Kate Messner's NY20SCBWI presentation, Fresh Approaches to Informational Picture Books

1. FRESH APPROACHES TO
INFORMATIONAL
PICTURE BOOKS
NY SCBWI CONFERENCE
@KATEMESSNER
WWW.KATEMESSNER.COM

3. NONFICTION PICTURE BOOKS

4. https://www.melissa-
stewart.com/img2018/pdfs/5_Kinds_of_Nonfiction_Activities.pdf

5. INFORMATIONAL
FICTION

11. STORIES INSPIRED BY
INFORMATION…

16. WHAT KIND OF INFORMATIONAL
PICTURE BOOK(S) ARE YOU
WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?
FINISH THIS SENTENCE WITH A
COUPLE OF BOOK TITLES:
MY BOOK WILL APPEAL TO READERS
WHO LOVED…

17. QUESTIONS…

35. LIST SOME PEOPLE YOU’RE CURIOUS
ABOUT…
THEN LIST SOME RELATIONSHIPS
YOU WONDER ABOUT…

36. QUESTIONS…

37. WRITING NONFICTION WHEN
THERE ARE GAPS IN THE
KNOWN STORY?
RESEARCH AROUND THE
EDGES…

38. RESEARCHING AROUND THE EDGES…

47. HOW MIGHT YOU “RESEARCH AROUND
THE EDGES” OF YOUR TOPIC?
MAKE A LIST OF RESEARCH TOPICS
THAT COULD ADD DETAILS, SENSORY
LANGUAGE, AND A SENSE OF PLACE TO
YOUR PROJECT.

48. 15-MINUTE BREAK

97. QUESTIONS…

130. QUESTIONS?

131. WHAT’S IN YOUR BACK MATTER NOW?
WHAT OTHER POSSIBILITIES EXIST?
-THINK VISUAL
-THINK INTERACTIVE
-THINK “POETRY IN THE PAGES – MORE
FACTS IN THE BACK”

141. MAKE A BRAINSTORMING
DATE WITH YOURSELF

142. GOOGLE WEIRD THINGS

148. BRAINSTORM WITH WIKIPEDIA

152. QUESTIONS…

153. FRESH APPROACHES TO
INFORMATIONAL
PICTURE BOOKS
NY SCBWI CONFERENCE
@KATEMESSNER
WWW.KATEMESSNER.COM