Here's what my nieces and nephew got for Christmas--some of my faves of 2014.
Thursday, December 25, 2014
Monday, December 22, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Friday, December 19, 2014
Fan-mail Friday
Wednesday, December 17, 2014
Behind the Books: Thinking About Nonfiction Structure, Part 1
I’ve blogged
about structure many times. About 5 years ago, I tried to come up with my own
categories. I was constantly revising my ideas.
Braided narrative
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
Expository
Then Common
Core came along and presented educators with six distinct
groupings—description, sequence/order, compare & contrast, question &
answer, cause & effect, and problem & solution. I’ve tried again and
again to sort existing books into these categories with mixed success.
In the end,
what I’ve realized is that while these categories may reflect the structures
(at least some) educators think students should learn to write, they aren’t
necessarily in line with the nonfiction children’s books being published.
For example,
right now narrative nonfiction is king in the kidlit world. It wins most of the
awards, so editors are eager to publish more. Who can blame them? They work for
companies with owners or stockholders who want to make money, and for the most
part, award-winning books sell more copies.
So we have
lots and lots and lots of narrative nonfiction. In fact, narrative nonfiction is
so plentiful and diverse that I divide it into five subcategories. And yet all
narrative nonfiction is just one subgroup within CCSS’s “sequence” category.
Think about
it. All narrative nonfiction has a sequence structure. The books present
information as a sequence of events. There are also some expository books
written with a sequence structure, so I think it’s safe to say that something
like two-thirds of all nonfiction trade books have this one structure.
Sequence Books
Chronological narrative
Balloons Over Broadway by Melissa Sweet
The Boy Who Loved Math by Deborah Heiligman
Buried Alive by Elaine Scott
Buried Alive by Elaine Scott
The Day-Glo Brothers by
Chris Barton
The
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins by Barbara Kerley
Noah Webster & His Words by
Jeri Chase Ferris
Planting
the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai by
Claire A. Nivola
Pop:
The Invention of Bubble Gum by Megan McCarthy
The Secret World of Walter
Anderson by Hester Bass
Episodic narrative
Ballet for Martha by Jan Greenberg and Sandra Jordan
Brave Girl by Michelle Markel
When Marian Sang by Pam Munoz Ryan
Braided narrative
Amelia Lost by Candace Fleming
Bomb by Steve Sheinkin
The
Family Romanov by
Candace Fleming
Titanic: Voices from the Disaster by Deborah Hopkinson
We’ve Got a Job by Cynthia Levinson
Circle narrative
Coral Reef by Jason Chin
A Drop of Water by Gordon Morrison
Frog in a Bog by John Himmelman
Red-Eyed Tree Frog by Joy Cowley
Redwoods by Jason Chin
Under the Snow by Melissa Stewart
When Rain Falls by Melissa Stewart
Vulture View by April Pulley Sayre
Journey narrative
If Stones Could Speak by Marc Aronson
Lost Treasure of the Inca by Peter Lourie
Quest for the Tree Kangaroo by
Sy Montgomery
Saving the Ghost of the Mountain by
Sy Montgomery
Expository
Bugged:
How Insects Changes the World by Sarah Albee
Dessert Designers: Creations You Can
Make and Eat by Dana Meachen Rau
Get Outside by
Jane Drake and Ann Love
Here Is the Tropical Rain Forest by
Madeleine Dunphy
The Klutz Book of Paper Airplanes by
Doug Stillinger
No Monkeys, No Chocolate by Melissa Stewart
Older Than the Stars by Karen C. Fox
Roald Dahl's Revolting Recipes by Josie
Fison and Felicity Dahl
What to Expect When You’re
Expecting Larvae: A Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious Kids) by Bridget Heos
I’m going to talk
more about the other five CCSS-structure categories and provide sample titles
in January. Happy Holidays!
Monday, December 15, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 2-LS4-1. Make observations of plants and animals to compare the diversity of life in different habitats.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Friday, December 12, 2014
Fan-mail Friday
Over the summer, I decided it would be fun to look back through all the mail kids sent me during the 2014-2015 school year. I've picked out some of my favorites and will be posting one every Friday. They truly are inspiring.
Wednesday, December 10, 2014
Behind the Books: Classifying Nonfiction Is Messy
Since October, I’ve
been talking about ways to classify nonfiction in an effort to help both readers
and writers understand the wide array of exciting, dynamic books currently on
the market and how those titles can inform writing instruction.
