Reading Good Nonfiction

Last week we asked for what you do in the summer. Mrs. M. responded that she reads and reads some more. What are you reading? I read World Without End and The Pillars of the Earth both by Ken Follett who used to write good spy novels on the recommendation of two very different friends. I thought if they both liked them, so would I. When I saw the length of both, I was flabbergasted, but once I got into them, I really like them. He’s a good story teller.

I have always had a place in my heart for non-fiction books. When I was a senior in high school, my speech teacher, Mrs. Stull, gave me a biography of Sarah Bernhardt, who Wikipedia says has been referred to as the most famous actress in the history of the world. I loved it because I wanted to become a famous actress (well THAT didn’t happen) and over time, have found other wonderful works of nonfiction. American Dreamer, a biography of Henry A. Wallace, written by former Senator John Culver and Des Moines Register reporter John Hyde, I’ve found particularly interesting. Vice-President Wallace was born in my county and was named the most influential Iowan of the century by the Des Moines Register. What an amazing guy he was – a founder of Pioneer, a developer of effective farm programs, a promoter of peace, a scientist, and certainly a dreamer. The picture at the beginning of this post is from his farm located about 8 miles east of Greenfield in Adair County.

When my former school began working in the Every Child Reads initiative and we began to focus on children’s nonfiction, I became a great lover of Seymour Simon, Gail Gibbons, Jim Murphy, and others. I learn so much reading nonfiction children’s books. Talk about developing content knowledge! A friend who knows says that the vocabulary in children’s nonfiction is often commensurate with doctoral level writing. No surprise to me! I’m so glad we’re understanding the value of nonfiction integrated into our curriculum in Iowa for students of all levels. Nina Carran, Emily Calhoun, Carlene Lodermeier, the statewide reading team, and others have certainly contributed to that understanding. Thanks to them.

So back to you… what are you reading? Do you like the infusion of good nonfiction into the curriculum? Weigh in!