Non-Fiction for Young Readers

I'm a HUGE fan of non-fiction for young readers. In fact, as an adult I often start with a Middle Grade non-fiction before moving on to the more complex adult books on any new subject. 

I find NF for young readers has better timelines, cuts clutter, and more clearly highlights major points and important info. 

This New York Times article discusses the idea of non-fiction for the young, and lists some interesting titles. 

For some young readers, particularly boys, NF is the only way to go. Forcing someone to read Anne of Green Gables when he or she would rather read a harrowing but true account of the Donner Party is a violation of one of the Five Laws of Library Science: "Every reader his or her book." 

Let young readers pursue their interests! There's a wealth of knowledge and books written just for them. 

 

Glassbourg, Michael. Learn to Speak Film. Illustrated by Jeff Kulak. Owlkids Books, 2013. ISBN:  978-1926973852

I’ve talked to parents who desire to promote a love of reading in their children, but some of the best-loved fiction titles don’t hold their child’s interest. This is when we start to explore individual interests, and non-fiction options.

Part of the Learn to Speak series, this title would appeal to any middle-grade or tween reader who loves film, directing, acting, art and set design, or dreams of writing a screenplay.

The layout and design of the book is appealing, with block color contrast and lots of bold silhouettes and lines. Displaying a “hipster cool” visual vibe, it does not feel like an educational read, although it is filled to the brim with advice, step-by-step procedure, and appreciation for the artistic and creative elements of the craft.

Everything from the format and look of a screenplay, to organizing a shoot, to storyboarding, film festivals, musings from current filmmakers and lists of jobs in the industry are found in this title. This book is not overwhelming, and gives just the right amount of information about each subject.

 

Crosetto, Alice and Rajinder, Garcha. Death, Loss, and Grief in Literature for Youth: A Selective Annotated Bibliography for K-12. Scarecrow Press, 2012. ISBN: 9780810885615

This is an excellent resource for any librarian, teacher, parent, or youth worker. Stories and literature are a reflection of the human heart and soul. Our aspirations, pains, and joys can all be played out before our eyes in the form of a fictional character. By seeing this from a distance, we can connect, think, and reflect. 

But this title does not only survey fiction. Nonfiction, online resources, and other media are also explored. 

Broken into sections covering topics such as "Death of a Family Member", "Death of a Classmate or Teacher", or "Non-Fiction", detailed annotated bibliographies of books covering said topic are presented.

I was pleased to see some of the books I have read listed in the bibliography, as well as the fact that the books chosen included both classics and recent titles.

Another helpful feature was the appendixes. There were several of them, arranged to cover such topics as award winners, by author, etc.   

If you are a parent or work with youth, you will not be sorry you added this title to your collection. It can lead you down a literary path that will spark discussion, address questions, and perhaps foster healing when in conjunction with guidance from a caring adult.