Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Follow Up to Nonfiction Page Requirements

Last week, I shared my personal thoughts on teachers assigning nonfiction books of a particular length for book reports. You can read it here. Often times those arbitrary page numbers do not take into consideration the actual length of children's nonfiction books and the difference in reading nonfiction compared to fiction. So, if you are facing a teacher who is still assigning nonfiction texts of 150 pages to 3rd graders, share out the suggestions in this post for 3rd to 5th graders.

Picture Books:
Don't underestimate the power of a picture book. Picture book biographies can introduce students to different individuals or help children pique their curiosity to learn more about someone.

Teachers can also have children compare and contrast several books on the same individual in order to see how the author develops an aspect of the person's life or what each author highlights. 

National Geographic & Simon Spotlight Readers:
Nonfiction early readers from Simon Spotlight and National Geographic Kids are some of my favorites. Though there may only be 48 pages, many are written at a third grade level of higher. 

Graphic Novels:
Don't ignore the great nonfiction being published in a graphic novel format. I have particularly enjoyed the nonfiction graphic novels coming from First Second/Macmillan. The new Science Comics series has about six books out and more are expected. 

Another option with slightly longer nonfiction picture books is to pair two books on similar topics. This provides readers with more than one source of information and perspective on a topic. For example, I blogged about marine pollution here using the titles below. You can also bring in videos and other resources to help children learn more about a topic. 

Other thoughts about books:
In 2014, I did a series on Building a Nonfiction Classroom Library with a focus on picture books that would work for a variety of reading levels. Here are the links to the five posts with more than a 100+ titles:
Building a Classroom Library | Animals | Biographies | Creepy Crawlies | Marine Life | 

And finally, check out this post each week and the bloggers who link up to discover dozens of new titles every week. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: A Personal Vent About Nonfiction and Page Requirements

For those of you who know me well, in real life, you have probably experienced one or two of my rants about any number of topics. However, on this blog, I typically refrain from a long winded rant about anything. Yet, there is one topic that will get my blood pressure to rise. The dreaded nonfiction book report. 

A friend posted on Facebook: 
Last report of the year, non fiction oral book report- must be at least 150 pages. We like these 3 options but before we settle, any Middle Grade Non-Fiction recommendations out there?

My first reaction was...what grade are we talking about? Any particular topics? Are we talking about an 8 year old or a 12 year old? But what really jumps out is the page requirement.

And then the rant starts building within and spews forth. 

Let's talk adult nonfiction for a moment....

Language at the Speed of Sight by Mark Seidenberg (Basic Civitas Books, 2017) -
Total number of pages 384.
Print: tiny
Whitespace: very little

Reading this book, despite my already having a decent grasp on how people learn to read, is slow and laborious. I might not finish it. Maybe I will pick and choose chapters. It might take me weeks to work through this one. 

Now let's talk about adult fiction....

A Game of Thrones ( A Song of Fire & Ice, Book 1) by George R.R. Martin (Bantam, 2005)
Total number of pages 835
Print: small
Whitespace: little

On the other hand, an 800+ page fantasy adventure may be devoured in a few days. Double the number of pages as the nonfiction title but much easier to sit and read. 

Which of these could I probably get busy teachers to read over the summer? Though there might be some who would dive in and stick with The Language at the Speed of Sight, I would have better luck getting them to read the fictional title (or a fictional title).

The reality...if I asked a group of teachers to read something for professional development, I would have more luck with something like the book below.

No More Independent Reading Without Support by Debbie Miller & Barbara Moss (Heinemann 2013)
Total number of pages 87
Print: comfortable
Whitespace: Fair amount

This is a more comfortable and practical read and takes about 90 minutes. Yet it is the tenth of the length of the fictional novel. 

So, if as adults, much of our nonfiction that we consume is sometimes a half to three-quarters shorter than the fiction we read, why do we expect that children should read nonfiction with the equivalent pages of a fictional story? 

Let's go back to my friend's post. Turns out that the teacher was expecting third graders to read a nonfiction book that is 150 pages long. And this is where I start to sputter and go all crazy. 