A LOT of books
moved around during this activity. Some moved back and forth, back and forth,
as people disagreed. It was fascinating, especially because some of the books
we were sorting had been written by participants.
After thinking
deeply and reading widely, I currently see four main categories of nonfiction
(survey, specialized, concept, biography/autobiography) and three styles
(narrative, expository, persuasive). I have sorted lots of great books
according to this system, and I think that doing so has been a useful exercise.
I’ve learned a lot while doing it.
But here’s
something important to consider. If someone else tried to sort the same books
into the same categories, they might not get the same results. And beyond that,
some other smart, knowledgeable people would probably disagree with my
two-tiered, seven-category classification
system.
At first, this
worried me a lot. I really believed that if I could come up with the right
system, anyone should be able to use it and get the same results. I know that’s
the kind of system educators would like, too. Afterall, it’s easier to teach.
Luckily, I came to
my senses while attending a great presentation given by author-educator Cynthia Jenson-Elliott at the SCBWI annual summer conference in Los Angeles.
At the beginning of
the session, Cindy suggested a nine-category grid for classifying nonfiction. Ugh.
I felt overwhelmed and anxious, but at least some of the category labels were
familiar—narrative nonfiction, concept, biography/autobiography, persuasive. I
trusted Cindy, so I decided to open my mind and see where she was headed.
Cindy had lugged
about 100 books to the session and pre-sorted them into her nine categories.
Our task was to choose a pile, examine the books, and decide if we agreed with
where she had placed them. If not, we should explain why on a sticky note and
move the book to the pile we thought made more sense. Afterward, a few people
had a chance to defend their choices to the group.
At the end of the
session, Cindy gathered us all together for two final thoughts.
1.
It can be challenging to classify books because some
cross or blend categories. Teachers need to get used to that messiness.
2.
Ironclad classification is less important than identifying
how a particular book can be used most effectively as a mentor text. A
teacher’s goal should be to build a collection with a few books that are good
models for teaching similes, a few that can be used to show strong verbs, a few
that make excellent use of alliteration, etc.
These ideas may
seem obvious. But for me, it was the right message at the right moment. It felt
liberating.
Does that mean
there’s little or no value trying to classify books? Absolutely not. There’s
much to be learned from the process—even if the results aren’t satisfying. It’s
about the journey, not the destination.
Monday, December 8, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 2-LS2-2. Develop a simple model that mimics the function of an animal in dispersing seeds or pollinating plants.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Friday, December 5, 2014
Fan-mail Friday
Wednesday, December 3, 2014
Behind the Books: Looking at Nonfiction Types and Styles Together
If you’ve been following my Wednesday posts
for the last few weeks, you know that I’ve been thinking about various ways of
classifying nonfiction and how the categories are related to an author’s
intention(s) as he/she is writing a book.
Just to recap . . . According to my current way
of thinking, there are four nonfiction categories—survey, specialized, concept, and biography/autobiography.
And there are three nonfiction writing styles—narrative, expository, persuasive.
So here’s a question: How are these nonfiction
types and writing styles related to and/or influenced by one another?
Here are my thoughts, and I fully admit that
they are still evolving.
When creating The Guinness Book of World’s Records or The Time for Kids Big Book of Why, the goal was to share snippets
of information that kids would devour. These books cover a lot of ground and are
meant to appeal to a wide swath of upper-elementary kids, including reluctant
readers. So the publishers developed survey books with a fast-fact expository style.
I think it’s safe to say that all survey
books have an expository style. At least I can’t think of any that don’t. Can
you?
When I was writing Feathers: Not Just for Flying, my goal was to describe the
surprising ways some birds use their feathers and to explain how their unusual
feather-related behaviors help them survive in their habitats. My topic was
focused, but I’d be sharing information about many different birds. The best
choice was a specialized book with a facts-plus expository writing style.
Do specialized books always have an
expository style? No way. My book A Place
for Butterflies is a specialized book with a persuasive style, and Chasing Cheetahs by Sy Montgomery is a
specialized book with a narrative style.
