FINDING THE RIGHT “CONTAINER” FOR YOUR WRITING

By Jolene Gutiérrez

In addition to writing for kids, I’ve worked as a teacher librarian at a school for neurodivergent learners for nearly 30 years. Many of my students are reluctant readers, so I’ve become adept at matching readers with certain styles of writing that feel more comfortable to them. In print format, this includes verse novels, Choose Your Own Adventure books, short stories, and graphic novels. Features like more white space on a page, visual support, and shorter text lengths all make for books that feel less intimidating to many readers.

So when I start a writing project, I tend to think about my story and who my intended audience might be. I love picture books—both teaching them and writing them—so I often start there. Whittling certain concepts down to 500ish words can be difficult, though, and while I love using picture books with students of all ages (including my high school students) the picture book “container” has limitations on depth and quantity of content.

When I wrote the first draft of my nonfiction book BIONIC BEASTS: SAVING ANIMAL LIVES WITH ARTIFICIAL FLIPPERS, LEGS, AND BEAKS, it was a ~1000-word picture book. My editor Carol Hinz saw that picture book format and realized it might not be the best way to deliver some of the high-level science concepts, so she suggested trying the manuscript as a ~10,000-word middle grade book with five chapters, each about a different animal. This was the perfect fit for our content: I had space to share information about each animal, their limb differences, and the scientific interventions that helped them. I didn’t shy away from higher-level content, but by including things like photographs and hands-on activities and by breaking the content up into 5 short stories, this book appeals to a wide range of students.

My recent picture book TOO MUCH! AN OVERWHELMING DAY started as a 50-word board book, but that short story didn’t show enough of the child’s day to give a full understanding of sensory overwhelm, so after edits, I ended up with a ~250-word picture book with extensive back matter that walked us through everything that overwhelmed our main character, Birdy, and gave her a chance to practice mindfulness and find peace and calm as well. I went from a small, focused container to a space where I could spread out and tell the story of Birdy’s day. Readers were better able to understand each of the things that overwhelmed Birdy, and caregivers were given content they could use and share with child readers as needed.

My upcoming picture book UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP, coauthored with Min Tonai, was an exploration in containers. I started working on what became Unbreakable in 2016, and at that time, I wrote it as a middle grade nonfiction book that explored Colorado’s governor Ralph Carr and the Amache incarceration camp in Colorado. A friend who was incarcerated at Rohwer Incarceration Camp in Arkansas connected me to Min because he knew Min’s story would add to my manuscript. After interviewing Min and learning about his experiences in the Amache incarceration camp, we decided to work together and write his family’s story. We tried it as a middle grade novel, but layering Min’s story with information about Governor Carr and other history interrupted and weakened the story. We wrote it as a graphic novel manuscript, but the graphic novel format didn’t emphasize the quiet power of the story (although that could’ve been the fact that it was the first graphic novel manuscript we’d ever written). When we tried it as a picture book, though, we finally found the right container. A picture book manuscript was the perfect format to strip the story down to its heart. This ~1,000-word picture book will have 1,400+ words of backmatter and hopefully will appeal to readers of all ages.

I’m also working on a couple of other informational fiction or nonfiction projects. One is a novel in verse and the other is a graphic novel manuscript, and I believe these formats fit the topic and their intended audience. Time will tell, but after my experiences with finding the right container for my stories, I’m not afraid to try other formats with these projects as well. I encourage you to take a look at your current project(s) and think about the story you’re trying to share, who you envision reading it, and how you might best reach that audience. Testing the fit of different stories in various containers keeps me on my toes as a writer, but it’s also the perfect way to help your story reach its readers.

 

About the Author: Jolene grew up on a farm and now lives with her family and a variety of animals in a suburb of Denver, Colorado. A teacher librarian since 1995, Jolene spends her days sharing children’s books and her nights writing them. She’s the author of UNBREAKABLE: A JAPANESE AMERICAN FAMILY IN AN AMERICAN INCARCERATION CAMP (2025), MAMIACHI AND ME (2024), THE OFRENDA THAT WE BUILT (2024), TOO MUCH! AN OVERWHELMING DAY, The Stars of Latin Pop series, BIONIC BEASTS: SAVING ANIMAL LIVES WITH ARTIFICIAL FLIPPERS, LEGS, AND BEAKS, and MAC AND CHEESE AND THE PERSONAL SPACE INVADER. Find her online: www.jolenegutierrez.com.

