Nancy Alvarado
Elaine Visorde
Grecia Gonzalez
What is Information?

Information books are to inform about particular subjects, issues, or
ideas.

“Certainly the basic purpose of nonfiction is to
inform, to instruct, hopefully to enlighten.”

Information books are infused with life and
create a world to engage readers.

Chapter 5 uses nonfiction because it is an
umbrella term.
Value of Nonfiction

Information books are essential for children because they
want to know about the world around them. “Nonfiction
books are wonderful resources for children seeking
answers to genuine question.”
•
Children have world knowledge
Children prefer nonfiction books
Reluctant readers have interest in informational books
Children become familiar with the structures of the genre
Children become familiar with expository texts
Informational books engage readers in critical thinking
Informational books prepare children for their future
beyond school because nonfiction is everywhere.
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Topics addressed in nonfiction
Topic
Purpose
History
Children can glimpse people, places, and events of the past and better understand factors
that shapes the past.
People and
Cultures
These books introduce children to people who come from particular cultures in the world.
They help children understand the concept of culture and appreciate similarities and
differences among around the world.
Nature
These books, which explore the natural world, form a particularly large category of books for
children. They lead children to discoveries about animals, plants, geology, geography, and
the human body.
Arts
This category of books explores different facets of art, music, drama, and dance and people
engaged in these arts.
How Things
Work
This category helps children discover answers to some of the questions they may have
about topics
Sports,
Recreation, and
How-to Books
Books in this category address recreational interests
Categories of Informational
(Nonfiction) Books

Informational books cover a wide variety of topics and take many
different formats.

Common categories of nonfiction selections:
 Concept Books
 History
 People and Culture
 Nature
 The Arts
 How Things Work
 Sports, Recreation, and How-to Books
 Series Books
Concept Books

Concept books helps young readers understand the world around
them (physical, natural, and social aspects).

Information is portrayed through pictures and texts so that it is
visually stimulating to young readers.

Examples of concept books:
 ABC books
 Counting books
 Books that describe colors and shapes
 Books that describe feelings and emotions
*Kente Colors by Debbie Chocolate
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History

These books help readers learn about people, places, and events
of a different time in the past.

Provide a more in-depth look at U.S. history and highlight the role of
the underrepresented groups and their contributions to our country
 Jerry Stanley’s Hurry Freedom: African Americans in Gold Rush
California
 Michael Cooper’s Remembering Manzanar: Life in a Japanese
Relocation Camp
 Penny Colman’s Girls: A History of Growing Up Female in America
People and Culture

Informational books that deal with people and culture introduce
young readers to children like themselves who live in other parts of
the world or other parts of the United States

Children learn to understand different cultures, appreciate
similarities and differences among people around the world

Ann Moris (photographs)
 Weddings
 Teamwork
 Families
Nature

Children are led to discover more about plants, animals, geology,
geography, and the human body.

Examples:
 Robert Burleigh’s Chocolate: Riches from the Rainforest
 Sy Montgomery’s Quest for the Tree Kangaroo: An Expedition to the
Cloud Forest of New Guinea
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The Arts

Books that celebrate art, drama, dance, and music help expose
children to the arts that enrich their lives.

Children learn to creatively express thought and feelings and how
to tell stories through interpretive forms.

Examples:
 William Lach’s Baby Animals: Little Ones at Play in 20 Works of Art
 Caroline Desnoettes’ Look Closer: Art Masterpieces through the
Ages
 Patricia McMahon’s Dancing Wheels
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How Things Work

Books that describe the process of how things work.

Children are naturally curious about the way things work such as
machines and other inventions.

Examples
 David Macaulay’s The New Way Things Work
 Stephen M. Tomecek’s What a Great Idea!
Inventions that Changed the World
 Cheryl Willis Hudson’s Construction Zone
Sports, Recreation, & How-to

Children can develop hobbies or learn more about existing hobbies
through informational books.

Sports is a high-interest category for many students.

Some informational books can engage children in play and
recreation.

Examples
 Emeril Lagasse’s Emeril’s There’s a Chef in My World!
Recipes that Take You Places
 Cal Ripkin Jr.’s The Longest Season
 Walter Wick’s Can You See What I See? Once
Upon a Time
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Series Books
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Series books are made to provide works about related topics.

Books in a series will follow the same format.

Examples
 Lerner Publishing’s Count Your Way series
○ Highlights cultures around the world using a counting
format to convey information about the culture
 Harper Collins’ Let’s Read-and-Find-Out Science series
○ Includes books like Be a Friend to Trees by Patricia
Lauber and Willging Worms at Work by Wendy
Pfeffer and Steve Jenkins
 David Shannon’s David series
○ Follows the same format in which David, a young boy
makes mistakes and learns about what’s right and wrong.
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• Writers of informational books write books that
have facts, concepts and ideas that are explained
to the reader.
• The author’s biggest challenge is making it
appealing.
Expository Writing
(organizational patterns):
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description
chronological sequencing
sequencing
explanation
comparison/contrasting
defining with examples
problem-solutions.
Good informational
books have:
humor, engage readers, pose questions,
lots of imagery and show enthusiasm
for the topic being presented.
Major Writers of Informational
Books and Their Works
George Ancona writes about culture and takes
children to journeys like his book
•Carnaval (about a 5-day carnival in Olinda Brazil)
•The First Thanksgiving Feast
•Making a New Home in America
•Monsters on Wheels
These 3 books focus on Yucatan and Mexican Heritage
•Mayeros
•Pablo Remembers: The Fiesta of the Day of Dead
•The Piñata Maker/El Piñatero
Joanna Cole
writes science books
Gail Gibbons
Ice Cream: The Full Scoop
 Spiders
 The Milk Makers (selected
by; Reading Rainbow)
 Sunken Treasure (selected
by; Reading Rainbow)
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James Cross Giblin
The Truth About
Santa Claus
The Riddle of the
Rosetta Stone
Key to Ancient Egypt
Steve Jenkins
What Do You With a Tail Like This
Kathryn Lasky
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* The Weaver’s Gift
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*Sugar Time
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Patricia Lauber
Milton Meltzer
The Amazing Potato:
A Story in which the
Incas , Conquistadors,
Maria Antoinette,Thomas
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Patricia has written more
than 80 info books about
science.
Jim Murphy
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* An American Plague
* Weird and Wacky Inventions
Laurence Pringle
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* Snakes! Strange and Wonderful
* Whales! Strange and Wonderful
Seymour Simon
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*Sharks
*Penguins
*Snakes
*
Animals in the Field and Laboratory:
Projects in Animal Behavior
Seymour has written more than 200 science
info books.