Nonfiction Author Studies in the Elementary Classroom

Book excerpt: If you've experienced the delight and wonderment that children bring to nonfiction read-alouds, take the next step, and invite nonfiction authors into your classroom through author study. Like its fiction counterpart, nonfiction author studies engage students deeply and help them interact with texts in multiple ways, and Nonfiction Author Studies in the Elementary Classroom shows you how to guide and support these interactions while honoring readers' fascination with the world around them. Drawing on the latest research and the experiences of classroom teachers, Carol Brennan Jenkins and Deborah White make the case for studying nonfiction writers and their books with zeal and rigor. They give you a strong rationale for nonfiction author study, outlining how and why it's effective and what its principal goals are. Then they turn over the discussion to five teachers who showcase units they developed and implemented in their own classrooms. Each unit investigates a well-known and well-loved nonfiction author: Gail Gibbons (The Pumpkin Book) Ann Morris (On the Go; Teamwork; Play; and What Was It Like, Grandma?) Jim Arnosky (The All About series) Jean Fritz (Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? and George Washington's Mother) Sandra Markle (Outside and Inside Snakes). Each author study takes you step-by-step through its key questions, themes, and instructional moments, providing everything you'll need along the way, including worksheets, booklists, biographical information, web-based resources, student samples, curriculum maps, and links to literacy standards. Author study isn't just for fiction anymore. Get ready to find out why. Read the wisdom of practicing teachers and explore what nonfiction author study can do for you. Pick up Nonfiction Author Studies in the Elementary Classroom, teach its units, and find a fresh way to deepen your readers connection to the captivating world of nonfiction texts.