Digital Learning Commons: Literary Genres: Nonfiction

Nonfiction

"Nonfiction is that body of work in which the author purports to tell us about the real world, a real experience, a real person, an idea, or a belief."

Kylene Beers & Robert E. Probst (in Reading Nonfiction)

Adopt a Questioning Stance

What surprised you?

I was shocked about ...
I was surprised when ...
I never thought ...
I could not believe ...
Really??

What did the author think you already knew?

I did not know ...
I was confused by ...
The author assumed ...
The author thought I knew ...

What challenged, changed, or confirmed what you knew?

At first I thought, but ...
I had to rethink ...
My understanding changed when ...
I was right/wrong about ...

From Reading Nonfiction by Beers & Probst

Notice & Note These Signposts

Contrasts and Contradictions

When the author shows you how things/people/ideas are different, OR shows you something that is different from what you already know, ask yourself:
What is the difference and why does it matter?

Extreme or Absolute Language

When the author uses language that is extreme or absolute, ask yourself:
Why did the author use this language?

Numbers and Stats

When the author uses specific numbers or provides statistical information, ask yourself:
Why did the author use these numbers or amounts?

Quoted Words

When the author chooses to quote someone, ask yourself:
Why was this person quoted or cited and what did this add?

Word Gaps

When the author chooses to use a word or phrase that you don't know, ask yourself:
Do I know this word form someplace else?
Does it seem like technical talk for this topic?
Can I find clues in the sentence to help me understand the word?

From Reading Nonfiction by Beers & Probst

Subgenres

Popular subgenres of nonfiction include:

Autobiography and Memoir: The story of the writer's own life or a certain aspect of their life as they remember it.

Biography: The story of someone's life written by an author or historian.

Cook Books and Food: Books that contain collections of recipes or other information about food, cooking, and related culture.

History: These book provide information about a particular time and place in history.

How-to and D.I.Y.: How-to and "do it yourself" (or D.I.Y.) books provide instructions for a wide variety of hobbies, activities, and projects, from arts and crafts, to science and engineering, and much more.

Mysteries and the Unknown: Research and accounts of controversial knowledge, such as alien abductions, the supernatural, or other unexplained events.

Politics and Social Sciences: These books often provide insight into topical issues that might be in the news.

Popular Science: Popular Science provides information about science and new discoveries for non-scientist readers.

Self-Help and Wellness: Provides information about mental and physical health and well-being.

True Crime: Often written in a style similar to Mystery Fiction, True Crime books are about the events and investigation of real crimes.

Authors

Marc Aronson
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
Ann Bausum
Karen Blumenthal
Candace Fleming
Russell Freedman
Deborah Heiligman
Philip Hoose
Deborah Hopkinson
Sy Montgomery
Steve Sheinkin
Tanya Lee Stone
James L. Swanson

Notable Nonfiction

Autobiography and Memoir

Americanized by Sara Saedi
Call Number: 305.891 SAE
In San Jose, California, in the 1990s, teenaged Sara keeps a diary of life as an Iranian American and her discovery that she and her family entered as undocumented immigrants.
I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai
Call Number: B YOU
Malala Yousafzai's describes her fight for education for girls under Taliban rule, the support she received from her parents to pursue an education, and how the Taliban retaliated against her by trying to kill her.
Muslim Girl by Amani Al-Khatahtbeh
Call Number: B AL
Amani Al-Khatahtbeh discusses her experiences as a Muslim girl growing up in the United States in the twenty-first century.

Biography

Facing Frederick by Tonya Bolden
Call Number: B DOU
Chronicles the life of Frederick Douglass, discussing his years as a slave, escape to freedom, acclaim as a famous orator, journalist, and presidential advisor, work as an abolitionist, and other related topics.
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
Call Number: 920 LEE
Explores the previously uncelebrated but pivotal contributions of NASA's African-American women mathematicians to America's space program, describing how Jim Crow laws segregated them from their white counterparts despite their groundbreaking successes.
Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand
Call Number: B ZAM
A biography of Olympic runner and World War II bombardier, Louis Zamperini, who had been rambunctious in childhood before succeeding in track and eventually serving in the military, which led to a trial in which he was forced to find a way to survive in the open ocean after being shot down.
Undefeated by Steve Sheinkin
Call Number: 796.332 SHE
A great American sport and Native American history come together in this true story of how Jim Thorpe and Pop Warner created the legendary Carlisle Indians football team.

