An Analytical Look at a Middle Grade Nonfiction Book

Sometimes  you might think you are looking at a picture book but it actually turns out to be  middle grade nonfiction.  For example, SACAJAWEA OF THE SHOSHONE by Natasha Yim has 28 numbered pages with a bibliography on the end papers. This title is part of a series : THE THINKING GIRL'S TREASURY OF REAL PRINCESSES. Sacajawea, who accompanied Lewis and Clark on their exploration of the American West, was a Princess of the Shoshone Tribe.

This biography can also be classed as narrative nonfiction because of the moments of drama.
Here's an example: "One day, a violent gust of wind tipped the pirogue carrying Sacajawea and her family. Fortunately the boat didn't capsize, but it quickly filled with water.....Sacajawea....calmly scooped [important papers, books, trading goods] up."

Sacajawea prevented needed items from floating away. Otherwise the expedition would have had to turn back.

Sidebars provide information about her clothing and the food she ate, as well as how her name was pronounced.

A Middle Grade Novel Study

I recently finished a course on writing a middle grade novel. In this blog post, DEAD BOY by Laurel Gale is under the microscope. Crow, the dead boy hero of this novel has problems. He is a living corpse and can't go to school because he stinks and is full of maggots. Worse, he's lonely. Then things pick up when a girl named Melody moves in next door. She finds Crow fascinating and wants to be his friend inspite of the interference of Crow's protective mother and the odor.

The main plot is when Crow learns how he became a living corpse and he and Melody try to figure out a way to reverse the spell that caused the problem.

Their having to rescue classmates who accidently get snared in the spell are sideplots.

This novel is suitably snarky.

Here's a sample: "Being dead stank. Cuts didn't heal. Hair fell out and didn't grow back."  

Look at that face. Who wouldn't want to be Crow's friend?