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RE: ccbc-net digest: March 02, 2012
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From: David Harrison <davidlharrison1_at_att.net>
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2012 06:53:23 -0600
When I talk to elementary students about nonfiction writing, I emphasize that most good nonfiction tells a story; it has a beginning, middle, ending. Part of the job is to decide what NOT to tell as well as what to tell. Nonfiction writing is not merely a laundry list of facts. The writer's responsibility is to discover the arc of the narrative so that it will hold the reader's interest and stimulate him/her to pursue the subject further. When I was researching for Caves, I found my beginning in a brochure about how a cow helped discover Howe Caverns in New York State. When I was researching for Mountains, I read so much about glaciers that I eventually wrote Glaciers. While researching for that book, I read so much about early migrants to this continent that I eventually wrote Mammoth Bones and Broken Stones. That's what good nonfiction should do for young readers: create the yearn to learn more.
David Harrison
http://www.davidlharrison.wordpress.com
Message-----
From: CCBC-Net digest
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:05 AM To: ccbc-net digest recipients Subject: ccbc-net digest: March 02, 2012
CCBC-NET Digest for Friday, March 02, 2012.
1. March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
2. Re: beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
3. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
4. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
5. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
6. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
7. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
8. RE: Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
9. RE: Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
10. Fwd: K and L
11. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
From: Megan Schliesman
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:22:55 -0600
X-Message-Number: 1
****
During the month of March on CCBC-Net, we're having a two-part
discussion on non-fiction: It's Not just the Facts.
First Part of Month: Non-Fiction for Younger Readers: When it comes to=2 0
great non-fiction for children and teens, accurate information alone
isn't enough. We've think the best books incorporate everything from
terrific organization and compelling visual matter to a narrative that's
hard to put down. But in the case of books for younger readers there is=2 0
also another key question: how do you make a person or place or event
that readers have most often never heard of relevant and engaging?
During the first part of March, we'll look at creative approaches to
non-fiction in picture books.
** Second Part of Month: Books for Older Readers: We'll continue our
discussion of non-fiction by contemplating what makes a terrific
non-fiction book for older children and teens. Once again, we believe it
goes beyond the facts to the feat of presenting well-researched
information in a manner that is coherent, compelling, and creative.
Share your favorite non-fiction books for older children and teens, and=2 0
your reasons why you think they succeed, during the second half of March.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
From: bookmarch_at_aol.com
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:39:24 -0500 (EST)
X-Message-Number: 2
Terrific subject. And you are right, there is nothing more difficult than balancing context and flow in all nonfiction for younger readers, of any age. This is especially so because we have, I hope, passed beyond the age of the sidebar -- when the default solution to this problem was a thin retangle printed on top of some colored background. But I would suggest that we also add another element to our consideration -- not just organization, visuals, narrative, and context: inquiry. That is, the challenge of nonfiction is no longer simply to present what we know to readers in an engaging fashion. We are now also attempting to spark them to begin their own research, their own questioning which may well lead them to challenge or question anything we have to say. In a sense inquiry is the answer to context -- because once we inspire a young reader to want to know more, then our book does not have to claim to say everything. It just has to say enough to get him or her into the game. For anyone who wants to read mo re about inquiry and NF in the elementary grades I recommend Myra Zarnowski and Susan Terkel, "Nonfiction that Highlights Inquiry," Journal of Children's Literature v. 36, # 1
and of course last year's Horn Book special issue on Nonfiction.
Marc Aronson
Message-----
From: Megan Schliesman
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Sent: Fri, Mar 2, 2012 10:25 am
Subject:
March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
During the month of March on CCBC-Net, we're having a two-part discussion on non-fiction: It's Not just the Facts.
First Part of Month: Non-Fiction for Younger Readers: When it comes to great non-fiction for children and teens, accurate information alone isn’t enough. WeГўв‚ ¬в„ўve think the best books incorporate everything from terrific organization and compelling visual matter to a narrative thatâ€⠄ўs hard to put down. But in the case of books for younger readers there is also another key question: how do you make a person or place or event that readers have most often never heard of relevant and engaging? During the first part of March, we’l l look at creative approaches to non-fiction in picture books.
Second Part of Month: Books for Older Readers: We’ll continue our discussion of non -fiction by contemplating what makes a terrific non-fiction book for older children and teens. Once again, we believe it goes beyond the facts to the feat of presenting well-researched information in a manner that is coherent, compelling, and creative. Share your favorite non-fiction books for older children and teens, and your reasons why you think they succeed, during the second half of March.