  

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION: THE SECRET OF WRITING BOOKS ABOUT EVENTS

By NancyChurnin

 

The first time I tried to turn a real-life event into a picture book, I struggled.

Many know me for my picture book biographies. But if you think about it, MANJHI MOVES A MOUNTAIN  and DEAR MR. DICKENS, which are often grouped with my biographies, are actually stories of real events. Manjhi is the story of Dashrath Manjhi, who spent 22 years chiseling a path through a 300-foot mountain to help his village. In my first attempts at telling his story, I talked about his childhood. That didn’t work because this was not really a story about his life, but about what he had done that had changed his village, the people in it, and beyond. The book didn’t take shape until I began and ended with the mountain. Because while Manjhi is my main character, my focus is actually on his action – moving the mountain.

Similarly, DEAR MR. DICKENS is the story of how letters Eliza Davis wrote to Charles Dickens made him see how ugly, hurtful and unfair Jewish stereotypes in his novel were. I spent a long time struggling to trace Eliza’s childhood. When I realized this was not really a biography of Eliza, but the story of how her words changed Dickens, I started with the question of speaking up, with how Dickens’ words stirred readers to compassion and how this woman was determined to use words to change Dickens in a way that would ultimately change his readers.

I have a new book coming out in July, RAINBOW ALLIES: THE TRUE STORY OF KIDS WHO STOOD AGAINST HATE,  which is even more obviously a story of a real event. When a lesbian couple comes home to find their home egged and their rainbow flag torn down, kids in their neighborhood came up with a wonderful way to make this family feel safe and loved again. This time I knew that while the kids were the heroes of the story, this book had to begin and end with a kind neighborhood that had been sullied by this ugly deed and how the kids loving act made it beautiful again. 

When you write about events, think about framing your narrative around a place – like a mountain or a neighborhood – and use your words as Eliza did to reach the hearts of your readers.

About the Author: 

Nancy Churnin is the award-winning author of 16 books (and more on the way) that shine a light on heroes that inspire kids to be heroes, too. Her honors include the National Jewish Book Award, Sydney Taylor Honor and Notables, South Asia Book Award, Junior Library Guild selections, Silver Eurekas, Kids Choice Awards, multiple state reading lists and starred reviews.  She lives in North Texas and is a proud member of KidLitForGrowingMinds and Nonfiction Ninjas, the founders of NFFest.

FREEDOM DREAMING IN NONFICTION WRITING

By Rasha Hamid 

Hot. Ugly. Dry. Dirty. Dusty. These were the words my second grade students used as we kicked off a unit of study with the question, “What do you already know about Sudan?”

I searched for a picture book filled with images that could inspire pride and joy in Sudan, the Sudanese people and the Sudanese Arabic. But there weren’t any. There were a few picture books about Sudan, but almost all of them focused on war and famine. Even atlases included little to no information about the country we called home.

Inspired by a visit from Christopher Myers and by his book Black Cat, with the help of photographs from my students’ families, using artwork and text researched and created by the second graders themselves, we made a book called KADISA. Community members translated the text into multiple languages, and it was shared widely throughout the school and added to our school library.  

A few years later, I realized that I wanted KADISA to be more widely available, that every child could see Sudan, in all its beauty and wonder, reflected from the pages of a book. What started with a freedom dream, became KADISA كديسة, a book that has brought joy, pride, and information to children and grownups all over the world.

 

Historian Robin D. G. Kelley coined the term freedom dreaming to describe the power of imagination as a strategy for collective liberation - imagining the world as it should be so we can make it so.

