Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators

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Society of Children's Book Writers and
Illustrators

• KIDS CRAVE NONFICTION!
• Presented by Becky B. Nelson
• Library Media Specialist, Hearn Elementary,
  Frankfort, KY
• Adjunct Faculty, School of Library and
  Information Science, University of KY
• November 3, 2007

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What IS Nonfiction?

• Biography or Informational Literature
• Biography Factual information about the lives of
  actual peopletheir experiences, influences,
  accomplishments, legacies.
• Informational books give factual information
  about, or explain, any aspect of the biological,
  social, or physical world, including what is
  known of outer space.

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Childrens Biography

• Writing is more narrative than expository
• Adheres to the elements of fiction
• Benefits for children
• Find inspiration in stories of lives
  accomplishments of people, many of whom overcame
  hardships disabilities in early years to
  succeed make their marks on history.
• Learn history
• Recognize the importance of childhood
  experiences many biographies for children
  emphasize the early years of subjects lives.

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Types of Biography

• Adult biographies MUST be completely documented
  to be acceptable.
• Biographies for children allow more latitude and
  degrees of invention.
• From choosing what aspect of subject to
  emphasize to actually inventing fictional
  characters conversation

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• Authentic Biography all factual information
  documented
• Eyewitness accounts/letters, diaries, audio and
  videotape recordings
• For sake of artmay use interior monologue (what
  someone probably thought or said to himself based
  on known actions), indirect discourse (reporting
  gist of what someone said without )
  attribution (interpretation of known actions to
  determine probable motives), inference in order
  to make stories lively and appealing and worth
  childrens time to read. Be careful of bias. Ex.

• Authentic Biography all factual information
  documented
• Eyewitness accounts/letters, diaries, audio and
  videotape recordings
• For sake of artmay use interior monologue (what
  someone probably thought or said to himself based
  on known actions), indirect discourse (reporting
  gist of what someone said without )
  attribution (interpretation of known actions to
  determine probable motives), inference in order
  to make stories lively and appealing and worth
  childrens time to read. Be careful of bias. Ex.

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Evaluation Selection of Biography

• Interesting to children subjects
  lives/accomplishments should intersect with young
  readers lives interests.
• Facts should be accurateno idealization of
  subject. Ex
• Include diverse subjects female male, people
  of all ethnicities and abilities.
• Depth of coverage at appropriate level for
  intended audience. EX
• Documentation should be unobtrusive.

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Read Excerpt
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• Fictionalized Biography
• Based on careful research
• Dramatic episodes created from known facts by
  using imagined conversation. Ex.
• Biographical Fiction
• Much artistic license allowed including
• invented dialogue
• Fictional secondary characters
• Some reconstructed action
• Known achievements reported accurately otherwise
  works are as much fiction as fact.
• Avoidtrend is toward greater authenticity in
  childrens books. Ex.

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Biographical Coverage

• Seek a balance between the need for adequate
  coverage and the tolerance that the target child
  audience has for detail.
• Partial biography covers only part of the life of
  the subject Helpful for the very young

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• Complete biography covers the subject from birth
  to death

Johns Secret Dreams/Dorleen Rappaport Brian
Collier
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Information Books

• Written to inform or explain.
• Major benefits to children
• Satisfies their inborn curiosity to find out
  about the world
• Opens doors to information that can carry them
  far beyond the confines of schools textbooks

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Childrens Nonfiction

• Primary purpose is to inform (expository)
• Fictions primary purpose is to entertain
  (narrative)
• Faction
• has elements of both fiction and nonfiction
• Presents accurate factual information on an
  entertaining ribbon of fiction.
• Some countries recognize as a separate genre. NA
  treats it as nonfiction. EX

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Why Nonfiction Books Will Boom!

• Interesting Contradiction
• Though school public library records indicate
  that nonfiction makes up 50-85 of childrens
  circulation, research and state assessments show
  that children have trouble reading writing
  expository texts, partly because of a lack of
  classroom experience with nf in the early grades.
  
• Only through repeated experience with a specific
  genre can one learn how to read and write that
  genre.
• Research shows that students with experience
  reading magazines and nonfiction had higher
  average reading proficiencies that those who
  never read these types of materials. EX

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TotalNonfiction Including Biography33.46
Picture Books28.45
Novels22.62
Total Fiction51.02
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SO

• Schools are going to realize this and
• Select excellent works of nf to read aloud
• Suggest similar works to parents for at-home
  reading
• Promote nf as options in students self-choice
  reading (Mrs. Fuller ex.)
• Add nf to classroom libraries
• Add more nf to school and public libraries
• Use nf across the curriculum
• Publishers are now recognizing this too and
  publishing info books for ages 2 EX

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ALSO

• Boys reading text scores continue to lag behind
  those of girls
• Boys dont read literary fiction
• Boys enjoy nonfiction
• Amass expertise/collectors
• Be in charge of that knowledge whether its
  about all the dinosaurs in the world or every
  kind of truck that there is on the planet Jon
  Scieszka
• Boys DO read nonfiction, magazines, newspapers,
  computer manuals. Storytelling styles they prefer
  are humor, nonfiction, graphic novels. Scieszka

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Awards Recognize Nonfiction

• The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction
  for Children/National Council of Teachers of
  English/1990
• The Robert F. Siebert Informational Book Medal
  /ALSC/2001

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What Draws Kids to Informational Books?

• Purpose not just to present data but to stir a
  readers interest in the subject by
• A catchy title EX
• Colorful, clear illustrations/photographs EX
• Avoid condescension/anthropomorphism
• Be objective Avoid didacticism and propaganda

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TOUR OF THE GENRES
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Generalities bibliographies/library and
information science/news media/journalism/general
collections
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Philosophy Psychology small section
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Religion
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Social Sciences political science and
government/civil and political rights/military
science/education/commerce/transportation/customs
etc.
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Language
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Natural Sciences and Mathematics
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Technology (Applied Sciences)medical
sciences/diseases/ engineering/
cookbooks/pets/buildings
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The Arts (fine decorative)drawing,
recreational arts (sports)
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Geography and History
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Teachers Librarians Wish List

• Books that would help teach curriculum that puts
  it on the level of young children and interests
  them
• Government
• Economics
• Visit your states department of education
  website and check curriculum.
• Books about your state

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PLEASE Keep Those Nonfiction Books Coming!