Avoiding the "Huh?"...the Art of Relevant References by Fiona Bayrock
The "Huh?"---you know, that tilted head, raised lip and eyebrow thing kids do with their faces when they haven't got a clue what you're talking about.  Reprinted from kidmagwriters.com, August 2004.

Eleven Tips for Writing Successful Nonfiction for Kids by Fiona Bayrock 
Reprinted from Smart Writers Journal, July 2004.

Q & A: What is the best way to see if a certain topic has been covered by a magazine?  by Fiona Bayrock

Getting From Theme to Article Idea: Advice From a Theme Junkie by Fiona Bayrock
A theme does not a query make.  So...how does one take a theme and turn it into a saleable article idea?
Reprinted from kidmagwriters.com, October 2005.

 
General

NEW! A Spark and a Twitch: Author Catherine Thimmesh on
writing nonfiction for kids by Mikki Morrisette  [Feb 08]
Twin Cities Daily Planet Nov 24/06

Writing for Children: Nonfiction for Magazines by Maurene J. Hinds [Feb 07]

Writing for the Education Market by Marg McAlister  [Feb 07]

Writing for the Children's Education Market by Marg McAlister
An interview with Jan Pritchett, Editor, Rigby Education  [Feb 07]

Writing Nonfiction (for kids) 
I'd love to credit the author, but there's no byline!  [Feb 07]

The Real World is a Great Story Too by Madelyn Travis
Author Nicola Davies and editor Caroline Royds talk about developments in nonfiction for children [Feb 07]

Writing Tips from the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua
A gold mine of articles by well-known nonfiction writers.  Select one of several 
nonfiction writing categories from the drop-down "Topic" menu.  Each category
contains several articles.  Pour yourself a cuppa first...you'll be here a while.

Seven Tips for Writing Children's Nonfiction by Brandon Marie Miller
From WritersDigest.com

Creative Nonfiction: A True Story Well Told  by Susan Taylor Brown
Reprinted from Children’s Writer Newsletter, July 2004

Open Minds: Publishing Nonfiction for the Very Young by Patricia Curtis Pfitsch
"Kids love knowing things...a fact that fuels their love of nonfiction..."

Writing for Children's Magazines by Donna Freedman
There are hundreds of freelance opportunities out there...

Why Write Nonfiction for Children by Rita Milios
Publishers of children's nonfiction are often desperate for good manuscripts from talented writers...

On Writing Nonfiction for Children by Lindsay Mannell
A more academic approach.

Why Consider Writing Children's Nonfiction by Kim Marie Wood

Sue Reichard's Suite101 Interviews with Nonfiction Authors :
-----Jennifer Armstrong - Orbis Pictus Award Winner
-----Deanne Durrett  
-----Suzanne Lieurance
-----Pat McCarthy
-----Wendie Old  -  Orbis Pictus Honor Winner
-----Tanya Lee Stone
-----Anastasia Suen

Choosing Award-winning Nonfiction Writing for Children: Three Perspectives
Chairpersons from the selection committees of three major children's NF writing awards speak about eligibility and selection...in other words, what it takes to write award-winning children's nonfiction.  CBC Magazine.

Books Nonfiction by Glen and Karen Bledsoe
No longer second-class citizens of the children's book shelves, nonfiction books are among the hottest-selling books for children.

Nonfiction and the Literacy Hour by Diana Kimpton
A diet of stories is no longer enough. Children are now expected to read nonfiction right from the start of their school career.

Spirit of Inquiry by Nicola Morgan
From the UK Guardian - Once upon a time children's non-fiction was dull, poorly written and uninspiring. Not any more…

Technique

Children's Book Council Nonfiction "Meet the Author"
NEW! ----Gail Gibbons [Feb 08]

NEW! Author Ann Bausum talks about her process  [Feb 08]

Using Action, Dialogue, and Narrative in Nonfiction by Maurene J. Hinds  [Feb 07]

Avoiding the "Huh?"...the Art of Relevant References by Fiona Bayrock
The "Huh?"---you know, that tilted head, raised lip and eyebrow thing kids do with their faces when they haven't got a clue what you're talking about.  Reprinted from kidmagwriters.com, August 2004.

Eleven Tips for Writing Successful Nonfiction for Kids by Fiona Bayrock
Reprinted from Smart Writers Journal, July 2004.

Research Your Way to Success... by Becky Wojahn
MN SCBWI Conference Session Notes

Making a List: Creating the Perfect Bibliography by Angela Cerrito
Reprinted from kidmagwriters.com February 2005 

Keeping Track of Research Notes (pdf) by Jan Fields

Organizing Non-Fiction by Glen and Karen Bledsoe

ICL Rx for Writers - Index to several articles under the "Writing Tips - Writing Nonfiction" umbrella. 

Chatting Them Up: Tips for a Successful Interview by Donna Freedman
One of the most delightful aspects of writing is the chance to be, well, a snoop...