Let's take a look at a children's nonfiction title:

The Great White Shark Scientist by Sy Montgomery; Photographs by Keith Ellenbogen (HMH Books for Young Readers, 2016) 
Total Number of pages 80
Print: comfortable
Features: Variety of nonfiction text features, including photographs

Technically by the teacher's standard, the student would not be able to read this book for his or her report. Yet, the reading level of this book is really more for 5th graders and up. And the interest level for sharks would be high. 

Here are a few other titles...

The Great Leopard Rescue: Saving the Amur Leopard by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, 2016)
Total number of pages: 48
Print: comfortable
Features: A Variety of nonfiction text features, including photographs

When Lunch Fights Back: Wickedly Clever Animal Defenses by Rebecca L. Johnson (Millbrook Press, 2014) 
Total number of pages: 48
Print: comfortable
Features: Variety of text features, including photographs

Even reading both of these book, which would be a challenge for some third graders, would not come close to the amount of pages that the teacher is requesting for her report. However, either of these books would be challenging, engaging and informative reads for a third or fourth grader.

From a publisher's perspective, books are printed in standard offset printing with page lengths in multiples of 8. So a picture book is typically 32 pages. Many of the current day, quality nonfiction for children 3rd to 7th grade fall within the 48 to 96 pages.  Much of the longer nonfiction that is 150-250 pages long are often not the right content matter or style for an 8 or 9 year old, even for those that are a bit more advanced as readers or who posses a better stamina. 

When a teacher makes a requirement like the 150 pages, s/he is greatly eliminating appropriate choices for most of his/her students and possibly creating a frustrating situation for the students. 

I have come to realize that teachers at schools where there are no librarians and little exposure to new nonfiction titles are unaware of the books that are out there and also unaware of how publishers format books for children. We need to continue to spread the word about the titles that we are sharing as part of this challenge. Stop by next week and check out Part II of this post, where I identify some of my favorite titles for 3rd and 4th graders that you can share with teachers. 

Artwork by Sarah J. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews: 

Nonfiction Picture Challenge: What are you reading? - 5/3/17

In April, I did a number of "What are you reading?" posts on 2016 titles that I had missed. Now, I am working to catch up in sharing 2017 titles. Here are some of the nonfiction titles that I read recently.  Here are three books you shouldn't miss. 

Balderdash! John Newbery and the Boisterous Birth of Children's Books by Michele Markel; Illustrated by Nancy Carpenter (Chronicle Books, April 4, 2017) - Though I knew some general things about John Newbery, there was much I didn't know about the man whose name graces the biggest award for Children's Literature. Learning about how Newbery really paved the way for the publishing of children's books was fascinating. A fabulous introduction to John Newbery. Carpenter's illustrations are a perfect match to Markel's lively text. 

Strange Fruit: Billie Holiday and the Power of a Protest Song by Gary Golio; Illustrated by Charlotte Riley-Webb (Millbrook, February 1, 2017) - I have read a number of Gary Golio's picture book biographies and I appreciate the way that he presents information about individuals with very complicated life experiences and does so in a way that is appropriate for the audience. In his most recent book, Golio puts the spotlight on jazz great Billie Holiday by focusing on her 

willingness to sing a protest song and make it even a part of her contract that she would sing the song. Riley-Webb's gorgeous paintings make readers feel the music. Definitely get your hands on this book. 

Since I had never heard Billie Holiday singing Strange Fruit, I went in search of it on YouTube and discovered this video.

In this rare footage, Holiday performs Strange Fruit, and just wow!

Wake Up! by Helen Frost; Photographs by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017) - Frost pairs up with Lieder for another beautiful book. Lieder's photo are framed by Frost's poetic text. I love these books for introducing young children to books written in verse. They love the photographs and are drawn to the text.

Look for each of these books at your local bookstore or public library. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: What are you reading? - 4/26/17

During April, I have been doing a number of "What are you reading?" posts. Part of my goal has been to catch up on 2016 nonfiction picture books that I missed.  This week's post will continue to highlight 2016 titles that I missed and feature a couple of titles that won't be out until later in 2017. 

So, here is what jumped out of the pile for me....

She Stood for Freedom: The Untold Story of a Civil Rights Hero, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland by Loki Mulholland, Angela Fairwell, Charlotta Janssen (Shadow Mountain, 2016) I didn't know the story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland and found it fascinating to read. 