Cook Books and Food

Ice Cream by Laura B. Weiss
Call Number: 641.8 WEI
Traces the history of ice cream from the Tang dynasty to the present, showcases unusual products from around the world, and offers a collection of recipes.
The Omnivore's Dilemma by Michael Pollan
Call Number: 394.1 POL
Offers insight into food consumption in the twenty-first century, explaining how an abundance of unlimited food varieties reveals the responsibilities of consumers to protect their health and the environment.
The People of Mexico and Their Food by Ann L. Burckhardt
Describes food customs and preparation in Mexico, along with regional dishes and cooking techniques. Includes recipes for a variety of Mexican meals.
What the World Eats by Faith D'Aluisio; Peter Menzel (Photographer)
Call Number: 641.3 MEN
A collection of photographs depicting twenty-five families from twenty-one different countries, and includes Chad, Equador, Greenland, Japan, Mongolia, and others, and also describes the cost of a week's worth of food, and other cultural information for each listed country.

History

Black Potatoes by Susan Campbell Bartoletti
In 1845, a disaster struck Ireland. Overnight, a mysterious blight attacked the potato crops, turning the potatoes black and destroying the only real food of nearly six million people. Over the next five years, the blight attacked again and again. These years are known today as the Great Irish Famine, a time when one million people died from starvation and disease and two million more fled their homeland.
Saga of the Sioux by Dee Alexander Brown
Call Number: 978 BRO
An adaptation of Dee Brown's documented account of the systematic plunder of Native Americans during the second half of the nineteenth century, featuring photographs and maps.
Spooked! by Gail Jarrow
Call Number: 791.44 JAR
Looks at the War of the worlds radio broadcast from 1938 and looks at the artists behind the broadcast, the broadcast itself, the aftermath, and the repercussions of "fake news" today.
Vietnam by Russell Freedman
Call Number: 959.704 FRE
Newberry Medalist Russell Freedman provides a succinct account of perhaps the most puzzling and controversial of America's wars. Describing how a superpower caught up in the 1950s cold war politics became increasingly enmeshed in a conflict over 8,000 miles away, he then explains why twenty years later an exit was so difficult.

How -to and D.I.Y.

Art of Basic Drawing by Walter Foster Creative Team
Call Number: 741.2 ART
Discover simple step-by-step techniques for drawing a wide variety of subjects in pencil.
Dig In! by Kari A. Cornell
Call Number: 635 COR
Presents projects for using kitchen scraps to grow more food.
Gamers' Survival Guide by DK
Call Number: 794.8 MAR
A humorous guide to playing video games that offers advice to improve your gaming experience, including how to stay comfortable while playing, easy to eat snacks, exercises to improve your dexterity and hand-eye coordination, and ways to unwind after gaming with yoga poses.
How to Be a Fashion Designer by Lesley Ware
Call Number: 746.9 WAR
An introduction to fashion design, covering drawing and designing clothes, fashion lingo, and more.
Video Ideas by DK
Call Number: 777 GRA
Explains the video-making process from script to screen, with techniques to try out and practical tips to produce . . . projects at home. Discover how to get the best angles, lighting, and sound quality, and add special effects when recording using phone, webcam, camera, or camcorder.
Writing Radar by Jack Gantos
Call Number: 808.02083 GAN
Provides a guide for young readers on how to write using the everyday world around for inspiration.

Mysteries and the Unknown

Alien Investigation by Kelly Milner Halls
Call Number: 001.942 HAL
Discusses UFO and alien sitings around the world, including interviews with UFO experts.
Ghostly Evidence by Kelly Milner Halls
Call Number: 133.1 HAL
Investigates eyewitness accounts from ghost hunters, mediums, and paranormal experts.
Tales of the Cryptids by Halls, Spears, & Young
Call Number: 001.944 HAL
Cryptozoology is the study of animals that may or may not be real: familiar animals like Bigfoot and the Loch Ness Monster, and those that are less familiar like the Marozi of Kenya, the Orang-pendek of Sumatra and the Thylacine of Tasmania. Meet these and more in this introduction to cryptozoology.

Popular Science

Exoplanets by Karen Latchana Kenney
Call Number: 523.2 KEN
Learn about the planets that exist outside of our solar system, and the actions scientists are taking to learn more about them.
Impact! by Elizabeth Rusch
Call Number: 551.3 RUS
Follow scientists as they search for dangerous asteroids in space, study asteroids that have smashed into the ground, and make plans to prevent an asteroid strike if one ever threatens our planet.
Inside of a Dog by Alexandra Horowitz
Call Number: 636.7 HOR
Do you want to know what dogs are thinking? What they're feeling? Now you finally can. The answers will surprise and delight young readers as scientist and dog-owner Alexandra Horowitz explains how dogs perceive their daily worlds, each other, and that other quirky animal, the human.

