In the Sept/Oct issue of the SCBWI bulletin, Caroline Arnold (author of Polar Bear's World) asked the question, is nonfiction dead? Thankfully, her answer was no. However, I was surprised that she even asked. Nonfiction has enjoyed a lovely resurgence with new awards such as the Sibert, and nonfiction writers have raised the bar in research, format and storytelling.
But Arnold did have one insight that I found interesting. Because of the Internet, young adults and even mid-grade students are not using nonfiction books as much as they once did. So the market for nonfiction has grown younger, because most information on the Internet is not geared for children in primary grades. It is one piece of advice that I intend to take to heart and use as a lens to view new projects in the future. Thanks Caroline!
It seems that kids find facts on the Internet. They find context and appreciation for those facts in nonfiction books (and real-life, too).
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