Tiny Stitches: The Life of Medical Pioneer Vivien Thomas by Gwendolyn Hooks; Illustrated by Colin Bootman (Lee & Low Books, 2016) - Another story that I was completely unaware of and found thoroughly fascinating. 

Will's Words: How William Shakespeare Changed the Way You Talk by Jane Sutcliffe; Illustrated John Shelley (Charlesbridge, 2016) - Sutcliffe and Shelley did a fabulous job on both the concept and illustrations. I found the origins of so many common day phrases to be fascinating.

Ticktock Banneker's Clock by Shana Keller; Illustrated by David C. Gardner (Sleeping Bear Press, 2016) - If you are looking for a story of determination and perseverance, this one certainly fits the bill. 

Moto and Me: My Year as a Wildcat's Foster Mom by Suzi Eszterhas (Owlkids Books, April 11, 2017) - This is a new release and as a kitten foster mom for the next few weeks I couldn't pass up reading this one. 

Upcoming Books:

Dazzle Ships: World War I and the Art of Confusion by Chris Barton; Illustrated by Victo Ngai (Millbrook Press, August 1, 2017) - This book is going on my mock-Sibert list, which I am still compiling. Of course, I don't put my list together until the fall but this book is definitely going to be on it. I was fascinated about the story of these ships and the artwork is stunning. 

The Great Penguin Rescue: Saving the African Penguin by Sandra Markle (Millbrook Press, August 1, 2017) - I love this series by Sandra Markle. I knew little to nothing about these particular penguins but Markle has a way of drawing you into the story will also providing readers with lots of facts and information. 

Crayola Fall Colors by Mari C. Schuh (Lerner Books, September 1, 2017) - As a preschool/kindergarten teacher, I would have used this in the fall with one of my teaching units. 

Look for these at your local indie bookstore or community library.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews:

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: March and April New Releases

As part of the Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge, one of my favorite things is to round-up as many new quality nonfiction books for children at the beginning of a month and share them with readers of this blog.  Some months, I miss the release of books and add them to the next month's post.  Since I have not seen every book listed, I cannot always confirm if they are truly a nonfiction book or more of an informational fiction text or a bit of historical fiction.  Here are recent releases to check out.

Previous Nonfiction Release Post: January | February | March 

February 2017

The Secret Project by Jonah Winter, Jeanette Winter (Beach Lane Books, February 7, 2017)

March 2017

Feathers and Hair, What Animals Wear by Jennifer Ward; Illustrated by Jing Jing Tsong (Beach Lane Books, March 7, 2017)

Lighter Than Air: Sophie Blanchard, the First Woman Pilot by Matthew Clark Smith; Illustrated by Matt Tavares (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017)

Red Cloud: A Lakota Story of War and Surrender by S.D. Nelson (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 14, 2017)

Rhino in the House: The Story of Saving Samia by Daniel Kirk (Harry N. Abrams, March 14, 2017)

Wake Up! by Helen Frost; Illustrated by Rick Lieder (Candlewick Press, March 14, 2017)

Bees: A Honeyed History by Piotr Socha (Abrams Books for Young Readers, March 28, 2017)

April 2017

Shell, Beak, Tusk: Shared Traits and the Wonders of Adaptations by Bridget Heos (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 4, 2017)

The Hawk of the Castle: A Story of the Medieval Falconry by Danna Smith; Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline (Candlewick Press, April 11, 2017)

Tide Pool Secrets by Narelle Oliver (Candlewick Press, April 11, 2017)

Laugh Out Loud Animals by Jeffrey Burton (Little Simon, April 18, 2017) 

The Music of Life: Bartolomeo Cristofori & the Invention of the Piano by Elizabeth Rusch; Illustrated by Marjorie Priceman (Atheneum Books for Young Readers, April 18, 2017)

Teedie: The Story of the Young Teddy Roosevelt by Don Brown (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 20, 2017)

Eye of the Storm: NASA, Drones, and the Race to Crack the Hurricane Code (Scientists in the Field) by Amy Cherrix (HMH Books for Young Readers, April 25, 2017)

Looking Up! The Science of Stargazing by Joe Rao; Illustrated by Mark Borgions (Simon Spotlight, April 25, 2017)

Super Women: Six Scientists Who Changed the World by Laurie Lawlor (Holiday House, April 26, 2017)

Look for these titles at your local indie bookstore or public library. 

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen @2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews....