Last Friday, I published this post on
my blog. After reading it, author
Kirsten W. Larson posted this Tweet:
Deep questions: Should books that are expository and have
true and verifiable information with a nonhuman narrator be considered
expository fiction? I've always liked Melissa's term "informational
fiction" to describe these, but does it tilt the balance too far toward “fiction?”
And it sparked a Twitterchat that lasted more than 24
hours and splintered off in several different directions. On Saturday morning, editor
Carol Hinz of Millbrook Press asked me to curate the conversation and others
quickly agreed. This is my attempt to do that.
If you feel I’ve misrepresented your views, please let me
know. I’ve tried to re-create the conversation as accurately as possible.
Please note that I made some minor edits for clarity. I also combined comments
that were posted back-to-back because they exceeded Twitter character limits.
And I omitted portions of the conversation that veered away from the overall
focus—where to draw the line between fiction and nonfiction.
As you will see, I’m asking a lot of questions because
I really don’t know what I think anymore. I used to be very rigid in my
definition—if anything is made up, it’s fiction. Period. No made up dialog or
scenes out of order to improve storytelling. No inanimate or animal narrators.
No episodic or life cycle animal stories with “typical” activities. Nothing.
But recently, I’ve started to reconsider for two reasons.
—The art in any illustrated book, no matter how well researched by the artist, is at least partially imagined.
—How a book is labeled—fiction or nonfiction—determines where it’s
shelved in libraries, and that affects how likely young readers are to find it when they’re
curious about a particular topic or when they’re doing a report.
Perhaps what
we really need is a new system for shelving what some people call “hybrid
books” and other people call “informational fiction” in its own section. Kids might even enjoy hunting for the "made up" elements, while understanding that these books are based on solid research.
Here’s how the Twitterchat progressed:
@KirstenWLarson: Deep
questions: Should books that are expository and have true and verifiable
information with a nonhuman narrator be considered expository fiction? I've
always liked Melissa's term "informational fiction" to describe
these, but does it tilt the balance too far toward ‘fiction?’
@HannahWHolt: And where
should it be shelved! The kids looking for nonfiction books will want it in the
"facts" section, but if it has fictional elements...
@KirstenWLarson: Well,
that's a whole other can of worms. How we identify books and how librarians
shelve them is already complicated with NF and informational fiction. Sometimes
they are shelved by Dewey decimal, sometimes put in the picture book section...
@MA_Cappiello: I always
think of those books as informational fiction. I think this category can cover
any work of fiction whose primary goal is to convey information about a topic
through fictional devices like anthropomorphism. The information is accurate
but the work is fiction.
Nicola Davies did it early on with BAT LOVES THE NIGHT.
Also in that Read, Listen, and Wonder series, Vivian French’s GROWING
FROGS.
Martin Jenkins’s books in his “First Science Storybook” series also fall under
this category. But those definitely have a narrative structure. All so
interesting!!
@mars_stu: My book
about astronomy features a starry-eyed, star-gazing cat teaching kids about the
night sky, never thought about it as fiction...
@KirstenWLarson: Often we
call this type of book "informational fiction," but I think there is
debate...
@mstewartscience: As I
think about it, informational fiction definitely includes Magic School Bus and
narrative bios with invented dialog, etc. I'm not so sure about non-human
narrators. Is it a matter of whether kids might be "fooled"?
@cylev: Yes,
Melissa, I think that part of the issue does have to do with whether a reader
might be, if not fooled, then misled. If School’s First Day of School were
about what really goes on behind the scenes and included photos, it might be
considered NF even with a school narrator.
@KateJPetersen: I'm
thinking about Molly Bang's Living Sunlight. Just read it to my class. They
were moved by the narration (sun) but their thinking was definitely focused on
the learning. Calling that one informational fiction feels inaccurate.
@KateMessner: I like
the term "informational fiction." I frequently find my Over &
Under the Snow labeled as nonfiction, and it's not. Invented characters &
storyline make it fiction, even though it's loaded with factual information
about animals in winter.
