CRAFTING COMPELLING HOOKS

by Lydia Lukidis

 

Back when I was a newbie, I simply wrote from the heart but had no knowledge of the industry nor was I well versed in writing techniques. Now that I’ve been in the kidlit industry for over a decade, I’ve learned a thing or two (and I continue to learn.) 

One essential lesson I’ve come to understand is the importance of a compelling hook. These are not just reserved for fiction; they’re also required when crafting nonfiction. Nonfiction becomes more of an “information dump” without a hook. Here’s a crucial point to keep in mind:

JUST PRESENTING INTERESTING FACTS
IS NOT ENOUGH TO SUSTAIN A BOOK!

The cool facts are part of the equation, of course, but they require a hook, among other things. So what exactly is a hook? Simply put, it’s presenting your content through a unique lens. The hook engages readers and makes them want to continue reading. It may also surprise them by turning a conventional idea upside down. Bonus points if you can show the hook in the title like many of the books below. That way, young readers will grasp your concept right away. 

Let’s take a look at a few examples of nonfiction mentor texts with strong hooks:

1. Butt or Face? written by Kari Lavelle

I can’t praise this book enough. The hook is a question that at first glance, seems simple enough, but turns out to be a little more complex. The initial question readers are presented with is: Can YOU tell a butt from a face? It’s structured in an interactive question and answer format and readers end up learning interesting animal facts along the way. The content is presented in such a unique, funny way. Yes, it’s possible for expository nonfiction to be both funny and informative!

        

2. Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Stephanie Laberis

Leave it to Stewart to think outside the nonfiction box. She knows that nonfiction books often feature superlatives, as in the fastest or smartest animals. But she wanted to challenge this notion. Her book chronicles the underdogs of the animal kingdom such as the smallest pygmy shrew and the stinkiest bird. The genius is that everyone loves an underdog! This hook is stellar.

3. Pink is for Blobfish by Jess Keating and illustrated by David Degrand   

 
This book is high concept- it was pitched as “Pinkalicious meets National Geographic.” That’s a solid pitch in itself. Keating takes the color pink, a color often associated with sparkly, princessy fun, and turns it on its head. She shows us that pink is also the color of monster slugs and bloated blobfish. Again, the hook is demonstrated in the title.

4. Bone by Bone: Comparing Animal Skeletons by Sara Levine and illustrated by T.S. Spookytooth

Instead of just enumerating the different bones in various animals like an encyclopedia, Levine creates a distinctive hook. She makes the reader wonder by posing a series of riddles, such as, “What would you be if your finger bones grew so long that they reached your feet? You'd be a bat!” By removing or adding bones to animals and humans, she shows readers our commonalities as well as differences when it comes to our skeleton.

 

5. UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere written by me and illustrated by Katie Rewse

I wanted to mention my newest STEM book. It’s a companion book to DEEP, DEEP DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench. For the first book, the hook came about by accident. My initial drafts featured the “scary” and ‘monster-like’ creatures that live in the Mariana Trench. After all, Google said anglerfish and goblin sharks live there. But when I interviewed a slew of experts, I found out that’s not true. And just like that, my hook was gone. A few months later, it dawned on me; the hook should follow that and ask children the following: what creatures inhabit the deepest seas, are they scary and monster like? Most children assume this is true but then I demystify this preconception through the narrative.

I use a similar hook in UP, UP HIGH. The book begins with the question; look up, up high, what do you see? Other than air and clouds, is there anything there? Most children would answer no. But I turn that on its head by demonstrating that our atmosphere is full of mysterious and fascinating phenomena, some of which we’re still learning about.

There are a lot more examples out there and I encourage you to read as many nonfiction books with strong hooks as you can. This will help you as you carve out your own compelling hooks. Strong hooks are one of the ways to make sure your book stands out in today’s competitive market.

About the Author:

Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include UP, UP HIGH: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere (Capstone, 2025), DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024) and DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, and Cybils Award nominee. A science enthusiast from a young age, Lydia now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program. Lydia is represented by literary agent Miranda Paul.

 

 

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