Nonfiction Round-Up: A look at Mock Newbery possibilities, from plastic straws to World War II
This is the first of our weekly Wednesday Round-ups, where we’ll take a look at a handful of books from one broad type or category. You can see what topics are coming up in this earlier post. And plan your reading accordingly. Today’s topic is Nonfiction, and Emily and I both decided to weigh in on this one.
STEVEN
Of the 86 books on our list of suggestions through the end of August, only nine were nonfiction. (We’re not including poetry or graphic novel memoirs here…we’ll get to those later.) It’s always challenging to compare nonfiction to fiction, but even within the field of nonfiction it gets tricky. You’ve got books in picture book format aimed at younger readers, as well as 300+ pagers for middle school learners. Let’s start on the younger side. Emily, do you see any top nonfiction contenders for early elementary school ages?
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EMILY
I just read FIRE OF STARS and was really trying to love it, but it just didn’t seem to have enough substance to it. THE LAST PLASTIC STRAW is definitely my frontrunner. It has three suggestions on Heavy Medal (and yes, I’m one of them). I love how the book takes readers on a journey through the history of plastic straws and explains today’s impact, without being too condescending. The presentation of information and style are fantastic.
STEVEN
Good point about STRAW not being condescending. It really covers a lot of ground, but trusts its young intended audience to be interested. And just the right amount of information. Maybe just a little bit teacher-ly at the end? I’m not sure…
EMILY
I also suggested WE GO WAY BACK by Idan Ben-Barak which I think provides great information and an engaging narrative, but probably doesn’t have enough “Newbery substance.”
STEVEN
It was your suggestions that led me to both THE LAST PLASTIC STRAW and WE GO WAY BACK…thanks! I think WE GO WAY BACK is just about perfect. What an interesting way to introduce the topic of the beginnings of life. It’s one of those where the words do exactly as much as they should, while letting the illustrations carry a lot of the weight. Which can make it hard for Newbery. An interesting Sibert possibility maybe? [CORRECTION: after this post ran, the author pointed out that WE GO WAY BACK actually is not Newbery-eligible, since he lives in Australia]
Another intriguing nonfiction picture book is MOVING THE MILLERS’ MINNIE MOORE MANSION. Eggers seems to enjoy telling the story as much as the readers will (ideallly) enjoy listening to it. Example: “…the first thing the workers did was to draw numbers on every one of those stones. Why? Don’t ask why. You will learn soon enough.” And later: “This. Actually. Happened.” Plus there’s a surprise twist at the end (not a good one for the pigs).
EMILY
There are so many good nonfiction picture books this year. I know you’re a fan of nonfiction for older readers (myself not so much). I should probably get around and read IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE, since so many people (YOU) are raving about it. I just finished UNSEEN JUNGLE: THE MICROBES THAT SECRETLY CONTROL OUR WORLD and I absolutely loved it. I’m not sure how much of a case I can make for it being Newbery worthy, but I loved the tone of the book – speaking to the readers, the interviews with scientists and think it was just so overall informative and engaging.
STEVEN
I Haven’t read UNSEEN JUNGLE yet. Sounds excellent. I would love to see a science book break through someday. As you mentioned, one standout for me is IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE by Steve Sheinkin. He’s such a good nonfiction storyteller, and I love the way he weaves related threads together. Rudi’s experiences before, during, and after his Auschwitz imprisonment could stand alone. But Sheinkin weaves in the parallel experiences of his friend Gerda, while also documenting the horrifying progress of the Nazi’s plans, making the story bigger and deeper. The details of torture and death can be hard to read about, but they aren’t sensationalized. Similar in that way to Deborah Hopkinson’s RACE AGAINST DEATH, about the Bataan Death March, which is also excellent.…I still think both are well within the 0-14 age range of the Newbery, though.
EMILY
SUPERPOD was a title with a few suggestions. A very solid animal book for middle grade readers. I think this really has the child appeal for Newbery and strong presentation of content.
