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Re: Notable Non-Fiction
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From: Chelsea Couillard <couillac_at_gmail.com>
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:59:36 -0500
The nonfiction question comes up a lot in the public library where I work. Parents are often surprised to discover our nonfiction section since their children's assignments most often require fiction books. It never really occurs to them to look elsewhere, and often when a parent tells me that their child doesn't really like reading, nonfiction is the first place I go. Since I started working in public libraries, I've been pleasantly surprised to see how much nonfiction still circulates, whether it's craft books, cook books, animal books, or biographies.
I often come back to something that one of the presenters at last year's Northwoods Children's Book Conference shared. In a discussion about nonfiction, she pointed out that something like 75% of adult reading (maybe even more, I can't recall) is nonfiction reading - contracts, news updates, directions, work emails, etc. But most of the reading that our kids do in school is fiction reading, and there really is a difference between the two. As an English major, I'm a huge proponent of fiction, but I think it's important to teach our kids how to read nonfiction as well. And it does seem, like others have pointed out, that the nonfiction reading that goes on in school is textbook-based and geared solely towards pulling information out for reports or tests. The emphasis is mainly on the content. It would be great to see more English classes reading nonfiction in the same way that they read fiction (by focusing on things like language and perspective rather than just facts). I'm sure that there are teachers out t here who are already doing this, so kudos to them!
-Chelsea Couillard Youth Services Librarian Baraboo Public Library
Received on Mon 11 Oct 2010 11:59:36 AM CDT
Date: Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:59:36 -0500
The nonfiction question comes up a lot in the public library where I work. Parents are often surprised to discover our nonfiction section since their children's assignments most often require fiction books. It never really occurs to them to look elsewhere, and often when a parent tells me that their child doesn't really like reading, nonfiction is the first place I go. Since I started working in public libraries, I've been pleasantly surprised to see how much nonfiction still circulates, whether it's craft books, cook books, animal books, or biographies.
I often come back to something that one of the presenters at last year's Northwoods Children's Book Conference shared. In a discussion about nonfiction, she pointed out that something like 75% of adult reading (maybe even more, I can't recall) is nonfiction reading - contracts, news updates, directions, work emails, etc. But most of the reading that our kids do in school is fiction reading, and there really is a difference between the two. As an English major, I'm a huge proponent of fiction, but I think it's important to teach our kids how to read nonfiction as well. And it does seem, like others have pointed out, that the nonfiction reading that goes on in school is textbook-based and geared solely towards pulling information out for reports or tests. The emphasis is mainly on the content. It would be great to see more English classes reading nonfiction in the same way that they read fiction (by focusing on things like language and perspective rather than just facts). I'm sure that there are teachers out t here who are already doing this, so kudos to them!
-Chelsea Couillard Youth Services Librarian Baraboo Public Library
Received on Mon 11 Oct 2010 11:59:36 AM CDT
