Nonfiction is considered as an umbrella term for expository, biography, autobiography, memoir and narrative nonfiction. When evaluating a nonfiction text, one of the most important criteria is accurate information which depends on the qualifications of the author. Another piece to look at is the purpose and scope of the book, how the organization helps readers look for information, and what role do images and graphics play.
Nonfiction has never been a high priority for me to have in my classroom. Part of that is because I have a lack of interest in nonfiction, unfortunately. Last year a personal goal for me was to read more nonfiction. This resulted in listening to more memoirs by celebrities. The children’s literature course provided me the opportunity to read a couple more nonfiction books I found interesting. If I remember correctly, boys gravitate towards more nonfiction books. I have a short collection in my classroom, and from what I’ve seen, this is true.
One point from the video I agreed with wholeheartedly was to check the acknowledgments to verify the author's’ qualifications. Acknowledgments and author’s notes sometimes are my favorite part of a book. Donna Gephart describes her process and provides different resources related to her book Lily and Dunkin. Her inspiration for writing this fictional book was due to a documentary she watched about a transgender person and her son and his struggles with bipolar disorder. She then completed some extensive research about the subject. I appreciate this type of information because it lets me know how close the author felt towards their writing.
What I should personally do in the future is read physical nonfiction books and apply the evaluation criteria. This way I can add more quality and diverse books for my kids to read.
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