A Deep Dive into Nonfiction by Kim Haines
After reading school librarian Meredith Inkeles’s blog post about students writing book reviews for nonfiction books, fourth grade teacher Kim Haines was inspired to combine that lesson with a variety of other activities that I’ve share on this blog, on my website, and in 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Enriching Reading and Writing Instruction with Children’s Books […]
Rainforest Read Alouds + Combining Science with ELA
Many elementary classrooms do a unit about rain forests, and it’s a wonderful way to combine science and language arts. Here are five fantastic read alouds that look at the topic through a variety of lenses—fiction, nonfiction, and informational fiction; expository and narrative; biography and cumulative text. There’s something to engage every child. The Leaf […]
Teaching Teachers to Dig Deeply into Nonfiction by Mary Ann Cappiello
Courtesy of Lesley University Teaching thirty sections of Exploring Nonfiction in the Elementary and Middle School Classroom over the last fifteen years has changed my life, personally and professionally. It led me deep into the world of nonfiction books, into collaborations with authors, including Melissa, and a stint on NCTE’s Orbis Pictus Book Award Committee. Most […]
My 10-ish Favorite STEM Books of 2020
Today I’m finishing up my posts for 2020 with my annual list of favorite STEM books. This year’s list includes fifteen titles because I just couldn’t narrow it down to ten. It was a stellar year for nonfiction, and for STEM titles in particular. Six of the books appeared on from my #SibertSmackdown list a […]
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 grades 3-8 read the […]
Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep
There are SO many reasons, I love writing nonfiction for children. One of them is my colleagues. I’m so grateful to be part of such a vibrant, supportive community. Many people warned me that overseeing an anthology featuring fifty award-winning writers with busy schedules was an act of insanity. But despite their many priorities, my colleagues […]
Beyond the 5 Kinds of Nonfiction: Blended Books, Part 2
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. These titles feature a colorful, eye-catching design with such […]
AASL Handout: 5 Kinds of Nonfiction
Many school librarians have worked hard to add award-winning narrative nonfiction to their collections, but studies show that 42 percent of elementary students prefer expository nonfiction. This session breaks down the five categories of nonfiction children’s books (four of which have an expository writing style), offers tips for updating book collections, and provides strategies for […]
NSTA Handout: Cross Curricular Connections for Science Books
Everyone knows that books about how plants grow and how animals use their unique body features and behaviors to survive can enrich science lessons, but they can also be used lots of other ways. Today, I’m in St. Louis at the National Science Teachers Association’s annual conference, participating in an amazing event that was the […]
Creating Picture Book Biographies with Third Graders
I read lots of scientific papers as I do research for the children’s books I write. I also read plenty of journal articles written by academic educators as I strive to gain a deeper understanding of nonfiction craft. But rarely do I come across an article so extraordinary that I feel compelled to share […]