@moonb2: We have
the term “historical fiction” that everyone knows & uses. We need a similar
one for science-based fiction
@mstewartscience: The tricky
part is that "science fiction" is used to describe something
completely different. :-) Maybe STEM fiction?
@barberchicago: Good one.
@KateMessner: I call
this sciency fiction.
@KirstenWLarson: I still
go back to Melissa's "informational fiction," which I think is a
great term for fact-infused fiction.
@mrterborg: Interesting...
I've seen realistic fiction, etc. but not informational fiction.
@barbrosenstock: I don’t
“worry” about what it is until it’s created...and then as long as the author is
honest, it’s up to the librarians to categorize.
@Jess_Keating: This is
so interesting! I've got a series coming out, formatted as an advice column
written by "Dr. Sugarpaws", a sugar glider with a PhD. She answers
all sorts of biology questions posed by other animals. I considered a lot about
this very Q when writing it!
@mstewartscience: This new
series sounds SO fun.
@KateMessner: I'm so
looking forward to this one, Jess!
@Jess_Keating: Thanks
ladies! I totally call it nonfiction in passing, but the differentiation is
important to keep in mind! It's great to see these questions even getting
asked.
@CarolCHinz: This is a
fascinating conversation! As an editor, I am always looking for a hook. For
instance, in FLOWER TALK by @saraclevine, having a
talking plant conveying info about pollination brings readers closer to the
subject & helps us feel more invested in the topic. Whereas if it had just
been a text that clearly explained how different flower colors (and shapes)
attract different pollinators, it might have been harder to get approved at
acquisitions because there wouldn't have been as much of a hook.
@mstewartscience: Yes,
that's a fun approach, and I think it's a valuable way to present info. I'm
curious, though, where it should be shelved. Should libraries create a new
section for informational fiction? Things to think about.
@Jess_Keating: When I'm
writing, I think I tend to cluster the definition in 2 ways: the mechanism by
which I get across the true info might not be pure NF, but as a hook it might
be great. If the mechanism isn’t as stylized, it seems much easier to safely
house it in nonfiction on a shelf.
@LydiaLukidis: I was
just talking to an editor the other day about these distinctions.
@alysonbeecher: This is a
great discussion. I really like Sun: One in a Billion and don’t think kids
actually think the Sun can talk. Same as with the fly in @bridgetheos book.
@KirstenWLarson: Personally,
I think kids are smart enough to realize plants, animals, and planets can't
talk, but I feel like it's a slippery slope. Where do you draw the line if a
book with an invented narrator is called nonfiction? Hmmm. (& I am sure
kids could care less.)
@MHGbooks: Interesting
reflection. I’m not an authority on genre but I talk with kids about hybrid
text. I consider nonfiction aspects being imbedded within narrative. These
books may not have an exact label but I love how kids are vested in writing
like this!
@bridgetheos: It's
definitely not my intention to confuse or trick. In my mind, everything talks,
and if a character like Fly, speaks to me, I write it in his/her voice. But I
do make sure all other facts are true. I call them NF but am not sure if that's
technically correct.
@KirstenWLarson: Definitions
are such tricky things. Then there is the whole category of books where the
main text is 100% nonfiction, but the illustrations add the fantasy element.
Jason Chin's books come to mind. But again, I think readers are discerning and
connect with these books.
@alysonbeecher: I think
these are good discussions to have with teachers and students. Awareness and critical
analysis is important, especially today.
@KristenWLarson: I agree
100%. And to that end, I just appreciate when authors play fair with the
reader, letting them know what is true and what is made up, especially when it
comes to dialog, additions of characters, etc.
@bridgetheos: I
personally don't see a difference, FIC and NONFIC wise, between Miss Frizzle
and Sun or Fly sharing facts. Many kids think fictional characters are real. Or
at any rate, they suspend belief while reading. I think the difference is in
POV. When narrators are also the subjects, they have a POV. FLY is biased but
acts in good faith to share a truthful and broad picture of himself--good and
bad. This is a type of NF that kids will encounter. My 2 cents. Of course, I
may also be biased.
