Celebrate Nonfiction

Exploring the Joy of Nonfiction Reading and Writing

Seven Categories for Classifying Nonfiction: Sample Books

Update June 24, 2024: My thinking about nonfiction classification has evolved since I wrote this post, but I’ve decided not to delete it because there’s value in looking back at my past ideas. For my current thinking, please see the book 5 Kinds of Nonfiction as well as information on my website.


Data (Fast Facts) 
Eyewitness
Books
Q and A Books


Animal Grossapedia by Melissa Stewart                     

The Guinness Book of World
Records                                     


The Truth About
Poop
by Susan E. Goodman (illus. Elwood H. Smith)


Expository (Facts
Plus)         

Most books by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page   

National Geographic Readers

A Black Hole
Is Not a Hole
by Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano

What
to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious
Kids)
by Bridget
Heos

The Zombie
Makers
by Rebecca
L. Johnson

Narrative

Many biographies
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin

Red-eyed
Tree Frog

by Joy Cowley

Vulture
View
by
April Pulley Sayre (illus Steve Jenkins)

Waiting
for Ice
by
Sandra Markle

Disciplinary
Thinking (Experts at Work)

Scientists in the Field series

The Skull in
the Rock

by Lee Berger and Mark Aronson

Inquiry (Ask
and Answer)

Most books by Peter Lourie

If Stones Could
Speak
by
Marc Aronson and Mike Parker
What Bluebirds Do by Pamela F. Kirby

Written in Bone by Sally M. Walker

Interpretation
(Point of View)

Charles and
Emma: The Darwins’ Leap of Faith
by Deborah Heiligman

An Egg Is
Quiet
by Diana Hutts Aston (illus. Sylvia Long)

Those Rebels, John & Tom by Barbara
Kerley
(illus.
Edwin Fotheringham)

Action

Citizen
Scientists

by Loree Griffin Burns

Experiments
You Can Eat

by Vicki Cobb

I Face the
Wind
by
Vicki Cobb

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