jessica williams, alyse cortez. a feature of nonfiction books that has changed in recent years is...
TRANSCRIPT
Jessica Williams, Alyse Cortez
Nonfiction Books
There are more nonfiction books out there today than in the past Nonfiction is now getting as much, if not more, attention as picture books There is a new focus on the preschool and early primary audience for
nonfiction Captions on images and a simple index at the end of each book introduce even
the youngest children to the typical style and format of nonfiction writing
New WORLDS and new interests lie waiting for children between the covers of nonfiction books
Nonfiction books also offer children new perspectives on familiar topics
Nonfiction
A feature of nonfiction books that has changed in recent years is the increased reliance on visuals, especially photography
Technological improvements in making and reproducing pictures have made it possible to satisfy the demand for color, close-ups, and novel perspectives
Focus on the Visual
A related trend in nonfiction books today is enthusiasm for unconventional approaches, including experimental formats and combinations of fact and fiction
Unconventional Formats and Approaches
More nonfiction books have been published about highly specialized topics. There have always been specialized books, but today more and more books reflect very specific interests
Specialized Topics
In 1990 the National Council of Teachers of English established the Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
In 2000 the Association of Library Services to Children established the Robert F. Silbert Informational Book Award. This award is meant to honor an author whose work of nonfiction has made a significant contribution to the field of children’s literature in a given year
The Boston Globe-Horn Book Awards have included a nonfiction category for many years
Recognition and Awards
Accuracy and Authenticity Author’s Qualifications- nonfiction books are written by people who are
authorities in their fields or they are written by writers who study a subject, interview specialists, and compile the data
Factual Accuracy- science books are more likely to be challenged by experts than are those about history or other topics in the humanities
Up-to-Dateness- books that focus on the past are less likely to be rapidly outdated, although new discoveries in archaeology or new theories in history and anthropology call for a reevaluation of these materials also. It is also difficult, but important, to provide children with current information about other countries where national governments are emerging or where future political developments are uncertain
Inclusion of all the significant facts- a book cannot be totally accurate if it omits significant facts
Human reproduction and sexuality have so often been distorted by omissions that books with accurate terminology and explicit information are particularly welcome
Criteria for Evaluating Nonfiction Books
Changing You! By Dr. Gail Saltz
Accuracy and Authenticity cont. Avoidance of Stereotypes- one very common sort of
stereotyping is by omission. If we never see women or minorities in science books, for instance, we are left with the incorrect impression that all scientists must be white males
Use of facts to support generalizations- To be distinguished from stereotype or simple opinion, a proper generalization needs facts for support
Distinction between fact and theory- Careful writers like these make careful distinctions between fact and theory; but even so, children need guidance in learning to recognize the difference
Avoidance of Anthropomorphism- this is assigning human feelings and behavior to animals, plants, or inanimate objects
Evaluating Nonfiction Books
Content Perspective Purpose- identifying the scope of the book lets one know
what they can reasonably expect Intended Audience- vocabulary, sentence length, size of
type, and the book’s organization are factors to be considered
Adequacy of Coverage- authors who fail to acknowledge more than one viewpoint or theory fail to help children learn to examine issues
Demonstration of the Scientific Method- because we are concerned about how well as what children learn, it is important to note what kind of thinking a book encourages, as well as the body of facts it presents
Interrelationships and implications- nonfiction books should be expected to put facts into some sort of perspective
Evaluating Nonfiction Books
Style Clarity and Directness- the use of precise language and
specific detail is one important factor Level of Difficulty- books for primary-grade children
need not be restricted to a narrow list of words. In some cases, authors provide pronunciation guides in parentheses for daunting words
Reader Involvement- authors use many different techniques to engage their readers’ attention and help them stay involved with a book’s subject matter
Vividness of Language- the writer of nonfiction books uses the same techniques as the writer of fiction to bring a book to life, although the words must be accurate as well as attractive
Evaluating Nonfiction Books
OrganizationStructure- every author must choose a
structure, or organizing principle, as a basis for presenting facts, such as, question-and-answer, chronological, or survey
