Nonfiction

Nonfiction is writing based on facts, real events, and real people. When you walk into a library, it is definitely the biggest section you will find. All the books that give facts about animals fall into this category. It is also a category that a lot of students especially in the upper grades like reading because they learn a great deal of information. Dr. Small once said that nonfiction tends to be defined by what is not. Nonfiction is an umbrella of terms such as narrative, expository, biography, autobiography, and memoirs. There are different criteria to look for when evaluating nonfiction for children. It is imperative to look for the qualifications of the author. This can be done by checking their website, reading the author’s note, or researching for accuracy. Next, is whether the facts are accurate? We can look at our resources such as The National Science Teacher Association to check for fact validation. We can also compare books and see if they have the same information. Looking for the scope and purpose of the book is another part of the criteria to look for. Do you want broad or narrow information? For criteria number four, we have to ci=consider the organization of the book, like the table of contents, glossary, and index. These categories will certainly help students find the information they are looking for without wasting any time. Finally, it is very important to see what roles do the visuals play. They should elaborate on the information presented and help students not feel overwhelmed with the text.

I believe Nonfiction is a section that should serve as mirrors and windows in a library collection. This is the biggest section in a library and the reason why is because there is so much information that young adults can learn about. From cars to animals, they can learn it all by simply reading and categorizing all the new information taken by books.