STEVEN
Yes, strong child appeal for SUPERPOD, with the author directly addressing kids and pointing out the ways children have played a role in protecting the orcas. HIDDEN SYSTEMS is another interesting one. Using a graphic novel format, the author/illustrator explains how the Internet, electricity, and water kind of keep the world of humans going. It describes the science side, but also takes a societal perspective, looking at why they developed, the ways they can both help and harm, and how not everyone benefits equally from them. It’s on the National Book Award longlist.
I’m still waiting on a few promising nonfiction books, including THE MONA LISA VANISHES and MORE THAN A DREAM (also on the NBA Longlist). Any nonfiction you’re looking out for, Emily?
EMILY
MONA LISA is on my desk! And MORE THAN A DREAM also seems promising. We do have some strong contenders this year, but it is always hard for nonfiction to win a Newbery, especially when not all the criteria applies to nonfiction. What does it take for a nonfiction title to win it all Steven?
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STEVEN
Hard to say, especially since it hasn’t happened for a while: LINCOLN: A PHOTOBIOGRAPHY is the last informational nonfiction book to win the Medal (1988!), though we’ve had several Honor nonfictions since then. The Newbery Criteria cite “Presentation of information including accuracy, clarity, and organization” as an element to evaluate, and I sometimes think of that as “the nonfiction element.” But it can also be especially helpful to look at “Appropriateness of Style.” How does the author’s writing style help to ensure that the “accuracy, clarity, and organization” connect with readers? That“style” element also encourages us to look at the text at the sentence level. That can help with the older/younger book comparisons. For example, let’s look at a small bit of a book like WE GO WAY BACK, for example:
After a while there were many kinds of things wriggling around in the water. And each was a Little Bit Different.
The asterisk leads to a footnote: “* literally billions of year” – which adds real information to the intentionally oversimplified statement…and also the playful contrast between “a while” and “billions.” The capitalized words in the second sentence call attention to the “Little Bit Different” phrase which has been repeated a few times previously and is a key idea for the whole book.
Then, for comparison, you can look at equally short passages from longer books like IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE. For example, when Rudi is about to learn what the mysterious “Canada Command” is all about in Auschwitz:
“Layers beneath layers. There were so many levels of horror in this place. So much, Rudi realized, that he still did not know.” (p 93)
This builds the suspense for the next phase of his imprisonment and that “levels of horror” phrase reminds us how many different ways the concentration camp made people suffer.
EMILY
Excellent points Steven. It is hard when the majority of books don’t have the development of plot, delineation of characters, or interpretation of theme or concept. Most of the titles above are strong with Presentation of Information and Style…but which does it the best?
We’d love to hear what everyone else thinks about the above titles and of course any other Newbery eligible nonfiction titles.
Our next Wednesday Round-Up will be September 27 – Graphic Novels. And click here for the full schedule.
Filed under: Book Discussion
About Steven Engelfried
Steven Engelfried was the Library Services Manager at the Wilsonville Public Library in Oregon until he retired in 2022 after 35 years as a full-time librarian. He served on the 2010 Newbery committee, chaired the 2013 Newbery Committee, and also served on the 2002 Caldecott committee. You can reach him at sengelfried@yahoo.com.
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Wow, Moving the Millers is a weird one. Half our library system has it in fiction and half has it in nonfiction. It does say it’s a true story, but maybe it looks more like fiction?
Anyway, I read We Go Way Back and really liked it. I think the illustrations are more interesting than the text though. The text is kind of mundane. I liked The Fire of Stars, but I thought at least one page of the star was mismatched to the story of Cecilia. It was an interesting presentation though. It has a timeline which I’m a sucker for and great back matter, so maybe a Sibert? So far I’m loving The Mona Lisa Vanishes. It’s an interesting approach to the text in the way it talks to the reader some. It’s a very casual voice, I’d say. I think it’s very well done, and personally, I’d love to see another nonfiction book win a Newbery Medal or Honor. I was a big proponent of Bomb back in the day. I read Search for a Giant Squid before I saw the list but didn’t think Newbery when I read it. I do love though that we’re getting more Choose Your Own Adventure in the mainstream.
I’m still working on the longer nonfiction books.
