Characteristics
of
Nonfiction Books
Authors of nonfiction books use
many different strategies to get
important information across to
their readers
What are some of these
strategies?
Labels
 Labels
help the reader identify a picture or
a photograph and its parts.
Photographs and Captions
 Photographs
help the reader
understand exactly what something
looks like.
 Captions
help the reader better
understand a picture or photograph.
Photograph
Caption
Photograph
Caption
Picture
Captions
Comparisons
Comparisons help the reader understand the
size of one thing by comparing it to the size of
something.
Comparison
Cutaways
Cutaways help the reader understand
something by looking at it from the inside.
Cutaway
Maps
Maps help the reader understand
where things are in the world.
This map shows the location of the Titanic when she sent out a distress call.
Types of Print
Types of print help the reader by signaling,
“Look at me! I’m important!”
Bold font for headings
Highlighting
Other Types of Print
There are numerous ways an author can use
fonts and effects to draw a reader’s attention to
something important. The writer may use
titles, headings, boldface print, color print,
italics, bullets, captions, and labels. These all
signal importance in text. Think of them as red
flags.
Close-ups
Close-ups help the reader see details in
something small.
Close-up
Close-up
Close-up of a root tip
Close-up
Table of Contents
Table of Contents help the reader find
key topics in the book in the order that
they come.
Index
Index is an alphabetical list of almost
everything written in the text, with page
numbers so you can find the information.
Glossary
Glossary helps the reader
understand key words that are in
the text.
Tables
Table helps the reader understand important
information by listing it in a table or a chart
form.
Cue Words and Phrases
Nonfiction writing often includes text clues
that signal importance. Signal words, like
stop signs, warn readers to halt and pay
attention.
Writers choose phrases such as for
example, for instance, in fact, in
conclusion, most important, but,
therefore, on the other hand,
and such as so that readers
take note.
The next time you pick-up a
newspaper, read an article on
the internet, or flip through your
favorite magazine, look for all of
the characteristics of nonfiction
text. I think you will be
surprised how many you will find
in just one book or article!