Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep
edited by Melissa Stewart
National Council of
Teachers of English, 2020
ISBN: 978–0‑81413–352‑1
190 pages, ages 9 and up
50 Award-Winning Children’s Book Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing
50 Award-Winning Children’s Book Authors
Share the Secret of Engaging Writing
I am honored to be one of the contributing authors to this inspiring book.
In Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep: 50 Award-Winning Children’s Book Authors Share the Secret of Engaging Writing, some of today’s most celebrated writers for children share essays that describe a critical part of the informational writing process that is often left out of classroom instruction.
To craft engaging nonfiction, professional writers choose topics that fascinate them and explore concepts and themes that reflect their passions, personalities, beliefs, and experiences in the world. By scrutinizing the information they collect to make their own personal meaning, they create distinctive books that delight as well as inform.
In addition to essays from mentor authors, Nonfiction Writers Dig Deep includes a wide range of tips, tools, teaching strategies, and activity ideas from editor Melissa Stewart to help students (1) choose a topic, (2) focus that topic by identifying a core idea, theme, or concept, and (3) analyze their research to find a personal connection. By adding a piece of themselves to their drafts, students will learn to craft rich, unique prose.