Self-Help and Wellness

Eat This! by Andrea Curtis
Call Number: 613.2 CUR
Examines how the fast-food industry uses advertising and marketing to influence children and young adults, while providing means and measures to combat the ubiquitous problem.
(Don't) Call Me Crazy by Kelly Jensen (Ed.)
Call Number: 616.89 DON
An anthology of essays and illustrations that illuminate mental health topics in a straightforward way.
Skin Care and Makeup Tips and Tricks by Karen Latchana Kenney
Call Number: 616.5 KEN
Provides step-by-step instructions for creating homemade skin care products and perfume. Also offers tips and tricks for choosing makeup and the right tools.
Ask Elizabeth by Elizabeth Berkley
Call Number: 646.7 BER
Written in the spirit of a group diary, Ask Elizabeth addresses the emotional lives of teen girls based on the most frequently asked questions from workshops presented by Elizabeth Berkley.

Resources

Sibert Informational Book Medal
The Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal is awarded annually to the author and illustrator of the most distinguished informational book published in the U.S. for children the preceding year.
Award for Excellence in Nonfiction
YALSA's Award for Excellence in Nonfiction honors the best nonfiction book published for young adults (ages 12-18) during a publishing year.
Best of 2018
Best nonfiction of the year for kids and young adults from School Library Journal

Sibert Medal Winners and Honor Books

Twelve Days in May by Larry Dane Brimner
The story of the Freedom Riders, who boarded buses in Washington, D.C., for New Orleans, Louisiana, as a way to draw attention to the lack of enforcement of the laws prohibiting segregation on buses crossing state lines and at bus stations.
Sea Otter Heroes by Patricia Newman
Marine biologist Brent Hughes didn't think sea otters and sea grass had much in common, but his research revealed a new and surprising connection between the two.
March: Book Three by John Lewis
A graphic novel account of some pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement.
Sachiko by Caren Stelson
Shares the true story of a young girl who survived the atomic bomb and chronicles her long journey to find peace.
Uprooted by Albert Marrin
Just 75 years ago, the American government did something that most would consider unthinkable: it rounded up over 100,000 of its own citizens based on nothing more than their ancestry and, suspicious of their loyalty, kept them in concentration camps for the better part of four years.
We Will Not Be Silent by Russell Freedman
The true story of the White Rose, a group of students in Nazi Germany who were active undercover agents of the resistance movement against Hitler and his regime.

YALSA Nonfiction Award Winners and Honor Books

Boots on the Ground by Elizabeth Partridge
An exploration of the Vietnam War from many different perspectives including an American soldiers, a nurse, and a Vietnamese refugee.
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
Call Number: Graphic Novels
In graphic novel format author and illustrator Jarrett J. Krosoczka discusses growing up in a family grappling with addiction.
The Faithful Spy by John Hendrix
In his signature art style, Hendrix tells the gripping account of Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a minister who joined a conspiracy to assassinate Hitler.
Vincent and Theo by Deborah Heiligman
The true story of the relationship between brothers Theo and Vincent van Gogh.
#NotYourPrincess by Lisa Charleyboy and Mary Beth Leatherdale (Eds.)
Poems, essays, interviews, and art that combine to express the experience of being a Native woman.
Eyes of the World by Marina Budhos & Marc Aronson
Life and work of war photographers Robert Capa and Gerta Taro, who were pioneers in the field of photojournalism as they captured images from the Spanish Civil War.
The 57 Bus by Dashka Slater
Sasha and Richard were high school students from Oakland, CA, but they inhabited different worlds. Sasha, a white teen, lived in the middle-class foothills and attended a private school. Richard, a black teen, lived in the crime-plagued flatlands and attended a large public one. Each day, their paths overlapped for a mere eight minutes.
March: Book Three by John Lewis
A graphic novel account of some pivotal moments in the Civil Rights Movement.
Hillary Rodham Clinton by Karen Blumenthal
Call Number: B CLI
Author Karen Blumenthal gives an intimate and unflinching look at the public and personal life of Hillary Rodham Clinton. Illustrated throughout with black-and-white photographs and political cartoons, this is a must-have biography about a woman who has fascinated--and divided--the public, who continues to push boundaries, and who isn’t afraid to reach for one more goal.
In the Shadow of Liberty by Kenneth C. Davis
Call Number: 920 DAV
An examination of American slavery through the true stories of five enslaved people who were considered the property of some of our best-known presidents.
Samurai Rising by Pamela S. Turner
Call Number: B MIN
This epic tale of warriors and bravery, rebellion and revenge, reads like a novel, but this is the true story of the greatest samurai in Japanese history.
This Land Is Our Land by Linda Barrett Osborne
Call Number: 304.80973 OSB
This book explores the way government policy and popular responses to immigrant groups evolved throughout U.S. history, particularly between 1800 and 1965. The book concludes with a summary of events up to contemporary times, as immigration again becomes a hot-button issue.