Oh, and I thought the illustrations in the beginning of The Last Plastic Straw were too literal. They didn’t explain the story like I was hoping, and I know Newbery is for text, but if the illustrations make the story less effective, they can play a part.
I thought the illustrations were okay, but can see where they might have done more. As far as text, I liked the transition from history to current status, but was put off by one line, when she thoughtfully points out that “some people do use plastic straws for medical reasons.” And finishes the paragraph with “we should be mindful of their needs.” A true statement, but that shift from describing the situation to telling us what we should do seemed abrupt to me. Very nitpicky, I know, but it’s hard not to be when looking at nonfiction picture book text, where you have so few words and they all need to be just right…
You’re right, Kelly, MOVING THE MILLERS is a bit of an outlier among the more straightforward factual books. A Publisher’s Weekly review calls it “lightly fictionalized,” which seems about right to me. So often a picture book like this will have that small-print back matter that fills in the blanks, but I like the choice to avoid that here.
I was also glad not to see back matter in WE GO WAY BACK. It does such a good job of introducing a really complex topic, and it makes most sense to not try to expand in an appendix…that’s for another book.
I’d guess that MOVING THE MILLERS wouldn’t have a strong chance for the Sibert Medal, where “overall accuracy” and “documentation” are major criteria. I wonder if WAY BACK would?….but that’s for another mock award blog.
In Mock-Newbery world, we can look at Eggers’ approach in terms of “appropriateness of style” and “presentation for a child audience.” Still a tricky one to evaluate, but I think its unique approach to a historical event is part of why it’s worth looking at…
Yay, nonfiction! Superpod is wonderful and I’m obsessed with The Mona Lisa Vanishes! And so many great NF picture books this year. One I especially love, but isn’t out quite yet, is A Stone Is a Story by Leslie Barnard Booth, illustrated by Marc Martin. It’s lovely and lyrical, about the rock cycle. Did you know rocks have “life” cycles?? I did not!
Oh, and if I’m allowed a moment of shameless self-promotion (delete if not!), my debut nonfiction picture book just came out. COPY THAT, COPY CAT: INVENTIONS INSPIRED BY ANIMALS uses riddles to introduce biomimicry. It’s not really a Newbery-ish book, but I still think it’s pretty great! 🙂
Commenting to pile on the love to THE MONA LISA VANISHES. I read the first chapter to my 5th graders last week, and I have never had so many kids want to check out a read aloud. The voice is so engaging, and it’s one of the most un-putdownable nonfiction books I’ve read in ages. Not just from the suspense, but because I was having such a good time.
I finally got my copy of THE MONA LISA VANISHES and just finished it. Really a fun and fascinating book. The writing style seems just right for the subject. He has a lighthearted tone, but we also get really involved in the mystery. Recurring themes about the way history is perceived and about the surprising impacts that individual decisions or circumstances can have resonate through the storytelling.
And he just has fun with the way history unfolds. Like when the news of the theft made the Mona Lisa far more known than it had been before: “The world could now see the Mona Lisa everywhere but the Louvre.” (108)
I also like the way he provides just enough background of the times…both Leonardo’s times and early 1900s when the theft happens.
Great to hear that response from Tally’s fifth graders. The last part of that short first chapter, describing the fate of the woman portrayed in the painting, is a great hook: “But what happens in that palazzo will make her ageless. She will live through the centuries. She will become immortal. She cannot die. She can, however, be kidnapped.”
As an adult reader, I enjoyed the way the book jumped around from the 1400s to the 1900s and back. And the multiple characters: detectives, artists, criminals, even fictional characters. Could this be too much for younger readers though? I think the short chapters and the engaging tone might be enough to address that, but I wonder if others have that concern about THE MONA LISA VANISHES?
This is an excellent point–I only read it to my classes about two weeks ago, so the sample size of students who have been able to read the whole book is pretty much non-existent. I will, however, say that there is one timeline-jumping past Newbery winner* that has been tremendously popular for over two decades now.