@alysonbeecher: Depending
on the audience & the purpose and style, can’t I have layers? The facts
should be factual. I don’t argue this part but who the narrator is maybe less
important. Where I do take issue is with a historical person acting as narrator
and what that narrator is saying may not be factual. This is harder for kids to
discern than a talking fly or sun sharing facts.
@bridgetheos: I see
what you mean. In grownup books, that would be historical fiction. But in kids’
books, based on the array of formats, it may look more like nonfiction.
@alysonbeecher: Especially
tricky in some picture book bios. More long form NF vs HF chapter books are
often clearer.
@bridgetheos: I agree.
One explanation may be that for younger kids, clear cut, photo based NF is
often assigned, flat fee work, so if you want to sell your own story you need a
distinct angle/topic/POV. Or that has been my experience.
@KirstenWLarson: Couldn't
agree more, ladies. There IS a lot of pressure to use unique
structure/POVs/voice in trade nonfiction to distinguish from traditional
nonfiction. But we have to tell the reader when we invent things in PB bios. I
read some and have no idea what's true and what's not.
@mstewartscience: Yes,
sometimes there is no backmatter or bibliography. What then? And if I notice a
factual error, I start to doubt the entire book. Yet, kids and adult book
reviewers may not have the background knowledge to notice the error.
@MA_Cappiello: Back
matter is essential, from my perspective, for fiction that is heavily
researched-informational fiction, historical fiction.
@bridgetheos: It seems
like anything that could be mistaken for fact should be stated. For my science
and history books, I sometimes choose a fictional narrator, which is explained
in the back matter. With FLY, it seemed to go without saying, but perhaps not.
In the future, I'll add a note.
@mstewartscience: Not
trying to pick on your book, Bridget. Lots of books do the same thing. This
conversation is making me rethink No Monkeys, No Chocolate.
@bridgetheos: Okay, because
I was starting to feel like I was being kicked out of nonfiction and I love nonfiction.
I research and factcheck like crazy. I don't make up anything except the
narrator. Whatever the label, I think books like I, FLY are most useful as NF
books.
@mstewartscience: There's
no doubt that I FLY is useful. I love that book, and so do kids. But is it nf
or informational fiction? That's the question. The same question can be applied
to No Monkeys, No Chocolate as well as a book I'm working on now.
To be honest, I'm not sure where I draw the line. I'm
always thinking and re-thinking it.
@bridgetheos: Me, too.
And funny enough, as this conversation was getting started yesterday, a student
asked me if a book can combine fiction and nonfiction, and I told him it was
such a good question that it was being asked at that moment by the experts!
@mstewartscience: I love
that you could tell a student that!
@alysonbeecher: I love
seeing kids realize that adults ponder some of the same questions.
@alysonbeecher: As an
educator, I want kids to be drawn to a book and excited to read it. Kids love I
Fly & No Monkeys, No Chocolate. Call it what you want, but the facts are
true, the other parts are discernible for what they are meant to be, and that’s
what is important to me.
@KateMessner: To be
honest, I think this particular question (is it NF or informational fiction) is
mostly one that authors geek out over but curious readers don't care about.
They love the information and appreciate it whether it's offered in true NF or
embedded in a story.
@mrterborg: Yes, but
it's an important distinction .... :) (Researcher/librarian / ....)
@teacher_meg: From ELA8
teacher view: variety of NF vehicles creates great fodder for talk in the
class. Is it narrative NF? Strictly informative? What to do when creative
author gestures are introduced? Does genre category even matter? "57
Bus" has started many of these convos this yr.
@LeslieBulion: This is
such an interesting discussion! I think it highlights that while categorizing
can be helpful, student-educator discussion sparked by sharing all kinds of
informational books is invaluable since there are so many format/genre blends.