Powerful nonfiction writing at its best stems from freedom dreams. KADISA كديسة originated in a freedom dream that children could love their homeland. My second book, HOW TO BIRD was inspired by the dream that Black and brown children would know that birding, and the public natural spaces where we find birds, belong to them as much as anyone else. My next nonfiction title, ETERNALLY AUTISTIC, is a freedom dream that autistic children and their grownups will know that being autistic is just who we are, and who we will always be.

Here are a few other impactful nonfiction titles that I imagine started with an author’s freedom dreams: THE WEDDING PORTRAIT by Innosanto Nagara; SOMETIMES PEOPLE MARCH by Tessa Allen; WANGARI'S TREES OF PEACE by Jeannette Winter; and WE ARE PALESTINIAN by Reem Kassis

What is your freedom dream for the world? Take a moment. Visualize it. What kind of world do you want for our children? What information, what images, what words are needed to make that dream a reality? 

Let that freedom dream inspire your next nonfiction book.

Meet the Author: 

Rasha Hamid attended NYC public schools before earning a bachelor’s degree in Africana Studies and Education at Vassar College, and a master’s degree in Special Education at Bank Street College of Education. Rasha has developed her practice in classrooms in East Harlem, Hamilton Heights, Khartoum, and Brooklyn for over 25 years. Rasha is an educator-activist—someone who works to make the world more joyful, equitable, and sustainable through education. Rasha is proud to be the autistic mom of an autistic young adult. Rasha also loves baking, making music, and creating all kinds of art.
 

 

SEARCHING FOR YOUR STRENGHS

By Sarah Glenn Fortson   

Recently, I’ve come across articles on the importance of knowing your strengths as a writer. We humans tend to focus on shortcomings. When we read a critique of a work-in-progress, we most likely come away thinking of the “needs improvement” suggestions.

Trust me, it’s important to hear shortcomings. For example, my first few drafts of my book, GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE had talking bees in the orchard. At a conference, the presenter who critiqued my work said, “If this is a true story, get rid of the darn talking bees.” Except she didn’t say “darn.” Although a bit harsh, I am forever grateful that she pointed it out.

But in this post I want to take a hard look at the Granny Smith story in search of what I did well.

On the first page you’ll find imagery in the form of apple related words. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back England’s fog. You see Maria Ann Smith. A woman raised tough to the core.”

In several places throughout the story, I employ alliteration. “She will plow or pick or prune. She will shear or shuck or shell.” Before the families voyage to Australia, neighbors warn her of “seasickness, shipwrecks, and seafaring pirates.”

I’m proud of the sidebars throughout the book and the research I put into them. I was especially excited to find the actual ship manifest that listed the Smith family as passengers.

Lyrical language also stands out in my mind as something I did well. “…husband and son are climbing a ladder to place the beam to give the roof its pitch. Maria is mixing the mud to make the mortar to hold the walls in place.”

“She’s clearing the land to plow the rows, to plant the seedlings, to grow the apple trees.”

And at the end, I refer back to portions of the language used at the beginning in order to tie the story together in a neat little bow. “Listen carefully. Do you hear a crunching sound? Peel back the branches and you will see a gray-haired lady walking between rows of trees heavy with green apples. The crunching sound is Granny Smith--biting into one of the green apples that will soon be named in her honor.”

Now, dear reader, I challenge you. Take out your most recent work-in-progress and search for your strengths. Make a list of every aspect of your writing that gives you that sense of pride. Don’t be shy. Is there room to expand any element, or is what you have already enough?

Good luck. I bet you find more than you expect.

About the Author:


GRANNY SMITH WAS NOT AN APPLE is Sarah Glenn Fortson’s second book published by Peter Pauper Press. It was illustrated by Kris Aro McLeod and edited by Mara Conlon. Sarah’s debut is titled THIS COWGIRL AIN’T KIDDIN’ ABOUT THE POTTY, illustrated by Russ Cox. Sarah has a degree in journalism and a Masters in Education. She currently lives in Georgia. Learn more about Sarah at www.sarahglennfortson.com

           

WRITING A NONFICTION PICTURE BOOK: LEARNING THE RULES

By Rebecca E. Hirsch 

Writing a nonfiction picture book is fun, but tricky. It's tricky because picture books follow
peculiar rules.

