal Dinners, Dwelling, and Defenses.
range of disgusting foods black-backed jackals eat on a daily basis:
That Love Puke
jackals aren’t picky eaters. They’ll attack anything from rats and snakes to
birds and insects. They’ll devour fruit, too.
anything go to waste. They’re happy to eat the meat lions, leopards, and other
predators leave behind—even if it’s swarming with maggots and has been rotting
for days.
eat another bite, she hurries back to her den. As soon as she sees her hungry
pups, she regurgitates, or throws up, her last meal as partially digested mush.
Then the little ones greedily lap up the putrid puke. Yum!”’
As I was
writing this passage, I worked hard to make the text lively by using strong
verbs, alliteration, playful word choices, onomatopoeia, and a lighthearted, casual
voice. These elements enrich the language, making it fun to read.
For more information about this kind of blended nonfiction, be on the look out for 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing with Children’s Books, coming in 2021 from Stenhouse Publishing. Next week, I’ll highlight books with characteristics
of both narrative nonfiction and expository literature. Stay tuned.
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2 Responses
Looking forward to reading your book, Melissa. Is it releasing in September?
Due to pandemic-related delays, the pub date is up in the air right now. But it's coming . . .