But Nonfiction Matters Too

Last week we talked about potential award winners for ALA YMA. The clock is ticking down to the Big Announcement. Normally, publishers, authors, and committee members would be traveling to hunker down for a weekend of decision making. As we all know, such is not the case this year. Here are some resources for playing the guessing game of What Will Win??!!

Heavy Medal Blog at School Library Journal is preparing for their online Mock Event on February 22. (I was on that committee once. It cured me of wanting to be on the “real thing.”) Register to watch their final discussion. Pondering the Printz (YA) also promotes its contenders @SLJ. At The Horn Book, you can read (and vote on) Calling Caldecott. Last week I sat in on some online Notable Books Discussions. Check out their posted discussion lists. If you look at TeachingBooks, Recent Book Award Winners & Honorees, you’ll find a compilation of recently published titles. Filter by award year, grade band, and awards/distinctions to find what you need. 

But what about nonfiction? 

Celebrating its tenth year, the Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Medal provides an opportunity for nonfiction to find its time in the spotlight. Or does it? Last year there was some controversy when Fry Bread won the award. True, it does have information—great back matter too—but it’s realistic fiction. If you read the fine print about the book eligibility, it doesn’t actually say it’s a nonfiction award. Aha! We all just assume it’s a nonfiction award. Award-winning, nonfiction author Melissa Stewart sponsors the Sibert Smackdown for students in grades 3-8 to celebrate and anticipate nonfiction accolades. You can follow the event #SibertSmackdown. 

What nonfiction titles are leading the pack in 2021 nonfiction awards? I created a TeachingBooks custom list, Nonfiction Awards PreALA YMA Awards. You’ll find all the resources you need to sell these titles to your readers and use them in your curriculum and lessons. With the ever-increasing need for accurate, vetted information, good nonfiction is needed now more than ever. Let’s look at some highly starred, already-awarded titles for 2020. 

“The past year has clarified the urgent need for nonfiction that empowers kids to make tomorrow better in whatever way they can.”

--Kirsty Melville, Publisher

Biography

The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh by Candace Fleming received six stars. Be sure you listen to her Meet-the-Author Recording. Not all “heroes” are unblemished. And it’s not just another “who stole the baby” story. Riveting read!

Above the Rim: How Elgin Baylor Changed Basketball by Jen Bryant and Frank Morrison (Winner of the Orbis Pictus Award) and Dream Builder: The Story of Architect Philip Freelon by Kelly Starling Lyons and Laura Freeman are picture books for older readers that lend themselves to further research. They whet the appetite and you’ll want to jump into Britannica to read more about these men. Don’t miss the author video interview for The Boy Who Dreamed of Infinity: A Tale of the Genius Ramanujan by Amy Alznauer and Daniel Miyares. Her father was an important influence in the writing of this picture book. You’ll never guess what he found!

California’s own, Kathleen Krull, published more than 3 biographies this year, including Fly High, John Glenn: The Story of an American Hero, Joey: The Story of Joe Biden, and The Only Woman in the Photo: Frances Perkins & Her New Deal for America. On Friday, Kathleen died unexpectedly at her home in San Diego, leaving a legacy of more than 100 nonfiction titles for young people. 

Science

My personal favorites for science include Honeybee: The Busy Life of the Apis Mellifera, Condor Comeback by Sy Montgomery (a must for California collections), and You're Invited to a Moth Ball: A Nighttime Insect Celebration by Loree Griffin Burns and Ellen Harasimowicz. Check out the recipe for moth bait at the publisher’s website. Who Gives a Poop?: Surprising Science from One End to the Other by Heather L. Montgomery and Iris Gottlieb is sure to be an easy sell to your readers. Share the author’s video book reading. And for our youngest readers, they’ll be hopping and croaking like frogs after a reading of Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre. Her website has videos and audio of the frogs she photographed for the book. There’s a complete book reading on TeachingBooks. 

When I talked to Melissa Stewart this week, she said her favorite expository nonfiction was Crossings by Katy S. Duffield and Mike Orodán. It’s a Eureka Gold Award. Check out the author’s videos on her website of the engineering structures with animals crossing. (Note to CA readers: Your Eureka Awards/Honors are already listed for you in Your Reading Lists in your TeachingBooks account.)

For older readers, try browseable nonfiction titles like How We Got to the Moon by John Rocco. The painted illustrations in this coffee-table-like book are unbelievable. You could sit for hours, flipping through the book, reading fact after fact. 

Social Studies

No question: All Thirteen: The Incredible Cave Rescue of the Thai Boys Soccer Team is a must-read. Soontornvat was actually in Thailand when the team became trapped. Full of photos and diagrams, it reads like an adventure. Perfect for fans of Hatchet and other survival stories. 

Oh! And The Next President: The Unexpected Beginnings and Unwritten Future of America’s Presidents by Kate Messner and Adam Rex. They are doing a paired reading this week in honor of the inauguration. You can also watch the one Kate did on TeachingBooks. 

Looking for titles to discuss race and social justice? Try Stamped by Jason Reynolds and Ibram X. Kendi and The Talk: Conversations about Race, Love & Truth by Wade Hudson and Cheryl Willis Hudson. Stamped has an amazing 22-page guide to support its use as a school-wide or book club read. The Talk is a collection of short stories you could use in a First Chapter Friday. 

With over 80 titles already recognized, you’ve got a cart full of options. What will win on Monday? Your guess is as good as mine. It’s fun to guess, but more fun to share these amazing, fact-filled inspiring titles with your students. What are your favorites? 

Deborah Ford-Salyer is a long-time lover of children’s and YA lit. Her seminars and workshops have created piles of books to be read on nightstands from the east coast to the west. She’s also the CA Implementation Specialist for TeachingBooks and a senior presenter at BER.org.