Peters 4-6 Library - Non-Fiction

What is Non-Fiction?

We know that fiction comes from the imagination of the author, so a good way to remember the difference between fiction and non-fiction is to understand that fiction is fake. That means that non-fiction is not fake, it's true. Non-fiction books are written to help readers learn more about real things. Topics can include anything from animals to baseball to a person's life. Topics fall under much broader subjects. Jupiter, earthquakes, rainforests, dinosaurs, and gorillas all about some aspect of science. Just like the gold rush, the Jamestown settlement and Ancient Egypt are all a part of history. Books all about a person's life are known as biographies or memoirs. Biographies are written by somebody other than the person the book is about. Autobiographies are written by the same person the book the book is about. So now that we have all that down we need to understand all of the different ways that authors can choose to present the information to the reader. Keep reading to find out more.

Types of Non-fiction writing

Before we can get into how non-fiction books are structured, however, we must understand the three main types of non-fiction writing styles. Your teachers will cover this in more detail, but I'll list them out for you now.

Expository- This type of writing is meant to explain information. This is straight forward, just the facts writing.
Narrative- This type of writing is meant to tell a story. This reads like fiction would, with a beginning, a middle, and an end, but all the information is true.
Persuasive- This type of writing is meant to sway the reader to the side to the side of the author in an argument, like an opinion piece in a newspaper, or getting the reader to visit a particular place, like a travel essay.

Styles of Non-fiction books

Traditional Non-fiction

These books provide a general overview of a topic with clear, concise, and straightforward language often as part of a series. Many non-fiction books are written this way. Think of the Seymour Simon series of books in various subjects or books that highlight each of the 50 states in the U.S.

Browsable Non-fiction

Books in this style can be read cover to cover or the reader can jump around and focus on extended caption text boxes associated with a picture or illustration. The first major book series to employ this style were the DK Eyewitness books. Other books in this style include The Guinness Book of World Records, Ripley's Believe It Or Not, and books that are structured like 1001 Facts About...

Narrative Non-fiction

This style of writing appeals to fiction lovers because it includes real people and settings, but in a structure that is similar to reading a story. The author can provide condensed transitional text that isn't important to the story the author is trying to tell, but is important background information the reader should know. Narrative non-fiction works best for biographies, like the Who Was...? series, and recounts of historical events.

Expository Literature

Unlike the straightforward text of traditional non-fiction, expository literature presents narrowly focused topics in creative ways that reflect the author's knowledge and love of the subject. These books typically feature an innovative format and text structure, a strong voice, and engaging language. Books in this style include the Max Axiom graphic novels that feature STEM topics.

Active Titles

This style of non-fiction is presented in a very browsable format that is highly interactive and intended to get the reader engaged in an activity or learn a new skill. These books are written in an expository style and include how-to guides, cookbooks, craft books, and video game books.