You mean there is something besides Fiction?! Gasp! - Chapter 9

Non-Fiction

Generally speaking I’m not a fan of non-fiction.  I find it rather dry, uninteresting, and I have a difficult time understanding why I should care about someone else’s story….. Then I read Never Cry Wolf (and, yes I know that it sounds like I’m trying to get extra credit, but I promise I’m not), Mowat managed to suck me into his plight of having to study the wolves alone.  I began, like him, to want to know what George, Angeline, Albert, and the pups were up to.  I’m happy to say that this book has perhaps changed my view of non-fiction in the adolescent literature world. 

According to the textbook there are several different forms of non-fiction adolescent literature – information books, narrative non-fiction, and journalism.  The text indicates that students choose non-fiction books for a variety of reasons, either they want to learn more about a subject they are already interested in, or they are looking to expand their knowledge of a specific subject.  Regardless of the reason the student chooses the book, the fact that he or she choose a non-fiction book is a step in a great direction. 

The text gives a great list of evaluation techniques for non-fiction books, such as instead of focusing on the plot and characterizations of the book and looking at what information the book presents and who the intended audience is for the book.  The questions will often guide the reader in choosing the best book for the purpose he or she is trying to serve.  Books like Chicken Soup for the Teenage Soul is a great idea of how non-fiction books can help teens understand the awkward phases they are going through.

Poetry

When I think of high school English class poetry my mind automatically shifts to Chaucer and Shakespeare.  I’m pleased to say that I have read two very good examples of adolescent literature poetry books in this class.  Frenchtown Summer and Out of the Dust are two prime examples of a narrative story written in verse form. I’ve always been afraid of poetry, I know that sounds weird, but I’ve always wondered if I am actually getting what the author wanted me to understand out of it.  Anyway, my point is that poetry doesn’t have to be the rhyming verse that everyone thinks of.  Instead it can be full stories written in a different way, something that will likely engage the students and keep them on their toes.

Drama

Romeo and Juliet.  Julius Caesar.  Othello.  These are the first 3 places my mind goes when I think of drama.  The problem that arises when I think of these is the dry way that we read them when I was in school.  My teachers didn’t encourage us to get up and act out the scenes; instead we had to read them out loud in our different parts at our desk with very little enthusiasm.  Perhaps these dramas would have stuck with me more if we had been encouraged to act out a scene, to put the passion of the words behind them as we read. 

All 3 of these specific genres in adolescent literature are important components.  The students (and even myself) who are likely to go for the story should understand that even in non-fiction, poetry, and drama there is always a story to be found.  With non-fiction the story is usually true, with poetry the story is written in abstract and artful language, and with drama the story is written in a view point of all the characters involved with a clear passion in the dialogue.  As future teachers it is important for us to remember that stories are not always to only be found in fictional literature.