 
Many beginning writers don't understand these rules. They think that because picture books are easy to read, they must be easy to write.
 
Wrong.
 
In truth, knowing the rules is necessary for writing any kind of nonfiction book. But it's particularly important for picture books.
 
There are rules for writing an opening line, creating a narrative arc, and crafting a satisfying ending. There are rules for how to let an illustrator tell half the story.
 
It was only after I began to not only read, but seriously study, picture books that I began to understand these rules.
 
Eventually, with plenty of study—and plenty of writing practice—I could put these rules into practice. And then my ability to write nonfiction picture books took off.
 
For more than a decade now, I have undertaken a yearly intensive study of picture books. This regular study is vital if I want to keep writing picture books. Here's how I do it.
 
Step one: Keep track
 
Every year, I set a goal to study 100 picture books. I buy a 3-ring binder and fill it with blank lined paper. This becomes Command Central for my picture book study.
 
You might prefer to use a blank notebook, or a spreadsheet, or a Microsoft Word document, or a Scrivener file. Whatever works.
 
Step two: Collect books
 
I head to the library. Sometimes I browse the shelves for nonfiction picture books that look interesting. Other times I bring along a list of picture books that have won a particular award. (Whenever I come across a list of recommended books that I'd like to check out, I print the list and add it to my binder.)
 
I mostly choose expository science and nature nonfiction, because that's what I write. And mostly I choose books published in the last five years.
 
But I do include older books, some of which are gems. Reading older books deepens my understanding of what makes a book stand the test of time.
 
Sometimes I include a fiction book with a nature theme. Or maybe a historical nonfiction book that's been winning a lot of awards.
 
Sometimes I'm studying a particular author, so I'll pull every book of theirs I can find.
 
Step three: Read
 
At home, I pour myself a cup of coffee or tea. I settle into a comfy chair, select a book from my stack, and read. Slowly. Out loud. (My dog is a good listener.)
 
When I finish the book, I open my binder and write the date. Then I write the title, author, publisher, and publication year of the book I just read. This becomes a running list of the year's books.
 
Step four: Analyze
 
Next, I dig into the book critically. Sometimes I simply write a one-paragraph summary of the book, noting strengths and weaknesses and why I think an editor bought this book.
 
But I find worksheets to be even more helpful. A worksheet helps me focus on specific areas of writing craft, like how to write a compelling first page. Here is a worksheet I like. 

PB WORKSHEET

 
Step four: Copy
 
When I come across a book that I utterly adore, I type it word for word, in manuscript form.
 
Typing the book helps me see how the manuscript looked when an acquiring editor saw it for the first time. I notice things like:
 
• How many words are on each page? Does this change throughout the book?
• How does the author use line breaks?
• How does the author use page turns?
• Does the author repeat lines? If so, where and how often do those repeated lines appear?
• How much of the story did the author tell versus the illustrator?
 
I print out the typed manuscript and add it to my binder. As those typed manuscripts pile up, I can see the kinds of stories, and the styles of writing, I'm drawn to.
 
Those typed manuscripts, along with my running book list, become sources of future mentor texts. They become models I can turn to when I'm struggling to write my own stories.
 
Analyzing books this way is slow. It might take me a month to work through my stack of books.
 
Step five: Repeat
 
When I've gotten to the bottom of my stack, I grab my binder and return to the library to check out another stack of books.
 
Give it a try. Decide how you will keep track of what you're reading. Go to the library, pick out books, read them, study them.
 
Once you've analyzed a few books, pull out one of your works–in–progress. Can you identify ways to revise it using some of the rules you are learning?
 
 

About the Author:
 
Rebecca E. Hirsch writes science and nature books for children of all ages. Her books have received numerous starred reviews and Junior Library Guild designations. Her picture books include PLANTS CAN'T SIT STILL  and RISE TO THE SKY, both illustrated by Mia Posada; and NIGHT CREATURES, illustrated by Sonia Possentini. She has more picture books on the way, including WONDER WINGS: GUESS WHO'S FLYING, illustrated by Sally Soweol Han, forthcoming in 2025. She offers resources for children's writers at https://rebeccahirsch.com/writers.
 

