Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

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 writer has gone to tremendous lengths
to document everything. Nothing is intentionally invented or made up in an effort to create a “better” reading experience.

This strict adherence to the facts is
what makes writing narrative nonfiction so challenging. It would be so much
easier if the writer could sprinkle in a little bit of invented dialog to reinforce a point
or present scenes out of chronological order to improve the storytelling. But then
the writing would be fiction.

Many people call books that are largely
based on documented
research but contain some made up parts “informational fiction.” This category
also includes books in which
a real historical figure seems to tell their own story and books with a made-up
character (either a person or an inanimate object) who acts as a narrator.

So what makes narrative nonfiction
different from other true texts (aka expository nonfiction)? How the
information is presented.


Narrative nonfiction tells a story or
conveys an experience, whereas expository nonfiction explains, describes, or informs
in a clear,
accessible fashion.

Narrative nonfiction
includes
real characters and settings; narrative scenes; and, ideally, a narrative arc
with rising tension, a climax, and a resolution. The scenes, which give readers an intimate look at the world and
people being described, are linked by expository bridges that provide
necessary background while speeding through parts of the true story that don’t
require close inspection.

The
art of crafting narrative nonfiction lies in pacing, which means choosing just
the right scenes to flesh out. Narrative nonfiction typically features a
chronological sequence text structure and finely-crafted language. It’s ideally
suited for biographies and books that recount historical events.
It may also be used in books about processes, such as natural cycles or how scientists carry out investigations.

The
main features of narrative nonfiction include:

—Meticulously researched and 100% verifiable
—Tells a story or conveys an experience
—Real characters, scenes, dialog, narrative arc
—Finely-crafted text with rich, engaging language
—Chronological sequence text structure

Here are ten narrative nonfiction picture books
that I admire. They’re perfect for read alouds and book talks as well as content-area
instruction.

Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip
Freelon by Kelly Starling Lyons and Laura Freeman

Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life: Hollywood
Legend and Brilliant Inventor by Laurie Wallmark and Katy Wu

Joan Procter, Reptile
Doctor:
The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez and
Felicita Sala

Honeybee: The Busy Life of Apis mellifera by Candace Fleming and  Eric Rohmann

Little
Libraries, Big Heroes by Miranda Paul and John Parr


Paper Son: The Inspiring Story of Tyrus Wong, Immigrant and Artist by Julie Leung and Chris Sasaki 

Planting
Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré by Anika Aldamuy Denise
and Paola Escobar

Stretch to the Sun: From a Tiny Sprout to
the Tallest Tree on Earth by Carrie A. Pearson and
Susan Swan

Unspeakable:
The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper

William Still and His Freedom Stories: The
Father of the Underground Railroad by Don Tate

7 Responses

  4. These are a great start on my goal to read more Narrative NF this summer. Thank you for this list and I'll check out your read alouds also. I so appreciate your work here.

  5. Melissa, thank you for your never-ending messages to help keep terminology straight. More importantly, thank you for your contributions to the shelves.

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