The Rise of Children's Non-Fiction

As the most book-ish of people here at the Literacy Tree, we’ve been particularly taken by the recent resurgence in the children’s non-fiction market.  Gone are the days of the generic information text, left to languish on dusty bookcases labelled ‘animals’, ‘science’ or ‘history’.  Walk into any good bookshop today (still the best way to buy books, we argue!) and you’ll be faced with shelves heaving with offerings, often beautiful works of art in themselves, celebrating everything from the deepest darkest oceans to deepest darkest space…and beyond.

But why this sudden upsurge in the non-fiction market?

Well, whether we like it or not, we are living in a digital age.  The answers to life’s most poignant questions are literally at our fingertips, or at the end of a quick ‘Hey Google…’ As such, books have found themselves in fierce competition as we are bombarded with a daily diet of information in all its formats.  And, while this can be a little overwhelming at times and we can struggle to feel like we are keeping up, it haspresented book publishers with an interesting dilemma. Literally that - how to keep up?

Enter the dawn of a new age of non-fiction... 

It goes without saying that books provide a window to the world: a chance to travel the uncharted depths of the imagination, to explore new and wondrous places and find comfort in the experiences of others.  Now more than ever, it would seem, this is a necessity.  For a child growing up in our information-rich society, the world can be a tough and often confusing place.  With questions often outweighing answers, it seems like no coincidence that these books tackle some of the more concerning of today’s social issues - climate change, plastic pollution, loss of species and the migrant crisis to name but a few.  All topics with the potential to worry children if not properly addressed. 

Alongside the facts, we’ve become increasingly interested in the stories of those who have achieved, survived or overcome.  The resulting offerings in the narrative non-fiction department reflect our desire to find out, and perhaps mirror, the personal stories of those who came before us. Children are, after all, the next generation - not only the ones who are likely to suffer most, but also the ones to drive the change.

The non-fiction market has come a long way in a short space of time.  Books in this category are now visually stunning, rich in language, information and illustrations, and cover an ever-increasing range of subjects. So, whether it’s reading the stories of life’s achievers, or learning to be the change themselves, these are the books children need to really make a difference.

We have written a new series of non-fiction Literary Leaves, our resources for the teaching of Reading Comprehension from Year 2 - Year 6, which you can find here.

Posted in: Curriculum