Thank You, Meg Medina and NCTE
In January, Newbery Medalist Meg Medina was named the 2023-2024 National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. Meg’s platform is ¡Cuéntame! Let’s Talk Books, and the amazing video she released on March 6 makes it clear that she’s deeply committed to making nonfiction part of the conversation. This is wonderful news! And what’s even better is that it’s the […]
2022: The Year of Extraordinary Expository
Back in 2014, I wrote this post, lamenting the fact that expository nonfiction—books that explain, describe, or inform in a clear accessible way—were the unsung underdogs of the children’s literature world. These books rarely received starred reviews or won awards because narrative nonfiction—books that tell a story or convey an experience—was generally considered superior. But […]
Adding a “Popular Nonfiction” Section to My Library by Amy Jent
Back in November, I did a week of school visits at the Highland Park ISD elementary schools in Dallas, Texas. As I perused their library collections, I spotted something I’d never seen before—a Popular Nonfiction section. Wow—what a great idea! It turns out this exciting, heavily-used section was the brainchild of Amy Jent, the school librarian […]
#KidsLoveNonfiction: An Update
Happy Valentine’s Day! It’s the perfect day to celebrate the people and things we love. It’s also the 1-year anniversary of the #KidsLoveNonfiction campaign—an effort to raise awareness of all the wonderful nonfiction books available today and to celebrate the children who love reading them. The campaign launched with a letter asking the New York Times […]
Children’s Fiction vs. Nonfiction Sales Figures
In November, I spoke at the For the Love of Reading conference in Midway, UT. I was excited by how enthusiastic attendees were about my keynote session “Creating Passionate Nonfiction Readers.” During the presentation, I saw many nodding heads in the audience. And afterward, educators and librarians shared amazing anecdotes about their own experiences with students […]
Narrative Nonfiction Is 100% Verifiable
During a recent discussion on social media, I realized that some educators seem to be confused about the meaning of the term “narrative nonfiction.” First and foremost, narrative nonfiction is meticulously researched and every single fact and idea is true. In other words, the information presented in the text is 100 percent verifiable. Period. The […]
Fiction or Nonfiction? What Kids Really Like to Read
On December 11, 2020, the article “Will My Grandkids Still Love Me If I Buy Them Nonfiction?” by Jay Mathews appeared in the Washington Post. Author Cynthia Levinson posted it on the NF Fest Facebook forum, sparking a lively discussion. When Cynthia returned to the conversation a few hours later, she wrote, “I posted this in the hopes that we could respond. Anyone […]
Nonfiction at the ALA Youth Media Awards
WowOhWowOhWowOhWow! 2020 was an incredible year for children’s nonfiction, and the winners of the ALA Youth Media Awards absolutely reflected that. There were so many wonderful titles, including some that stretched our thinking about what nonfiction is and what it might be come in the future. Of course, my favorite award is the Sibert, which is […]
Welcome to the 2020-2021 School Year
Social media. Some people love it. Some people hate it. And some people have mixed feelings. Sure, it can be a time suck, but it’s also a powerful tool for sharing ideas. I’ve learned so much from blog posts written by educators, Twitter conversations with teachers and librarians, and discussions within Facebook groups focused on […]
Expository vs. Narrative Nonfiction: Honeybees, Part 1
For several years now, I’ve been using this visual to summarize the basic difference between the two nonfiction writing styles—narrative and expository. During conference sessions and professional development workshops, I often read aloud two books about the same topic, but with different writing styles to help solidify the concept in my audience’s mind. Fourth grade teacher […]