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Nonfiction: Reading To Learn
 Questions and Answers
The interviewees and guests on RIF Exchange 304: "Nonfiction: Reading to Learn" answer these commonly asked questions:
Q: Do children prefer reading fiction to nonfiction?
A: Not as much as you might think. When the International Reading Association asked children to name their favorite books, 43 percent of the titles they chose were nonfiction. Nonfiction has quietly made a resurgence in popularity.
Nonfiction can be a strong motivator for reading — especially for children who have reading difficulties. Caswell and Duke (1998) describe their research with boys who are struggling readers:
"These boys' interests were in topics typically addressed through nonfiction texts — topics like space, volcanoes, chemistry, and dinosaurs. Reading informational texts provided the motivation the boys needed to persevere through their decoding difficulties and inspired them to do the volume necessary for reading success."
Much of the literature on reluctant readers underscores the value of using nonfiction texts that are high in interest and low in vocabulary (Hi/Lo) to motivate children to read. Evelyn Vanek's article "Nonfiction for Reluctant Readers," cites numerous studies showing that reluctant readers develop an interest in reading when introduced to high quality works of nonfiction.
Research also suggests that all children — not just those with reading challenges — seem drawn to nonfiction. Kleitzen and Szabo (“Information Text or Narrative Text? Children's Preferences Revisited," 1998) found that children in elementary schools choose informational texts over fiction nearly half the time, provided they are given access to quality texts. This finding is even more true of younger children and boys. Interestingly, this finding was contrary to what the children's teachers would have predicted.
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Q: Are there any newer approaches to nonfiction that make it more appealing to young children?
A: There are indeed. Among the newer approaches to making nonfiction appealing to children are:
- Inserts for newspapers known as Kids' Pages. The Washington Post, for example, has a KidsPost page as a daily feature on the back page of the Style section. The Mini Page by teacher Betty Debman is distributed to newspapers nationwide by Universal Press Syndicate.
- Newspapers developed specifically for children. Unlike insert pages, which are geared toward developing newspaper readers at an early age, newspapers marketed to children view children as a specific target audience. The two standbys in this field — My Weekly Reader (first published in 1928) and Scholastic News — now more closely resemble magazines in appearance. Newer entries in the field are Youthline USA (published weekly for 8- to 13-year-olds) and The New York Times Student Connection (published daily for grades 6 and above).
- Child-oriented versions of popular adult magazines. Some of the more popular ones are Time Magazine for Kids, Sports Illustrated for Kids, and National Geographic for Kids.
- Photo essay books based on attractive photography. The National Geographic Society's Windows on Literacy (grades K-2) and Reading Expeditions (grades 3-6) contain vivid photos and graphics. Writers such as Seymour Simon wow children with exciting texts that accompany breathtaking photos in books such as Tornadoes, Crocodiles & Alligators and Lightning.
- Nonfiction Big Books for shared reading experiences. The Sunshine Nonfiction Books (Wright Group/McGraw-Hill), for example, focus on school, seasons, and going places in the community. Steve Moline's InfoActive, a nonfiction series for grades K-2, also highlights shared reading experiences.
- Nonfiction "easy readers" that combine information with lots of pictures. These books are aimed primarily at children ages 5-8. Examples of this genre are Spies by Richard Platt, It's Great to Skate by Alexa Witt, Escape North! The Story of Harriet Tubman by Monica Kellig, and U.S. Soccer Superstars: The Women are Winners by S.A. Kramer.
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Q: How can I tell which nonfiction books children would like?
A: In addition to the recommendations Judy Freeman and others featured in this episode have made, you might want to check out the annual nonfiction awards for children's literature:
- The Boston Globe-Horn Book Award for children's literature has been given annually since 1967. In 1976, the award was extended to include nonfiction. The nonfiction winner for 2001 was The Longitude Prize by Joan Dash illustrated by Dusan Petricic (Foster/Farrar).
- The Giverny Book Award was established in 1998 for the Best Science Picture Book. The first Giverny Award in 1998 went to Molly Bang for Common Ground: the Water, Earth, and Air We Share.
- The Coretta Scott King Award, established in 1969, honors books that emphasize social responsibility. The 2001 Honor Book went to a nonfiction entry: Let It Shine! Stories of Black Women Freedom Fighters by Andrea Davis Pinkney, illustrated by Stephen Alcorn (Gulliver Books, Harcourt).
- The Laura Ingalls Wilder Award has been given every three years since 1980 by the American Library Association’s Association for Library Service to Children (ALSC). The award commends a children's author for his or her body of work. The 2001 Award went to historical nonfiction writer Melvin Meltzer, author of such titles as Brother Can You Spare A Dime?: The Great Depression 1929-1933; Ten Queens: Portraits of Women in Power; and In Their Own Words: A History of the American Negro 1865-1916.
- The Orbis Pictus Award and Honors has been sponsored by the National Council of English Teachers since 1990. This award is strictly for children's nonfiction. The Orbis Pictus winner for 2000 was Through My Eyes by Ruby Bridges (Scholastic Press). Honor Books included At Her Majesty's Request: An African Princess in Victorian England by Walter Dean Myers (Scholastic Press); Clara Schumann: Piano Virtuoso by Susanna Reich (Clarion Books); Mapping the World by Sylvia A. Johnson (Atheneum); The Snake Scientist by Sy Montgomery (Houghton Mifflin); and The Top of the World: Climbing Mount Everest by Steve Jenkins (Houghton Mifflin).
- The Children's Book Guild Nonfiction Award has been presented annually since 1977 to "an author or author-illustrator whose total work has contributed significantly to the quality of nonfiction for children." In 1982, The Washington Post signed on as a co-sponsor of the award. The winner of the 2000 award was Diane Stanley, author and illustrator of biographies on Good Queen Bess, Michelangelo, Peter the Great, Joan of Arc, and Leonardo da Vinci.
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