Megan
egan Schliesman, Librarian
ooperative Children's Book Center
chool of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
00 N. Park Street, Room 4290
adison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
chliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
Date: Sat, 03 Mar 2012 06:53:23 -0600
When I talk to elementary students about nonfiction writing, I emphasize that most good nonfiction tells a story; it has a beginning, middle, ending. Part of the job is to decide what NOT to tell as well as what to tell. Nonfiction writing is not merely a laundry list of facts. The writer's responsibility is to discover the arc of the narrative so that it will hold the reader's interest and stimulate him/her to pursue the subject further. When I was researching for Caves, I found my beginning in a brochure about how a cow helped discover Howe Caverns in New York State. When I was researching for Mountains, I read so much about glaciers that I eventually wrote Glaciers. While researching for that book, I read so much about early migrants to this continent that I eventually wrote Mammoth Bones and Broken Stones. That's what good nonfiction should do for young readers: create the yearn to learn more.
David Harrison
http://www.davidlharrison.wordpress.com
Message-----
From: CCBC-Net digest
Sent: Saturday, March 03, 2012 12:05 AM To: ccbc-net digest recipients Subject: ccbc-net digest: March 02, 2012
CCBC-NET Digest for Friday, March 02, 2012.
1. March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
2. Re: beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
3. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
4. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
5. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
6. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
7. Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
8. RE: Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
9. RE: Re:beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
10. Fwd: K and L
11. Re: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
From: Megan Schliesman
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 09:22:55 -0600
X-Message-Number: 1
****
During the month of March on CCBC-Net, we're having a two-part
discussion on non-fiction: It's Not just the Facts.
First Part of Month: Non-Fiction for Younger Readers: When it comes to=2 0
great non-fiction for children and teens, accurate information alone
isn't enough. We've think the best books incorporate everything from
terrific organization and compelling visual matter to a narrative that's
hard to put down. But in the case of books for younger readers there is=2 0
also another key question: how do you make a person or place or event
that readers have most often never heard of relevant and engaging?
During the first part of March, we'll look at creative approaches to
non-fiction in picture books.
** Second Part of Month: Books for Older Readers: We'll continue our
discussion of non-fiction by contemplating what makes a terrific
non-fiction book for older children and teens. Once again, we believe it
goes beyond the facts to the feat of presenting well-researched
information in a manner that is coherent, compelling, and creative.
Share your favorite non-fiction books for older children and teens, and=2 0
your reasons why you think they succeed, during the second half of March.
Megan
Megan Schliesman, Librarian
Cooperative Children's Book Center
School of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
600 N. Park Street, Room 4290
Madison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
schliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Subject: Re: beyond accuracy and engagement comes inquiry
From: bookmarch_at_aol.com
Date: Fri, 02 Mar 2012 10:39:24 -0500 (EST)
X-Message-Number: 2
Terrific subject. And you are right, there is nothing more difficult than balancing context and flow in all nonfiction for younger readers, of any age. This is especially so because we have, I hope, passed beyond the age of the sidebar -- when the default solution to this problem was a thin retangle printed on top of some colored background. But I would suggest that we also add another element to our consideration -- not just organization, visuals, narrative, and context: inquiry. That is, the challenge of nonfiction is no longer simply to present what we know to readers in an engaging fashion. We are now also attempting to spark them to begin their own research, their own questioning which may well lead them to challenge or question anything we have to say. In a sense inquiry is the answer to context -- because once we inspire a young reader to want to know more, then our book does not have to claim to say everything. It just has to say enough to get him or her into the game. For anyone who wants to read mo re about inquiry and NF in the elementary grades I recommend Myra Zarnowski and Susan Terkel, "Nonfiction that Highlights Inquiry," Journal of Children's Literature v. 36, # 1
and of course last year's Horn Book special issue on Nonfiction.
Marc Aronson
Message-----
From: Megan Schliesman
To: ccbc-net, Subscribers of
Sent: Fri, Mar 2, 2012 10:25 am
Subject:
March Topic: It's Not Just the Facts
During the month of March on CCBC-Net, we're having a two-part discussion on non-fiction: It's Not just the Facts.
First Part of Month: Non-Fiction for Younger Readers: When it comes to great non-fiction for children and teens, accurate information alone isn’t enough. WeГўв‚ ¬в„ўve think the best books incorporate everything from terrific organization and compelling visual matter to a narrative thatâ€⠄ўs hard to put down. But in the case of books for younger readers there is also another key question: how do you make a person or place or event that readers have most often never heard of relevant and engaging? During the first part of March, we’l l look at creative approaches to non-fiction in picture books.
Second Part of Month: Books for Older Readers: We’ll continue our discussion of non -fiction by contemplating what makes a terrific non-fiction book for older children and teens. Once again, we believe it goes beyond the facts to the feat of presenting well-researched information in a manner that is coherent, compelling, and creative. Share your favorite non-fiction books for older children and teens, and your reasons why you think they succeed, during the second half of March.
Megan
egan Schliesman, Librarian
ooperative Children's Book Center
chool of Education, University of Wisconsin-Madison
00 N. Park Street, Room 4290
adison, WI 53706
608/262-9503
chliesman_at_education.wisc.edu
www.education.wisc.edu/ccbc/
---Received on Sat 03 Mar 2012 06:53:23 AM CST