PUTTING THE WOW IN NONFICTION

By Lola M. Schaefer

The world of nonfiction literature for children has exploded in the last twenty years. From broad topics such as our solar system to highly specialized interests such as whale fall, books abound. Some authors write just the facts. Their books might be browsable nonfiction or biographies or straight-forward accounts of historical events. These books offer children wonderful reference material when they want to know more about a particular subject. But there are also other forms of nonfiction, just as accurate, but with a more narrative or creative style. Not to say these are better, just another way to share information.

So how do some writers add a WOW factor – an element that can add another layer of interest and allure? In the book THE ELEPHANTS COME HOME, the author Kim Tomsic found a real story with an emotional hook for readers. This book of narrative nonfiction shows how a relationship between man and animal can affect the lives of all. As with any strong story, the ending leaves the reader satisfied, but also provides a tug on the heart.

By Kim Tomsic, illustrated by Hadley Hooper, Chronicle Books

In OCTOPUSES HAVE ZERO BONES, Anne Richardson combines specific facts about the natural world with a counting book that begins with zero and ends with 9, but with a fascinating twist and an unusual pattern. Its clever presentation is one that encourages many readings to enjoy all of the information and to digest the large numbers at play.

By  Anne Richardson, illustrated by Andrea Antinori, Tra Publishing

Jill Esbaum has a new nonfiction series with the first title being STINKBIRD HAS A SUPERPOWER. Instead of just listing facts about a baby hoatzin, Papa and the hatchling have a conversation. Both the reader and the new stinkbird don’t know the baby’s superpower. The suspense to find that out keeps building with each spread. The humor and snappy dialogue add to the WOW factor. Highly engaging, yet packed with many facts about these interesting birds.

By Jill Esbaum , illustrated by Bob Shea, Putnam

There have been many career books written, but Lisa Wheeler does something no author has ever done before in SOMEONE BUILDS THE DREAM. Her information is written in verse and shows all the different designers, tradespeople, engineers, scientists, writers, and contractors whose work is needed to create different buildings, machines, books, or fountains. It’s a deep dive behind the scenes that offers facts about the jobs everyone brings to the table for one collaboration.

By Lisa Wheeler,  illustrated by Loren Long,  Dial Books

 

When I wrote HANDS-ON SCIENCE, GEOLOGY, I wanted to engage the reader on every spread. This interactive book asks the reader to trace, jump, press, even slide tectonic plates. So far, kids (and many adults) are intrigued and delighted with this active component that helps pull readers into the basic information about Earth and rocks.

By Lola M. Schaefer, illustrated by Druscilla Santiago, Charlesbridge

Finding a unique structure can be the WOW that brings the information to a whole new level. Think of Kate Messner’s many books in the Over and Under series. Showing what’s happening in two different places at the same time is quite attractive to many readers.

By Kate Messner, illustrated by Christopher Silas Neal, Chronicle

Art can add a layer of humor as in A HISTORY OF UNDERWEAR WITH PROFESSOR CHICKEN by Hannah Holt. Chickens wearing everything from loincloths to thongs, chemises to corsets, definitely adds the WOW factor to the comprehensive information in this book.

by Hannah Holt,  illustrated by Korwin Briggs, Roaring Brook Press

No matter what form of nonfiction you choose to write, the one element that always makes a reader say WOW is new information. Depending on the age of reader, this can vary quite a bit. Today’s child streams information from many sources and their prior knowledge about most topics is greater than any other generation before.

So, how do you find new information that will astound them? From experts. Research the men and women who devote their lives to your topic. From these experts, you will learn specific details that you won’t find in books or videos. Sometimes they reveal new findings that are relevant to your subject matter. If what they share excites you, it will certainly excite your readers and make them repeatedly say WOW!

