Nonfiction vs Informational Fiction vs Narrative Nonfiction: What’s the Diff? By Wendy Hinote Lanier12/31/2019 Nonfiction for children is getting a LOT more attention these days. And that’s a good thing. Because even when publishers and parents didn’t realize it, nonfiction was always WAY more popular with kids—especially struggling readers. Concrete concepts are much easier for a struggling reader to grasp than the more abstract concepts often found in fiction. Now that publishers (and writers) are more aware of this, nonfiction has become a topic of interest and much discussion.
In the past nonfiction books were generally just an overview of a topic told in a straightforward style. Today, this type of nonfiction is called traditional nonfiction. Although the internet has become the go-to source for traditional nonfiction, there is still a place for it in the book market. Most books for the library market are traditional nonfiction. They are often done in a series. The series covers multiple aspects of a given topic such as dance, cars, airplanes, pets, etc. In addition to traditional nonfiction, all the extra attention has given rise to several new categories. Among them are terms like narrative nonfiction and informational fiction. The problem is, not everyone agrees on what they are. The nonfiction discussion is frequently led by Melissa Stewart, and rightly so, since she is the award-winning author of more than 180 science books for children. In a 2018 article on her website (see melissa-stewart.com: Five Kinds of Nonfiction) Melissa names five types of nonfiction: traditional, browsable (think DK Eyewitness), active (how-to), expository literature (STEM concept using rich language), and narrative. But what about books with angry clouds or talking animals? These books fall into a category called informational fiction—a term we’re hearing more and more. (Melissa, herself, talks about it in a 2016 blog post.) In this case a large part of the information in the book is true, but it is usually presented by fictional characters or in a made-up story line. Historical fiction is one type of informational fiction since it tells a story within the context of real historical events. The Magic School Bus books are also an example of informational fiction since the characters and story line are fiction, but the science facts in the text are true. As a former elementary teacher often tasked with explaining the difference between fiction and nonfiction, I know the importance of being able to say, “This is nonfiction because every part of it is true.” The minute animals start thinking out loud or a magic school bus arrives on the scene, we are no long in true nonfiction waters. That said, informational fiction can be a great way to explain nonfiction concepts effectively and have fun doing it. And then there’s narrative nonfiction. Narrative nonfiction tells a true story. No part of it is made up—even though the work may include conversation and detailed descriptions of certain events. All of the facts and quotes in a narrative nonfiction are based on careful research and can be verified through various sources. Sometime called creative nonfiction, narrative nonfiction uses the literary styles of fiction. Good narrative nonfiction reads like good fiction. Many of Candace Fleming’s books are great examples since they are the result of extensive research and really great writing. And just in case you stopped short at the term expository literature mentioned earlier: this is a type of nonfiction in which a narrowly focused or STEM topic is handled in a very literary way. All of the facts are completely true, but the presentation of them may be poetic, humorous, or very lyrical in nature. Many of Melissa Stewart’s books fall into this category. So, in a nutshell: Traditional nonfiction is a straight forward survey of a given topic. They are written in clear, concise language in an expository style. Informational fiction presents facts and information within a fictional story. Narrative nonfiction tells a true story with no made up parts in the form of a narrative. Bonus: Expository literature presents information about a given topic in a literary way, but nothing is made up. Expository literature can be humorous or lyrical, but it never strays from facts.
14 Comments
1/1/2020 07:59:37 am
Thank you for this, Wendy! Great explanation of the different types of non-fiction.
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Pamela Harrison
1/1/2020 02:47:00 pm
Thank you for this clear explanation, Wendy!
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Linda Skeers
1/3/2020 09:06:07 am
Thanks for clearing this up! So many new terms, it gets confusing. And that's a fact!
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2/19/2021 11:37:02 am
I'm glad you explained that historical fiction is a type of informational fiction since it tells a story in the context of real events. I've had a lot of time on my hands since my daughter moved away for school, and I think it would be fun to start reading novels in my spare time. Your article made me interested to research what kinds of historical fiction novels are out there, so thanks for sharing!
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4/7/2021 01:16:50 pm
My cousin has been thinking about reading some nonfiction books about women because she would really like to be more effective. She would really like to read some books by a professional in order to learn more. I liked what you said about how narrative nonfiction can tell a true story, and uses the literary styles of fiction.
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Nonfiction has been defined by many as a narrative based on actual events and information. Unlike fiction, you must exert effort and time to explore the topic as all of the information presented in work must be verifiable if possible. A nonfiction writer is not just a writer. You become a researcher to dive deep into the topic, and you become a teacher to share your knowledge with the public.
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Yi Jin
12/7/2022 05:51:50 pm
Hi, I enjoyed reading your article, it gave me a good idea of the new term informational fiction. In China, since 1920 when a group of progressive Chinese advocated the study of Western science, people began to write this kind of informational stories in modern Chinese. In 1924, the famous writer Zhou Zuoren named it after science fairy tales, combining science and fairy tales. Fairy tales was just introduced to China at that time.
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Yi Jin
12/7/2022 05:53:13 pm
Hi, I enjoyed reading your article, it gave me a good idea of the new term information fiction. In China, since 1920 when a group of progressive Chinese advocated the study of Western science, people began to write this kind of information novel storybook in modern Chinese. In 1924, the famous writer Zhou Zuoren named it after science fairy tales, combining science and fairy tales. Fairy tales were just introduced to China at that time.
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Tricia Gardella
2/3/2023 09:05:28 am
I've been writing informational nonfiction for years and never knew it had a name. When I first began, back in the late 80s, people in my writer's groups would say, you can't do that. Yet I did manage to sell a few titles. I love information. I especially love it woven into a story in a fun way and believe children do too. Just discovered the non-fiction ninjas and feel I'm finally finding somewhere I might fit in.
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Sharon Arlene Culmer
3/9/2023 10:18:11 am
If I give a description of an event, which category will it fall under?
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Darla Christie
3/29/2023 07:51:40 am
This was incredibly helpful! It helped me define some of the stories I'm writing in a more accurate way. Thank you!
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