Children's nonfiction is increasing in popularity, say authors

In a panel, writers such as 'Locomotive' author Brian Floca discussed the surge in popularity of nonfiction illustrated books for children, which could be influenced by the nonfiction emphasis in the new Common Core standards.

'Locomotive,' by Brian Floca, tells the story of the transcontinental railroad.

When readers turn to children’s picture books, they are most likely to expect fairy tales or stories of marvelous imaginary characters.

However, according to a recent picture book panel that was held at the Washington, D.C. bookstore Politics & Prose, nonfiction illustrated books for children are becoming more and more popular.

At the panel, which was held on May 4, author Leonard Marcus served as moderator and writers Jen Bryant, Brian Floca, Susan L. Roth, and Duncan Tonatiuh, illustrator R. Gregory Christie, and Atheneum/Richard Jackson Books educational director Richard Jackson participated.

Bryant wrote the book “A Splash of Red,” which was a biography of artist Horace Pippin, while Floca was behind the book “Locomotive,” which tells the story of the transcontinental railroad (and which was recommended by Monitor children's book critic Augusta Scattergood, who called it "a picture book for the ages" with "fascinating history"). Roth’s book “Parrots Over Puerto Rico” details how a program worked to save the birds from extinction, while Tonatiuh’s book “Separate Is Never Equal” tells the true story of a young girl and her family who successfully integrated California schools before the Brown vs. Board of Education decision and Christie’s book “Sugar Hill” details the history of the Harlem neighborhood. 

According to industry newsletter Shelf Awareness, Marcus said he believes that the nonfiction emphasis in the new Common Core standards, which were adopted by 44 of the 50 states of the US, could explain the upsurge in popularity of nonfiction children’s books. While the Common Core doesn’t list required books, an appendix list includes example titles for each age group and the list for each grade includes categories titled “informational texts” and “read-aloud informational texts.”

Christie said that he believes categorizing books is overrated. “I don't believe you have to pigeonhole books into fiction or nonfiction, kids or adults,” he said. “I really believe you can do a book about anything.”

Meanwhile, Roth said that presenting a nonfiction story for children can have its challenges – for example, in researching Puerto Rican parrots, she found that people ate the birds at one point. She decided to include that fact but worked to make the story as a whole have an uplifting message.

You've read  of  free articles. Subscribe to continue.
Real news can be honest, hopeful, credible, constructive.
What is the Monitor difference? Tackling the tough headlines – with humanity. Listening to sources – with respect. Seeing the story that others are missing by reporting what so often gets overlooked: the values that connect us. That’s Monitor reporting – news that changes how you see the world.

Dear Reader,

About a year ago, I happened upon this statement about the Monitor in the Harvard Business Review – under the charming heading of “do things that don’t interest you”:

“Many things that end up” being meaningful, writes social scientist Joseph Grenny, “have come from conference workshops, articles, or online videos that began as a chore and ended with an insight. My work in Kenya, for example, was heavily influenced by a Christian Science Monitor article I had forced myself to read 10 years earlier. Sometimes, we call things ‘boring’ simply because they lie outside the box we are currently in.”

If you were to come up with a punchline to a joke about the Monitor, that would probably be it. We’re seen as being global, fair, insightful, and perhaps a bit too earnest. We’re the bran muffin of journalism.

But you know what? We change lives. And I’m going to argue that we change lives precisely because we force open that too-small box that most human beings think they live in.

The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.

We have a mission beyond circulation, we want to bridge divides. We’re about kicking down the door of thought everywhere and saying, “You are bigger and more capable than you realize. And we can prove it.”

If you’re looking for bran muffin journalism, you can subscribe to the Monitor for $15. You’ll get the Monitor Weekly magazine, the Monitor Daily email, and unlimited access to CSMonitor.com.

QR Code to Children's nonfiction is increasing in popularity, say authors
Read this article in
https://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2014/0527/Children-s-nonfiction-is-increasing-in-popularity-say-authors
QR Code to Subscription page
Start your subscription today
https://www.csmonitor.com/subscribe