Nonfiction Monday

The National Book Award finalists will be announced on Wednesday.  You’ll remember that last year two of the finalists, CLAUDETTE COLVIN and CHARLES AND EMMA, were informational books and a third, STITCHES, was a memoir in the form of a graphic novel, bringing the grand total of nonfiction titles to three.

I don’t know that the Newbery committee has ever recognized more than a single nonfiction title, but last year they didn’t lack for worthy candidates as CLAUDETTE COLVIN, CHARLES AND EMMA, ALMOST ASTRONAUTS, and MARCHING FOR FREEDOM eventually dominated the field with multiple accolades and honors.

As Nina mentioned, this year is shaping up to be another incredibly good year in terms of nonfiction, especially for the older readers in the Newbery range.  SUGAR CHANGED THE WORLD is still one of my personal favorites, but as it’s not published until mid-November, I’ll hold off on the discussion until later.  I finished THE GOOD, THE BAD, AND THE BARBIE late last week and think that it’s even better than ALMOST ASTRONAUTS.  While it’s not dogged by concerns about the interpretation of events, some may feel it appeals to an even older audience.  I’ve heard mixed things about SIR CHARLIE, but I personally found it the most engaging of Fleischman’s biographies, plus it’s the one book I’m going to mention in this post that is a genuine, true blue, honest-to-goodness juvenile title.  I’m with Nina in her admiration of these previously mentioned titles, but I want profile several more members of Team Nonfiction.

THE WAR TO END ALL WARS by Russell Freedman melds a concise chronological summary of the key events of WWI with a broader thematic focus on different aspects of the war.  His use of primary sources, both textual and visual, are characteristic of his best work.  I’ve heard some grumbling about this one–way too simplistic, brings nothing new to the table–so this one is not loved universally.  While it’s not necessarily my favorite either, it’s still a pretty formidable contender. 

THEY CALLED THEMSELVES THE KKK by Susan Campbell Bartoletti is her first book since HITLER YOUTH and it could earn her Newbery recognition again.  Like Freedman, Bartoletti opts for a dual narrative structure–chronological and thematic–that works extremely well for the source material.  This book seemed scholarly and academic, more like BLACK POTATOES than HITLER YOUTH.  That’s an observation rather than a criticism.  Perhaps I miss the photographs of the latter book.  And perhaps, too, I expected a more contemporary history, rather than the focus on the Klan during the Reconstruction.  I’ve obviously got to divest myself of some baggage before I give it another look.

BUILT TO LAST by David Macaulay may the be best of the bunch, but will probably be ruled ineligible as it’s a compilation or reprint of CASTLE, CATHEDRAL, and MOSQUE, albeit with significantly revised text and illustrations.  I bring this one to your attention, then, to ask what you think of the writing.  It clearly stands independently of the illustrations, but is it distinguished?  I think so–even if it is a moot point.

I’m sure there are another half a dozen nonfiction titles that we’ll probably discuss over the next couple months, but do you think any of them will be announced as National Book Award finalists?  Any predictions, nonfiction or otherwise?

Filed under: Uncategorized