Young people live in the age of the digital flood, a tsunami of mis/dis/partial/compelling information. What can nonfiction books offer as guideposts, life rafts, islands of safety in the storm? Our panel of award-winning creators and a Sibert chair offer librarians some answers.
- Engagement: What makes an author's work compelling, an artist's images both clear and exciting, a design inviting? We share examples of exceptional writing, illustration, and design in nonfiction.
- Evaluation: How can a librarian who is not an expert in a subject area judge a nonfiction book on that topic? We show how well-crafted backmatter provides a roadmap for all readers. Each book becomes a model of the journey of searching for insight and understanding, rather than a claim of perfect knowledge.
- Depth: We feature nonfiction books that go beyond headlines to capture people and subjects in three dimensions and train readers to look past easy judgements to the complexity of human lives and events.
- Accessibility: Nonfiction offers a variety of hand-holds for readers not confident in reading. From the table of contents to short chapters, images with captions, maps and timelines, readers can find their own entry points, and needed breaks.
- Curiosity: The best nonfiction is a product of the author's curiosity crafted to inspire the same in the reader. This invitation to know draws readers in and then sends them out to learn more.
Our panel offers librarians insight into engagement, evaluation, depth, accessibility and curiosity through nonfiction.