Remember the ten specialized books I shared
back on October 15? Here they are sorted by writing style:
Specialized,
Expository
My First Day by Steve Jenkins & Robin
Page
Pure
Grit
by Mary Cronk Farrell
Zombie Makers:
True Stories of Nature's Undead by Rebecca L. Johnson
Specialized,
Narrative
Chasing Cheetahs: The Race to Save Africa's Fastest Cats by
Sy Montgomery
Handle with Care: An Unusual
Butterfly Journey by Loree Griffin Burns
Plastics Ahoy! by Patricia Newman
Witches! The Absolutely True Tale of Disaster in Salem
by
Rosalyn Schanzer
Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator by Sarah Campbell
Specialized,
Persuasive
Energy Island by Allan Drummond
Frog Song by Brenda G. Zuiberson
When
I was writing the three companion books When
Rain Falls, Under the Snow, and Beneath the Sun, I had a dual purpose
in mind. (1) I wanted readers to understand an abstract concept—that an animal’s
body features and behaviors help it survive in its environment. (2) I wanted
the books to work as bedtime stories.
To achieve my first goal, a concept book was the obvious choice. Many
(most?) concept books have an expository style, but for my books to work well at
bedtime, a narrative style would work better. After much trial and error, I
discovered that showing the passage of time and crafting an ending that linked
strongly back to the beginning created a satisfying circle, making the books
read like stories.
Remember the ten
concept books I shared back on October 15? Here they are sorted by writing
style. Interestingly, both of the
Concept, Narrative books below feature circle stories, just like my three
books. I think this is a reliable pattern.
Concept,
Expository
An Egg is Quiet by Dianna Aston Hutts
Bone by Bone:
Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sarah Levine
Just a Second by Steve Jenkins
Lifetime: The
Amazing Numbers in Animals’ Lives
by Lola Schaefer
Move by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
Mysterious Patterns: Finding Fractals in Nature by Sarah C. Campbell
Seeing Symmetry by Loreen Leedy
Swirl by Swirl by Joyce Sidman
Concept,
Narrative
Frog in a Bog by John Himmelman
Trout Are Made of Trees by April Pulley
Sayre
Last but not least is the biography/autobiography
category.
Because these books are the story of a
person’s life, they are generally written with a narrative style. Creating
scenes helps readers feel like they know the main character and understand his/her
actions. But some biographies/autobiographies are also meant to persuade
readers. These books have a combination narrative-persuasive style. Who Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by
Tanya Lee Stone is a perfect example.
Monday, December 1, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 1-LS3-1. Make observations to construct an evidence-based account that young plants and animals are like, but not exactly like, their parents.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Monday, November 24, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 1-LS1-2. Read texts and use media to determine patterns in behavior of parents and offspring that help offspring survive.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Friday, November 21, 2014
Fan-mail Friday
Over the summer, I decided it would be fun to look back through all the mail kids sent me during the 2014-2015 school year. I've picked out some of my favorites and will be posting one every Friday. They truly are inspiring.
Wednesday, November 19, 2014
Behind the Books: Influencing Your Audience with Persuasive Nonfiction
When I first started compiling Common
Core-related book lists in 2012, persuasive writing had me stumped. I couldn’t
think of any good mentor texts.
But then I thought about it a little more.
Then my friend,
writer and school librarian Sam Kane, forwarded me a link to this
an article in Booklist. It discusses
Common Core text types and recommends recently-published science books in each
category.
When I
saw that my
book, A Place for Bats, was included in the persuasive category, I
was stunned.
I didn’t think I was trying to persuade anyone of anything. I was
merely laying out the facts and letting the reader decide. Wasn’t I?
But then I thought about it a little more.
Do I want people to
protect bats and their environments? Yes.
By the end of the
book, are kids going to understand that? Well . . . yes.
Are they going to
take action? They just might.
After having that startling moment
of insight, it became much easier to pick out other persuasive books. Here’s
a list of ten that
I recommend:
Almost
Astronauts
by Tanya Lee Stone
Citizen Scientists by Loree Griffin Burns
City Chickens by Christine
Heppermann
Frog Song by Brenda Z.
Guiberson
Gaia Warriors by Nicola Davies and James Lovelock
The Girl from Tar Paper School by Teri Kanefield
A Place for Bats by Melissa
Stewart
Write On, Mercy: The Secret Life of Mercy
Otis Warren by
Gretchen Woelfle
Wheels of Change: How Women Rode the Bicycle to Freedom by Sue Macy
Who
Says Women Can’t Be Doctors? The
Story of Elizabeth Blackwell by Tanya Lee Stone
Students may never have to write persuasive
texts as part of their future jobs, but everyone will encounter them in their
adult lives—from product advertisements to political platforms. That’s why all
students should be able to recognize when someone is trying to convince them to
do something or think a certain way, and then be able to step back and
carefully consider whether or not they agree.