 

 

About the Author:

Lola’s professional life centers around children and literacy. She has published more than 280 books in the past 30 years with trade, school/library, and classroom publishers. She is a writing consultant in elementary and middle schools, as well as a frequent presenter at writing conferences and workshops. You can learn more about her at: www.lolaschaefer.com

 

 

 

 

WELCOME and WRITING FACT BY FACT

By Peggy Thomas

Welcome to NF FEST 2024! The Ninjas and I are super excited to celebrate the art and craft of writing nonfiction all this month with you. Every guest blogger has been incredibly generous sharing their stories and providing a wealth of information that will help you no matter where you are on your writing journey. We encourage you to show them some love by following their social media and reviewing their books on Amazon. 

We also want you to join the conversation! Tell us what you think in the comments section and on our NF Fest Facebook page. It helps us plan future posts. In fact, today’s post comes directly from a comment we had on our Facebook page. Someone (sorry, I can't remember who) mentioned that it would be helpful to see how facts from multiple sources can be pieced together to make a factual scene.

Before I write a sentence, scene or chapter, I ask myself, “What do I want this bit of text to do?” Introduce a topic, elicit an emotion, explain a complex concept…? It is important, especially in picture books, for every part of your story to have a purpose. For example, in THOMAS JEFFERSON GROWS A NATION I needed to reinforce Jefferson’s ideal of a nation of farmers, and transition the reader from Jefferson's early days in the White House to his purchase of the Louisiana territory. Here is what I came up with: 

            Through the geraniums growing on the windowsill, Thomas could watch cattle graze in the distant meadow. How many times did his imagination look even further west across an entire continent to picture “a rising nation, spread over a wide and fruitful land”? 

It is just two sentences cobbled together with facts from four primary sources:

Here is another example from HERO FOR THE HUNGRY: THE LIFE AND WORK OF NORMAN BORLAUG. I had never used a prologue before, but in this mid-grade biography I wanted a brief scene that 1. showed where much of the action would take place. 2. revealed Norm’s character. And 3. explained why the reader should care about his story. I chose to write the scene where Norm learns that he has won the Nobel Peace Prize. 

Rather than write the whole thing out, here is some of the information I used and why I used it:

The setting is a Mexican wheat field. But I included certain details to show that this isn’t a typical farm. The men are Romanian, Brazilian, Mexican and American. They are standing in a sea of thigh-high wheat (readers will later learn that prior to Norman’s work most wheat was very tall).

I show Norm standing in the middle of a small group of men, heads bent to hear every word their teacher says. He is sweat-stained and dirty under the hot Mexican sun. Hopefully, the reader gets a sense that Norm is important, a leader, but also not afraid to work hard. He leads by example.  

Then Norm's wife shows up. Alarm bells go off in Norm’s head… Has one of the children been in an accident? He’s a caring family man.

When his wife says he won the Nobel Peace Prize, Norm shakes his head. “That can’t be, Margaret. Someone’s pulling your leg.” He waves Margaret off, then turns back to his wheat-breeding students. Why on earth would anyone give him the Nobel Peace Prize?  I want the reader to get the sense that Norm is humble and more interested in the work than in accolades. Also, he won the Nobel Peace Prize!? Maybe I should keep reading to find out why.  

Each detail from the sweat stains to Norm's thoughts came from multiple sources: recorded interviews with Norm, old newspaper clippings, archival photographs, and first-person recollections of the event. But pieced together they reveal a factual scene that does the job.

Does every paragraph of your current project have a purpose? What do you want a particular passage to convey? Once you know that, gather your research notes and write your scenes fact by fact. 

About the Author:

A co-host of NF FEST, Peggy is the author of 28 award-winning nonfiction titles and co-author of ANATOMY OF NONFICTION: HOW TO WRITE TRUE STORIES FOR CHILDREN. Her newest books, THE SOIL IN JACKIE'S GARDEN (Feeding Minds Press)  and A FAMILY OF TREES (Phaidon Press) will be released in May. Peggy loves nature, gardening and helping new writers to grow. For information on critique services and mentorships, visit her website peggythomaswrites.com.