Key Ideas from Chapter 10--Nonfiction

Children turn to nonfiction literature to feed their hunger for facts, ideas, and concepts.

In fiction the story is uppermost, with facts sometimes used to support it; in nonfiction, the facts and concepts are uppermost, with storytelling perhaps used as an expressive technique.

Most library collections are 60 to 70 percent nonfiction. Nonfiction makes information available to in ways that facilitate the

creation of meaningful category systems. In order to be accurate, nonfiction books must clearly distinguish between

facts and theories, and significant facts must not be omitted. When appropriate, differing viewpoints must also be presented.

How content is organized and presented affects the overall value of a piece of nonfiction.

Good nonfiction is clearly organized, with a logical development of concepts presented in a manner that is comprehensible to its audience.

As verbal information is presented it can be elaborated by photographs, diagrams, maps, sketches, graphs, or illustrations.

Nonfiction is also judged by style, or how information is presented to the reader. Writing should be interesting and stimulating, and appropriate terminology and rich language should generate curiosity and wonder in young readers.

Nonfiction trade books support study in science, social studies, mathematics, language studies, and the arts.

Children learn to critically question what they read when they read if we encourage them to make comparisons among different sources—often nonfiction trade books.

Children can verify information found in books by checking it against observations made in real life.