Narrative Nonfiction in any Classroom

I use to wonder what my teachers and school librarians did while we were away from school. I imagined them rollerblading down the hallways, eating the elusive cafeteria cookies that always seemed to run out before my miserable Slot C lunch, and generally just having a blast while we were out of their hair. While the latter may have been a little true, I was foolish to think that teachers and librarians ever stopped working.   I'm sure most of you are thinking about your curriculum for next term. You are thinking what will engage my students? What will interest them? It's really really difficult to answer that question because every learner is different. One thing we have learned, however, is that everyone enjoys a good story from time to time which is why OverDrive is proud to offer Narrative Nonfiction as one of its most versatile genres. This genre, also known as Literary Nonfiction, lends itself to many different classrooms. It brings nonfiction to the English/Language Arts selections and succeeds because the stories are compelling much like their fiction counterparts. Even better? It works for other areas of the core curriculum like Science, History and Math just to name a few. For example, The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot , would be an excellent addition to a Biology class. It details how one woman's cells lead to advances like in vitro fertilization, cloning, and gene mapping, yet her family never saw a dime of the multimillion-dollar profit the cells generated. Your students learn of the importance of their genealogy, the power of their cells, while also getting a lesson in ethics.   Skloot's powerhouse is just one of hundreds that OverDrive has to offer! Consider these for your next class set! Here are a few of my favorites: The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara and Susan McClelland The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba and Bryan Mealer Chinese Cinderella: The True Story of an Unwanted Daughter by Adeline Yen Mah—Complete with an evil step-mother! Game Day: Meet the People Who Make It Happen by Kevin Sylvester—for all of your sports fans! Shakespeare Saved My Life: Ten Years in Solitary with the Bard by Laura Bates They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children: The Global Quest to Eradicate the Use of Child Soldiers by Roméo Dallaire—heartbreaking but it's worth the read and desire you'll feel to join the cause. Where am I Wearing: A Global Tour to the Countries, Factories, and People That Make Our Clothes by Kelsey Timmerman If you are interested in our Narrative Nonfiction selections, contact your Collection Specialist today!   Christina Bernecker is a School Account Specialist  at OverDrive.

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