We used the opening chapter of both MONA LISA VANISHES and BOMB to review how non-fiction authors capture a reader’s attention, and that last line hit particularly well. They also loved the 2nd person call to imagine themselves in a palazzo (though I did have to show them pictures of palazzos). Now that the book has been out for a few weeks, I’ll be interested to see how the discussion of it evolves. I am very hopeful that it will remain a contender throughout the process.
*Holes
It’s also fair to argue that the “jumping around” is a great strength of the book. It keeps suspense and anticipation at a high level. And even though the theft is the central mystery, the genesis and history of the painting is just as interesting. And though the question of “could this be too much for young readers” is fair, it requires us to then look at what the author does to keep young readers engaged. I notice a couple elements that address this really well, and there are probably others:
1. He makes those transitions appealing and easy to navigate with the chapter openings, where the first few sentences draw you in right away. Sometimes they guide the reader:
“For a moment, let’s leave 1911 and snap back to the present. We’re only here for the view…” (132)
Others set up what the next few pages will cover, in especially fun ways:
“It is now a decade since Leonardo da Vinci began the Mona Lisa. Does Lisa Gherardini have her portrait? She does not. Has Leonardo finished her portrait? He has not. Will he finish it? No one knows.”
A bunch more examples can be found at the beginnings of the 46 chapters….
2. I also appreciate the way the author’s voice is both authoritative and questioning. He’ll ask questions that the reader will be asking: “Why did Leonardo take so long to paint the portrait?” (153); “Who buys the painting?” (127). And then explore the answers, or the possible answers, to those questions. So you feel like he’s as fascinated and eager as we are to learn the facts, even though he’s the one who will reveal them to us.
I think we can safely rule out We Go Way Back for the Newbry, as neither the author* nor the illustrator are US citizens or residents. Lovely book though, isn’t it?
*me.
Oops. A mistake we’ve made before, I’m afraid, but I think this is the first time it’s been the author of the book to correct us. I’ve added the correction above as well. Thanks!
🙂
THE MONA LISA VANISHES. I read this on netgalley as an ARC and then again when it came out.
It was a fun book. At the beginning the author breaks the narrative by asking the reader to go back in time, or imagine it? It took me a while to get used to that. I did like biography ties and the lesson about popular culture influence on historical bias. It does time jump, but that didn’t bother me.
THE LAST PLASTIC STRAW. I reviewed for Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College. It was excellent and combined history with a message about environmental stewardship.
CUT: HOW LOTTE REINIGER AND A PAIR OF SCISSORS REVOLUTIONIZED ANIMATION. I reviewed for Children’s Book Committee at Bank Street College. Great writing and super interesting story. I wish they would have used cut paper art to illustrate the story.
THE FIRE OF STARS. The parallel of the star science story with Cecilia Payne’s story was cool. Great biography.
JUMPER. A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider. I think kids interested in science, animals and nature will love this book. There is awesome back matter.
THE INDESTRUCTIBLE TOM CREAN. I have read many books about explorers Earnest Shackleton and Frank Worsley. I really liked the addition of Tom Crean. The illustrations and layout were really impressive.
IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE and RACE AGAINST DEATH are on my list to read in October.
SUPERPOD has been mentioned by a few people and deserves a closer look. I thought this one really excels in “excellence of presentation for a child audience.” The author seems to have that child audience in mind the whole time and works to keep the information interesting and comprehensible to young readers. In the chapter about sounds (p 29-38), for example, she starts with a short example of a whale family and their sounds. Then gives more general information about how orcas use sound. Then there’s another specific example, this time about tracking the call of a solo orca. Along the way, she weaves in quotes from an expert on the topic, as well as her own first-hand experience listening to orcas. And notes ways in which regular people, including children, are aiding scientific efforts. She also addresses kids directly (33), which adds to conversational feel (but also can take readers away from the orcas’ story for just a moment maybe).
Overall, that careful organization, used in service of connecting with a child audience, gives this high marks in the “presentation of information” literary element. It’s not as dynamic as IMPOSSIBLE ESCAPE or THE MONA LISA VANISHES for me, so for now at least it sits in the excellent-nonfiction-but-probably-not-Newbery category…