@HeatherLMont: To me, "informational fiction" makes sense as a broad category
for any book with the primary intent of conveying information but which
includes fictional elements. I wonder if "expository fiction" is a
subset within informational fiction?
@mstewartscience: Yes,
that’s how I think about it, Heather. Informational fiction is an umbrella
category. But there are books that for some reason I hate to think of as
fiction. @KateJPetersen mentioned
Living Sunlight by Molly Bang. That's a good example.
@HeatherLMont: I don't
really see a difference between non-human characters and fictional human
characters. To me, both would put a book in the informational fiction category.
@mstewartscience: Q1: Is a
narrator a character? I'm not sure one way or the other.
Q2: Is a non-human narrator "less problematic" than inventing dialog
(putting words in the mouths of historical figures)? These are tricky
questions.
@HeatherLMont: A1: A
narrator is a character--sometimes more involved than other times.
A2: With a non-human character, I think the reader usually understands the
fictional element. With invented dialog, that line is often not clear, so it
could be more problematic.
@HeatherLMont: I wonder
how much the emotional "baggage" I have about these labels impacts my
usage of them.
@controlf: As
students move more of their research online, I prioritize funds to buy more
engaging/harder to classify nonfiction. My vendor struggles with these. They
put Brilliant Deep in E, I'm trying to Love Spiders in NF, but Give Bees a Chance
in E.
@libraryisheaven: I also
struggle with this. My kids asked me why Diana’s White House Garden didn’t go
in the NF if it was based on a true story, and I was like ??? But I do have I’m
Trying to Love Spiders in my NF. When you figure out a good way to decide LMK.
@controlf: I will! I
do have a "based on true” section in E, but it is largely people and
events. And because the Missouri Show-me Awards (gr 1-3) from @MASLOnline include so much
of this, we discuss what could be true or not. Call it foundational critical
lit!
@CaptainLibrary: Can I
stop by and see how you have this organized, @controlf ? I’m
reorganizing some areas of my F and NF and am always looking for manageable
ways to make sure students are finding the type of book they’re looking for.
@controlf: First
tip: I started using whiteboard tape on my shelves so, as I try out sections
temporarily, I just change Dewey range or genres. I do not teach meanings of
Dewey's, but I have not ditched entirely. Our school does a lot of mapping, and
I teach call numbers as map coordinates.
@barberchicago: I love
blends of fiction and information. Turns out, my fifth graders do, too. We just
talked about genres colliding and blending last week. The narrative elements
really hook them. Feels less “teachy,” one said.
@mstewartscience: This is
interesting. I think by 5th grade, most students can understand that an
inanimate-object-narrator is made up, but what about a 1st grader? Also, would
your students feel duped by a pb bio with invented dialog?
@barberchicago: Yes, I
agree with you that it might be confusing for firsties! Especially because most
Ss learn of that divide between narrative & info texts when they’re
learning how to read.
Depends also on how it’s blended, I think.
We read a strictly info book on a topic, then an article
that told the same topic in a narrative form, but the kids preferred the one
with the info woven in. So maybe not “fiction” but more a blend of narrative
elements.
Finally, I don’t think Ss would feel duped. We, as Ts can share w/ Ss how
exciting it is to develop info in new ways, and bend the genres a bit. Another
way info text gets complex!
@mstewartscience: But what
if there is no teacher? When I read a pb bio and then find out some parts
aren't true, I feel tricked, cheated. But maybe that's just me.
@barberchicago: Completely
agree on the not true part 100%, especially in this day and age. I was
referring more to the blending of narrative elements. I think fictional
dialogue might be taking it too far. Info text, for me, has always been about
topics purported to be true.
@SuzanneLipshaw: This is
such an interesting thread. I’m discovering bits and pieces as I scroll through
my twitter feed this morning.
@KateMessner: I have
real issues with invented dialogue in books labeled NF. Once you start
inventing things, it's fiction. And it might be great and useful! But don't
call it NF. Call it "A Story Based on the Life of..." or similar.