Reference Aids- with the exception of certain simple and special types, factual books should offer help at both front and back for the reader who needs to locate information quicklyOther helpful additions to a book are glossaries,
bibliographies, suggestions for further reading, and non-fiction appendixes. Picture glossaries are on the increase with the growing number of nonfiction picturebooks
Evaluating Nonfiction Books
Illustrations and Format Clarifications and Extension of text- the more abstract the topic, the
more important it is that pictures help children “see” explanations Paul Facklam’s illustrations for Margery Facklam’s The Big Bug
Book show the actual size of really big bugs and then place them with familiar objects to help children visualize just how large they really are
Suitability of Media-both illustrations and photographs can be clear and accurate, but one medium might be more suitable than another for a given purpose. Photography has become more popular because they help establish credibility for real-life stories
Captions- children need to be able to look at an illustration and know what they are seeing, and that requires a wide use of captions and labels
Format- the total look of a book is its format, involving type size, leading, margins, placement of text and pictures, and arrangement of front and back matter- these include title and copyright pages in the front and indexes, bibliographies, and other aids at the back
Evaluating Nonfiction Books
Concept Books Concept books explore the characteristics of a class of objects
or of an abstract idea. Most of the nonfiction books intended for very young children
are of this type. Typically they cover such concepts as size, color, shape, spatial
relationships, self, and family For school-age children, concept books begin with what is
already familiar and move toward the unfamiliar, some by showing new ways to consider well-known materials, others by furnishing new and different examples or perspectives
Types of Nonfiction Books
Peter Spier’s PeopleThis book celebrates the possibilities for variation among the several billion human beings who live on Earth.
Nonfiction PicturebooksMore and more nonfiction books are lavishly
illustrated or published in picturebook format
Types of Nonfiction Books
Pale Male, written by Janet Schulman and illustrated by Mielo So, is a story of a community effort to allow red-tailed hawks to build their nests on top of Fifth Avenue buildings
Photographic Essays With the increased use of photography in children’s books
today, the photo essay is an increasingly popular form A sensitive and vital photo essay can contribute to
children’s appreciation of cultural and religious diversity
Types of Nonfiction Books
George Ancona
This book illuminates Latino life and traditions
Identification BooksIdentification books is a naming book, and this
may well be the first sort of book that a very young child sees.
Types of Nonfiction Books
by Gail
GibbonsIn this book Gail shows
simple drawings of
common tools in bright
colors, with appropriate
labels.
Life-Cycle BooksThere is always an audience for factual books
that describe how animals live, with an emphasis on the inherent story element
Types of Nonfiction Books
by Laurence Pringle
Experiment and Activity BooksExperiment books take the activities
themselves as contentMany experiment books for older children also
focus on one subject or one material
Types of Nonfiction Books
by Joe Rhatigan
Documents and Journals An important contribution to literature for children in recent years
has been the publication of books based on sketchbooks, journals, and original documents
The authors use primary sources, period photographs, and reproductions of lists and documentsMy Season with Penguins: An Antarctic Journal by Sophie Webb
focuses on her stays in these remote areas, and her first-person narratives are illustrated with her paintings, sketches, and hand-written notes
Types of Nonfiction Books
Survey Books The purpose of a survey book is to give an overall view
of a substantial topic and to furnish a representative sampling of facts, principles, or issues
Such a book emphasizes balance and breadth of coverage, rather than depth
Historical surveys today are more likely to adopt a particular perspective, an “angle” on history that makes wide-ranging content more manageable
Types of Nonfiction Books
Specialized Books Specialized books are designed to give specific information
about a relatively limited topic These books satisfy particular interests: they are more
likely to be used intensively than extensively, on a one-time bases rather than as a frequent reference
Many specialized books extend content areas that are frequently part of the elementary social studies curriculum
Types of Nonfiction Books
By James Giblin
Craft and How-To Books Craft and activity books give directions for making and
doing Directions are usually clearer if appropriately illustrated The Children’s Book of Yoga by Thia Luby provides clear
photographs demonstrating various yoga positions and includes pictures of animals, plants, and objects that children can imitate in their poses
Types of Nonfiction Books
by Maxine Anderson
This book provides directions for 19 inventions including walk on water shoes.