SIDEBARS THAT SHINE

by Nora Nickum

You have probably read nonfiction picture books that include sidebars–additional text that’s outside the flow of the main text and often formatted differently, such as being placed inside a text box or using a distinct, often smaller font. Not all nonfiction picture books have sidebars or need them, though.

So, how do you decide if your project would benefit from sidebars? And how do you choose what information to include, how long the sidebars should be, and more?

Let’s start with some ways that sidebars might be able to boost a manuscript. 

Books with sidebars can reach different kids in different ways. Depending on the reader’s age, level of interest in your subject matter, current attention span, and more, they may be content to focus on the main text, or they may be glad to have additional details ready to dive into right there on the page. In that way, sidebars can be a way to “layer” information for different audiences. I have also found sidebars can help me market my book for a wider age range because I can show there is a thread for younger children to follow, plus optional sidebars that can appeal to older readers.

Sidebars can immediately answer readers’ burning questions. Maybe there are concepts or terms in your main text that some readers will be familiar with, but not all. You could briefly define those terms in sidebars, so the information is readily available to those who need it but can be skipped by those who don’t. Other kids may be so intrigued by your subject matter that they can’t wait to learn more–can you imagine what some of their questions might be, and give them more information in a sidebar?

Sidebars can convey additional information that is fun but not essential. Think factoids, trivia, statistics, and more–things that might add richness and be fun to share but that aren’t essential for understanding your main text.

Sidebars can give you flexibility and allow for varied voices. Sidebars can not only have a different format than the main text, but also a different tone. For example, if your main text is serious, sidebars can be silly (or vice versa). If your main text is lyrical, sidebars can convey more detail without using poetic language. 

If I have decided a particular project could benefit from sidebars, I keep some things in mind when deciding how to write them:

1. Be consistent with length and placement, whenever possible. If I have sidebars on some spreads, I try to have them on all spreads (except maybe the first and last spreads) or occurring at regular intervals. If it feels like I have to force that consistency, I try deleting the sidebars and moving that information to the back matter. It’s also nice to make the sidebars all about the same length, though that didn’t wind up being the case with This Book is Full of Holes (it just takes more words to explain wormholes than to discuss the familiar holes in a backyard sprinkler). When I use sidebars, I also try to keep the main text extra short, so the pages don’t feel crowded with words. 
2. Remember some readers will skip the sidebars entirely. It’s helpful to make sure readers won’t be completely confused if they only read the main text.
3. Consider using a different voice for the sidebars than what is used for the text. Contrast funny/serious or rhyming/prose.
4. Be open to changing it based on editorial feedback. There are, of course, multiple good ways to convey information. An editor may encourage an author to make sidebars shorter or longer (my editor, for example, wanted to make sure the sidebars felt complete–not short just for the sake of being short). Or an editor may suggest deleting the sidebars and integrating the information into the main text or the back matter. Welcome that conversation, and experiment. 

 

Try This: 

Check out some nonfiction picture books that have sidebars. Some recommendations to start with:

●   Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere by Lydia Ludikis, illustrated by Katie Rewse (Capstone, 2025).

●   Thank you, Moon: Celebrating Nature’s Nightlight, by Melissa Stewart, illustrated by Jessica Lanan (Knopf, 2023).

●   Bounce! A Scientific History of Rubber, by Sarah Albee, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen (Charlesbridge, 2024).

●   This Book is Full of Holes: From Underground to Outer Space and Everywhere in Between, by Nora Nickum, illustrated by Robert Meganck (Peachtree, 2024). 

First, read through without reading any of the sidebars. Then, read each book a second time and include every sidebar.

●   What was the experience like each time?

●   What kind of content did the authors put in sidebars instead of the main text? What content did they still leave for the back matter?

●   Can you identify another purpose of the sidebars besides the ones I mentioned above? 

Now, read a few nonfiction picture books that don’t have sidebars. How might the inclusion of sidebars have changed the experience, the tone, or the target audience/age?

 

About the author: 

Nora Nickum is the author of multiple nonfiction books, including middle-grade Superpod: Saving the Endangered Orcas of the Pacific Northwest (Chicago Review Press, 2023) and picture books This Book is Full of Holes (Peachtree, 2024) and This Book Bubbles Over (Peachtree, March 2025). She has also published several nonfiction articles for children in Muse magazine. In addition to writing, Nora leads ocean conservation programs for the Seattle Aquarium. Learn more about her at www.noranickum.com.