@brandonmariemil: I share
your feelings, Kate.
@KateMessner: You can
still weave in lots of narrative (and poetic) elements in nonfiction. It's when
something's invented that a book crosses that line.
@mstewartscience: I agree.
I think the tricky thing is that many kids are taught to look at the Library of
Congress (LOC) Catalog in Print (CIP) data to decide if something is fiction or
nf and the LOC calls many books with invented dialogue “juvenile literature,”
which is their term for “nonfiction.”
@KateMessner: This
makes me all kinds of prickly.
@tamra_snell: As a
librarian reading all this, I love the dialogue about it. Makes me think about
books that come to me already labeled for shelving. Sometimes I’m not sure I
agree, but I don’t always change them. This conversation helps me think about
it.
@mrterborg: Makes me
wonder who comes up with CIP data. I'm not sure it's LOC.
@mstewartscience: Publishers
receive the CIP data and ISBN from the LOC prior to publication. This process often
takes a couple of months, so if they disagree, there often isn’t time to
request a change.
I've noticed lately, that some publishers aren't
including LOC data in books that blur the F/NF line. Then kids really aren't
sure.
@cylev: Adults
might not be sure, either.
@mstewartscience: Yes,
absolutely. If educators aren't sure, how can they pass the right info onto
kids.
@barberchicago: Truth.
@Kpteach5: I think
most young kids would understand an inanimate object narrator is made up.
Invented dialogue in NF is confusing for all kids. As was said earlier in this
thread, kids will easily be duped and may not read the backmatter.
@KirstenWLarson: I have a real
problem with invented dialog IF we don't tell the students. Without the same
access to resources a biographer has, students will have NO WAY to know what is
fact vs. fiction. Vs. It's pretty easy for kids to know a fly speaking is a
fictional element.
@mstewartscience: So is
saying dialogue is invented in the backmatter enough? What if kids don't read
the backmatter?
@knott_michele: Oftentimes, I wish there had been information that was frontloaded in a
book instead of at the end. It would have been a different reading experience.
I know we don’t want too much at the beginning, but some info is good to know
first.
@Kpteach5: I agree
with that, whole-heartedly. My kids and I just had a discussion about this with
a book recently. Can’t remember which one right now, but information provided
in the beginning would have been beneficial.
@KirstenWLarson: Interesting.
I would say we as authors are often discouraged from not getting straight to
the story. But a brief note or indicators throughout the text are something to
consider.
@mstewartscience: If a
teacher is doing it as a read aloud, s/he could share bits from the backmatter
in advance if s/he thought it would enhance or enrich the reading experience.
But that doesn't help for independent reading.
@Kpteach5: I do that
sometimes. There are times, when I read aloud to kids, that we don’t realize
how helpful a quick author’s note in the front would have been until we get to
the end. More often, I’m thinking about the independent reading kids will be
doing, as you mentioned.
@LydiaLukidis: This
thread is amazing!! I'm enjoying reading it :)
@KateMessner: Just read
a biography for YA readers - @mbrockenbrough's UNPRESIDENTED.
The detail is amazing - right down to the frosting on the donuts on the table
at the meeting. But all verifiably true, and with source notes.
@mstewartscience: Yes, many
books do this very well. I guess the struggle comes when something happened in
the past and those kinds of rich details have been lost to time.
@KateMessner: Definitely
easier when it's more recent history. But it's still amazing to me how many
tiny details you can dig up in journals/diaries/letters and even through archaeology.
@mstewartscience: Absolutely,
you're right. But what if those details or dialogue don't exist and a writer
needs them for the storytelling to work? Do they switch to expository or do
they invent things? In many cases, they invent things.
@KateMessner: *whispers*
And at that point, they're no longer writing nonfiction...
@KateMessner: In all
honesty, it is AWFUL when you're searching for confirmation of that one detail
or that one quote that would make everything perfect and you just can't find
it. But you have to be willing to give things up when the research doesn't bear
them out.