Monday, November 17, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS 1-LS1-1. Use materials to design a solution to a human problem by mimicking how plants and/or animals use their external parts to help them survive, grow, and meet their needs.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lessons, check out Perfect Pairs:
Friday, November 14, 2014
Fan-mail Friday
Over the summer, I decided it would be fun to look back through all the mail kids sent me during the 2014-2015 school year. I've picked out some of my favorites and will be posting one every Friday. They truly are inspiring.
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Behind the Books: Is “Expository” Derogatory?
Narrative. The word
has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it?
Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by Lita Judge
Bugged: How Insects Changed the World by Sarah Albee
There is also a second kind of expository nonfiction books. Marc Aronson and his Uncommon Corps colleagues call them data books. I prefer to call them fast-fact books to distinguish them from the facts-plus books listed above.
Expository? Not so
much.
Rhymes with gory,
purgatory, derogatory, lavatory. Gesh, it’s no wonder authors cringe when
someone uses the word to describe their work. And yet, plenty of great nonfiction
for kids is expository. Its main purpose is to explain, describe, or inform.
Why are authors so
sensitive? Because narrative nonfiction is the new kid on the block, and it’s
getting lots of attention right now. But here’s a little ditty that’s worth
remembering:
Make new friends,
but keep the old.
One is silver,
and the other’s gold.
As far as I’m
concerned, this is a golden moment for expository nonfiction because, in recent
years, it’s gone through an exciting transformation. Once upon a time, it was
boring and stodgy and matter-of-fact, but today’s nonfiction books MUST delight as well
as inform young readers, and nonfiction authors have risen to the challenge.
The books they’re creating feature engaging text, often with a strong voice, as
well as dynamic art and design.
The problem is that not everyone is aware of
these dramatic changes. And that’s why we have to work hard to get terrific expository
books into the hands of as many educators as possible.
Here’s a list of ten examples (more are
available on my pinterest pages):
A Black Hole Is Not a Hole
by
Carolyn Cinami DeCristofano
Born in the Wild: Baby Mammals and Their Parents by Lita Judge
Bugged: How Insects Changed the World by Sarah Albee
Feathers:
Not Just for Flying
by Melissa Stewart
Frogs by Nic Bishop
Just
One Bite by
Lola Schaefer
Look
Up! Bird-Watching in Your Own Backyard by Annette LeBlanc Cate
Neo Leo by Gene Barretta
Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies
Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes by Nicola Davies
What Do
You Do with a Tail Like This? by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
There is also a second kind of expository nonfiction books. Marc Aronson and his Uncommon Corps colleagues call them data books. I prefer to call them fast-fact books to distinguish them from the facts-plus books listed above.
Facts-plus books focus on facts as well as
overarching ideas. In other words, they present facts and explain them.
Fast-fact books focus on sharing cool facts. Period. They inform, and that’s
all. Examples include The Guinness Book
of World Records, Time for Kids Big
Book of Why, and Eyewitness Books. These are the concise, fact-filled books
that groups of boys love to read together and discuss.
Some people don’t have a very high opinion of
fast-fact books, and to be sure, they don’t build reading stamina or critical
thinking skills, but they do motivate many reluctant readers to pick up a book, and IMHO that alone makes them worthwhile.
Why do students need to be
exposed to a diverse array of expository texts? Because it’s the style of nonfiction
they’ll be asked to write most frequently throughout their school careers and in their future jobs.
Whether they’re working on a report, a thesis, a business proposal, or even a
company newsletter, they’ll need to know how to summarize information and
synthesize ideas in a way that is clear, logical, and interesting to their
readers. Today’s expository children’s literature makes ideal mentor texts for
modeling these skills.
Monday, November 10, 2014
Teaching Science with Kidlit
NGSS K-ESS3-3. Communicate solutions that will reduce the impact of humans on the land, water, air, and/or other living things in the local environment.
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lesson plans, check out Perfect Pairs:
Try these book pairs:
For more suggestions and full lesson plans, check out Perfect Pairs:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)