My 10-ish Favorite STEM Books of 2019

Today I’m finishing up my posts for 2019 with my annual list of favorite STEM books. This year’s list includes two titles from my #SibertSmackdown list: Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallwark, illustrated by Katy Wu Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature by Marcie Flinchum Atkins And ten additional […]

It’s Time for the Sibert Smackdown!

The Sibert Smackdown is an activity intended to build enthusiasm for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, which is given each year as part of the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards. It focuses on picture books because they are more manageable to read in a school setting. Here’s how it works. Students in […]

Question and Answer Text Structure

Since 2019 marks the 10th Anniversary of this blog, on Fridays this year, I’m resurrecting and updating old posts that sparked a lot of conversation or that I think still have a lot to offer people teaching or writing nonfiction. Today’s essay is an update of a post that originally appeared on June 1, 2016. […]

List Books as a Text Structure

Most state ELA state standards currently emphasize five major nonfiction text structures— description, sequence, compare & contrast, problem-solutions, and cause and effect. But the truth is that’s just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to text structure. Some books include a one-of-a-kind text structure that perfectly reflects its concept and content. One of […]

Nonfiction Evolution: The New Survey Book

Once upon a time, all nonfiction books for children were survey (all about) books that provide a general introduction of a broad topic, such as gorillas or galaxies or weather. These books, which are often published in large series, feature concise, straightforward language. They have a description text structure and an expository writing style. Because […]

NF 10 x 10: In the Ocean

I created this post as part of the annual Nonfiction Picture Book 10 for 10 (#nf10for10) event started by Cathy Mere (@CathyMere) and Mandy Robek (@mandyrobeck) in 2013. In honor of my upcoming book Seashells: More than a Home, I’m featuring ten ocean-themed nonfiction titles. Coral Reef by Jason Chin Giant Squid by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric […]

Best Nonfiction of 2018 Roundup

Next Monday is a big day in children’s literature. The winners of the American Library Association’s Youth Media Awards will be announced. So today seems like a good time to look back at some of the highly-regarded titles published last year. There’s no doubt about it. 2018 was a phenomenal year for nonfiction, and it […]

My 17 Favorite STEM Books of 2018

Last year, around this time, I decided to post my 10 favorite STEM books of the year. But guess what . . . I ended up with twelve. I just couldn’t narrow it down. This year, I promised I’d be stricter with myself. But, once again, it was so, so hard. What’s the solution? I’m […]

20 Great Expository Nonfiction Read Alouds

The following list includes some of my favorite expository nonfiction titles that are perfect for sharing in 10 minutes or less. Actual Size by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2011) Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sara Levine and T.S. Spookytooth (Millbrook Press, 2013) Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by […]

Sibert Smackdown 2018/2019

The Sibert Smackdown is an activity intended to build enthusiasm for the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal, which is given each year as part of the American Library Association’s annual Youth Media Awards. It focuses on picture books because they are more manageable to read in a school setting. Here’s how it works. Students in […]