@mstewartscience: I agree
100 percent, Kate, and yet books like with invented details and dialog are frequently
labeled nonfiction, shelved as nonfiction, win nonfiction awards.
@mbrokenbrough: Yet
another reason for us not to define our work and our worth by awards. :-)
@mstewartscience: I agree, Martha,
but kids need to develop an understanding of what they are reading. Seeing that
a book is a nf award winner when it has invented dialog is confusing to them.
@moonb2: Nonfiction
shelving in libraries is fuzzy at best Consider: fairytales, folk tales,
mythology.
@barberchicago: Yes. I’m just now starting to understand this.
@mstewartscience: FYI @barberchicago:
http://celebratescience.blogspot.com/2016/09/behind-books-how-nonfiction-got-its-name.html
@barberchicago: This is FASCINATING. Just sent it to my
colleagues (and myself to share with my students!)
@mbrokenbrough: Nonfiction
makes up nothing. Everything in quotation marks was actually said--and if it
came from a letter recounting something, and might be not totally accurate, the
notes reveal that.
@barberchicago: Agree 100%. And that’s what we teach our kids
to look for. And why the author may have included that quote, which is usually
to offer a primary perspective from someone who was actually there/involved
directly, vs. a secondary perspective.
@KateMessner: Yes! When
I talk w/ kids about historical research, we also discuss how primary sources
aren't perfect either. Because they're created by human beings who are
sometimes known to make mistakes, remember things wrong, and frankly, lie
sometimes to make themselves look better.
@KateMessner: For
example, if I write my mom a letter about my morning today, that's a primary
source. But I'm quite likely to tell her I had a banana for breakfast instead
of that ice cream I just ate. And historical figures do that, too. Such
interesting conversations to have w/ kids!
@mstewartscience: These are
great lessons for kids.
@KristenWLarson: You can
also get a lot of historical detail through parallel research into what was
typical for the time period.
@mstewartscience: But
here's where things can get tricky. Just because something was true for the
time, was it true for your exact story/subject?
@KateMessner: Maybe you
can't describe the exact holiday decorations at the historical figure's house -
but you can note what the streets of their city looked like in December.
@KristenWLarson: That's
the struggle with writing history. Unless you could take a video camera back in
time and record a life, you will never know everything with absolute precision.
Good historians are specific with their language, stating what they think they
know and to what degree.
And I am amazed at how much we don't know when writing
science too. You would not believe the lengths I had to go through to find out
the flying speed of a peregrine falcon. And scientists don't know with
precision. They've never instrumented one.
@KateMessner: It's kind
of amazing how much of our history gets told (and often, misrepresented and
mythologized) when a story becomes useful to tell during another period of
history.
@
barberchicago: Agree. It can have a lot of negative
consequences both at the current time and later on, intentional or not. Speaks
a lot to who has the power to tell the story, whose perspectives are left out,
etc.
@KateMessner: I'm
working on a NF series right now (not announced yet so I can't share more).
This is pretty much what it’s about. Parts of the stories will be told in
graphic format. But only someone's exact words can be in the speech bubbles
& it's been a great challenge, storytelling with that mix of quotes &
narration.
@mstewartscience: Yes,
that's the challenge--and the fun--of writing nonfiction. It's a treasure hunt.
Don Brown did this so well in his graphic book about Hurricane Katrina.
@KateMessner: Yes! And
in his 9/11 book, too.
@KristenWLarson: I've seen
some very well-researched graphic novel bios that indicate a subject’s real
words/quotes with bold, italics, or asterisks. As a reader, I appreciate
knowing which dialog is real vs. made up.
@alysonbeecher: My challenge is a fictional story told from the perspective of a sea turtle
or wolf (for example). An “every animal” story, so to speak. Factual on one
level, but not actually true. I tend to partner these with an expository book
on same topic.
