And
yet many picture book biographies include at least some of these elements. How
can that be? The answer surprised me, and it will probably surprise you too.
According
to many trade book editors, a biography is “an account of a person’s life,” but
it doesn’t have to be completely factual.
BUT
when it comes to fiction vs. nonfiction, the Library of Congress is
lenient and inconsistent. If a book is about a historical figure and mostly
true, the LOC generally classifies it as “juvenile literature,” which is the term
they use for all nonfiction books.
Here
are some examples:
But then there is this book:
Is
your head spinning? I’m not surprised. It’s all very confusing.
What’s the solution? I’ll
offer up one possible idea next week.
Posts
Categorization is definitely tricky. I just read Lift Your Light a Little Higher & I loved it, but it's written in 1st person and seems more like historical fiction vs. nf.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to your next installment :)
Yes, baffling, indeed! My public library has classified all of your examples as NF, except for, (if I remember correctly) the Beatrix Potter one by Deborah Hopkinson. They classified that in the Easy Reader Fiction section. . . .go figure! I'm not sure about the bicycle one.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments, Maria and Debra. There are a growing number of books that use fictional elements to enhance storytelling surrounding life stories and historical events. It's confusing to us--and to kids.
ReplyDelete