Writing Science for Kids

NEW! Writing Science Books for Children by Francis R. Balkwill [Feb 08]

NEW! Past SWINY (Science Writers in New York) Event: Writing Science for Kids by Norman Bauman [Feb 08]
Scholastic magazine and book editors, and author Linda Tagliaferro

NEW! And Out Went the Whales by Eric Nagourney [Feb 08]
New York Times Dec 16/03  Steve Jenkins, Peter Sis, Seymour Simon quoted 

Interview with Children's Science Writer Mary Kay Carson  [May 07]

Interview with Children's Science Writer Kathiann Kowalski  [May 07]

Anatomy to Zoology: Science for Kids by Darcy Pattison
Originally published in Children's Writer's Newsletter September 2001 [Feb 07]

Children's Book Council "Meet the Author"
----Jean Craighead George - Why write about nature?
NEW! ----Vicki Cobb - I Write What I Am [Feb 08]

Sue Reichard's Suite101 Interviews with Nonfiction Authors :
-----April Pulley Sayre  
-----Vicki Cobb  

Also check out the index pages on these sites for articles specific to 
science writing for kids (mentioned above):
----Writing Tips from the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua
----ICL Rx for Writers

Writing Biography for Kids

NEW! From Spark to Story: One writer's take on the joys and challenges of picture-book biographies 
by Tanya Lee Stone [Feb 08]
School Library Journal 11/01/07

NEW! Setting the Bar for Biography: A reviewer seeks books that inspire and instruct teen readers
by Ann W. Moore [Feb 08]
School Library Journal 11/01/05

Up for Discussion -- Biography for the 21st Century by James Cross Giblin [Feb 07]
School Library Journal 2/1/02 

Biography Resources: Finding Information on the Famous, Infamous, and Obscure
by Susan A. Schreiner and Michael A. Somers   C&RL News Jan 2002  [Feb 07]

Writing Biographies for Inquiring Minds by Kathleen Krull
Originally published in Book Links, May 1999

Ten Tips for Students in Writing Biographies by Kathleen Krull
Originally published in Book Links, May 1999

Picture a Life: Picture Book Biographies by Megan Schliesman
How can the lives of complex individuals be distilled into something meaningful for children in 32 or 48 pages?  CBC Magazine

Children's Book Council "Meet the Author"
----Diane Stanley - On Researching, Writing and Illustrating Biographies

Sue Reichard's Suite101 Interviews with Nonfiction Authors :
-----Susanna Reich - Biography

Also check out the index pages on these sites for articles specific to 
biography writing for kids (mentioned above):
----Writing Tips from the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua
----ICL Rx for Writers

Writing History for Kids

Interview with Children's History Writer Brandon Marie Miller [May 07]

Children's Book Council "Meet the Author"
----James Cross Giblin - Portraying the "Bad Boys" of History
----Jean Fritz - On writing history
----Jim Murphy - Waiting for the Hmmm (history)

Also check out the index pages on these sites for articles specific to 
history writing for kids (mentioned above):
----Writing Tips from the Highlights Foundation Writers Workshop at Chautauqua
----ICL Rx for Writers

Writing Crafts for Kids

A Crafty Way to Break Into Children's Writing by Mary Cox
Reprinted from 2002 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book   

Selling Kids Nonfiction

Q & A: What is the best way to see if a certain topic has been covered by a magazine?  by Fiona Bayrock

NEW! How to Become a Children's Nonfiction Book Writer by Jennifer Reed [Feb 08]

NEW! Breaking into the Nonfiction Market: An Interview with Children's Author Jennifer Reed 
by Dianne Ochiltree [Feb 08]

The Magic of the Reslant by Kelly Milner Halls  (I'm working on getting new links to these articles - Fiona)
Do the math. What might have been a one-story idea yielded five paychecks...

Eight Tips to Writing Kidstuff (for grownup cash) by Kelly Milner Halls 
Can you make children's nonfiction pay, and if so HOW?

Tips on Selling Your Work to Magazines by Laura Backes
Getting published in a magazine requires more than just the ability to write well.

A Crafty Way to Break Into Children's Writing by Mary Cox
Reprinted from 2002 Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market book   

Writing for Children: How I Broke Into the Children's Market by Karen Bledsoe
Hint: Through nonfiction school & library markets

	Letters & Proposals        Query Letters - A Personal Journey by Vijaya Bodach
Nonfiction Book Proposals: Scope Out the Competition Before You Write by Darcy Pattison The Seven Vital Elements of a Successful Nonfiction Book Proposal by Mary Embree

 The Contract!

Contract Savvy by Darcy Pattison
Originally published in Children's Writer's and Illustrator's Market 2002, Writers Digest Books  [Feb 07]

Cover to Cover: Evaluating and Reviewing Children's Books 
by Kathleen Horning (Harpercollins, 1997).  Chapter 2: "Books of Information" describes the qualities a children's book reviewer looks for in NF books for kids…most of it is directly applicable to children's NF magazine writing, too.

Picture Writing 
by Anastasia Suen (Writer's Digest Books 2003).  Excellent discussion of writing nonfiction for kids, including a thorough explanation of "plot patterns" for all age levels.  About 1/3 of the book is devoted to nonfiction writing, with poetry and fiction sharing the rest.

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Publishing Children's Books 
by Harold Underdown Everything you need and want to know about the kids' writing biz.

Children's Writer's & Illustrator's Market
Edited by Alice Pope.  My pick of the market guides.  And I'm not just saying that because I've been in and written one of their Insider Reports!  CWIM is a  fabulous resource. A new one is issued in August.

Nonfiction Book Proposals Anybody Can Write
by Elizabeth Lyon (Perigree (Penguin Putnam) 2002)

To Market - Index to oodles of articles on PR, marketing, promotion and more by Susan Salzman Raab

Free Online Bibliography Generator - Fabulous tool....just fill in the blanks and it'll format it for you according to the MLA Manual of Style.  You can email a copy to yourself or cut and paste into a word processor.

Common Errors in English - and how to figure them out.

State Curriculum Standards - Searchable by state or subject.

Canadian Curriculum 
----Alberta
----British Columbia
----Ontario
----Saskatchewan

Please send kudos, complaints, ideas for additions,
or reports of dead links to fiona @ fionabayrock.com  (remove spaces)

 
Text © 2005 Fiona Bayrock  Art © 2005 Ruth McNally Barshaw
All rights reserved.  Last Updated: February 02, 2008
fiona @ fionabayrock.com  (remove spaces)