@mstewartscience: Martha, what
are your thoughts about a factual book that's narrated by the sun or a fly? Or
a story about a wolf where all the info is factual, but not the recorded
activities of an actual wolf? Books like this are generally called nonfiction.
Is that okay?
@mbrokenbrough: I have no
problem with the concept of it. It all depends on the execution, and how it's
packaged.
@mstewartscience: Well,
these books are labeled as nonfiction. Do you think that's okay?
@mbrokenbrough: It all
depends on the execution. Is it disclosed? Is the reason for it given? Does it
help with the reader's understanding? We have a responsibility to readers, and
I lean toward rigor over rigidity in presentation.
An animation of a sunrise on Mars isn't literally true,
but it shows what it looks like and as long as it's labeled
"animation," then I think it's OK. So, a book told from the POV of a
fetal tiger shark that says, "The developing shark sought the most
nutritious meal it could find ... its brother," is all right by me.
@KristenWLarson: In
history, if we make up a narrator, it's historical fiction. Period. I think if
we don't call books with an inanimate-object or animal narrators
"fiction" then we confuse the fundamental idea we teach young readers:
if you make up ANYTHING, it's fiction.
@mstewartscience: And what
do you think about the wolf story example, Kristen?
@KristenWLarson: I don't know why, but I feel like this is ok, because you
can research a pattern of behavior with enough clarity to say what a typical
day might look like for an animal. And there is likely a reference for each
action/event. FLYING DEEP (Cusolito) comes to mind too.
@mstewartscience: I think
Flying Deep is different because @MCusolito worked
closely with scientists who had descended in Alvin. But your point is well
taken. Any pb with illustrations isn't showing an actual verifiable scene. There
is imagination involved.
@KristenWLarson: Exactly.
We went through this with my book about aviation pioneer Lilian Todd (WOOD,
WIRE, WINGS). We had a few, grainy photos. The illustrator, Tracy Subisak, had
to fill in the gaps, and we had the art reviewed by experts in early aviation.
But unless we illus. with photos...
@MCusolito: I thought about this A LOT when writing Flying Deep. All
the scenes described in the book really happened, BUT they didn’t necessarily
happen in that order during the same day. Launch & recovery sequences &
the associated dialogue are always the same but what happens between the two
varies. Experts agreed that it’s reflective of a typical dive day but it’s not
a particular one.
@meganbfrazer: As a
librarian I have a real problem with invented dialogue for real characters. I
also find first person biographies (i.e. by someone other than the individual)
problematic. The little kids can't tell/understand that the person didn't
really say those things.
@PeggyHarkins: That
makes sense. How are you defining "little kids?" And at what age is a
first-person novel appropriate?
@meganbfrazer: I
currently work K-5, so I'm thinking k-2 for little. But most of my 3-5 students
would need it explicitly stated up front that the work is not the actual voice
of the individual.
@mstewartscience: Hi, Meg!
What are your thoughts about a factual book that's narrated by the sun or a
fly? Or a story about a wolf where all the info is factual, but not the recorded
activities of an actual wolf. Books like this are generally called nonfiction.
@meganbfrazer: That's a
good question. I think most kids can more clearly understand that the sun
doesn't actually talk, which is my primary concern: will this informational text
(fic or nf) leave kids with misinformation?
So, in that sense, I think a talking sun is more
appropriate than a made up dialogue/narration for a person. Still with my
library hat on, my next question would be, "Where would I shelve it?"
Fiction or nonfiction? That's trickier.
My primary concern with shelving is findability, which is
why we are moving to genrefication and considering interfiling fic and nf, but
that dodges your question.
@controlf: As a
librarian, I get to move things where I want, and I change shelf locations all
the time. And these are the books I love to display and share. I'm just
wondering if on a systemic level, the classification process has not kept up
with readers’ needs.
@mstewartscience: Yes, I
think you are absolutely right. The classification process has not kept up with
readers’ needs.
And that’s where the Twitter conversation petered out on
Saturday around noon. If you’d like to contribute some additional thoughts, please
do so in the comments below.
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