Why read nonfiction?

A great article spelling out why it's important for students to read compelling narrative nonfiction has just been pointed out to me.  It's called, What Should Children Read?, produced by the New York Times writer, Sara Mosle.

You may be aware that there's a new push in education circles to have students reading and studying great nonfiction as well as great fiction, called The Common Core State Standards which is being adopted by school systems across the country.  (maybe not in Texas, but that's their loss)  By the time they are Seniors in high school, their reading should be half fiction and half nonfiction.

This article makes a great case explaining just WHY it's important for children to read nonfiction and to learn how to write it well.  I recommend that you click on over to read it.

Much thanks to Roberta Gibson who writes the Wrapped in Foil blog for the link.

For some more great children's nonfiction, click on over to the Nonfiction Monday roundup at The Miss Rumphius Effect blog today.

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Nonfiction Monday -- Money Madness

Money Madness by David A. Adler, illustrated by Edward Miller. New York: Holiday House, 2009. 32 pages. Available now.

Yes, David A. Adler is a familiar name. He of the young biographies -- A Picture Book Of __________, the latest of that series is called A PICTURE BOOK OF DOLLEY AND JAMES MADISON. He who writes the Cam Jansen mysteries. In fact, author of over 100 books. Is now writing about math concepts -- fractions, polygons, and now -- money.

The Holiday House website says: "This beginning guide to economics will have readers thinking about the purpose, and not just the value, of money."

Indeed it does. Beginning with the concept of bartering and pointing out how difficult it would be to buy a house in exchange for loaves of bread (bartering doesn't work in that case), Adler examines different things that have been used for money through history. Exchanging little pieces of metal (each having a set value) works well. Paper representing the value of this metal works better. And these days, the best form of money is actually digital. A computer keeps track of what you spend.

Illustrated in picture book style.
Oh look -- there's information on the back cover about the famous men represented on the various denominations of American money, using a copy of the portrait on the money plus several sentences of information.
Did you know that Ben Franklin is on the 100 dollar bill?
Who is the other non-president whose face is on our money?
Hint -- you probably have one of those bills right now.

Other Nonfiction Monday posts are linked here at The Miss Rumphius Effect.
-wendie Old