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ReFoReMo Day 2: Marcie Flinchum Atkins Reveals Back Matter as a Matter of Fact

3/2/2016

508 Comments

 
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I wrote a poetic nonfiction book that needed back matter, but I wasn’t sure which direction to take. How could I make the back matter stand out and add an extra hook to my book? I turned to mentor texts.
Back matter is the information in the back, offered beyond the main text.
I originally started with as many recent nonfiction mentor texts that I could find. I found lots of biographies with fascinating back matter, but since my book wasn’t a biography, I wanted to closely study books that had similar characteristics to mine.

I had several criteria for the main text of the book:
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1) Low word count
2) Lyrical language
3) Science related
4) Stellar quality nonfiction
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Many of these texts are poems, and the back matter explains each part of the poem and the science behind it. In Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt, a narrative text with poetic language, the back matter explains each animal mentioned in the book and how it is beneficial to the garden. In all of the books, the added layers of information in the back matter help the text work at many age levels.

Some books included a list of books or websites for further reading. A Rock Can Be and In the Canyon both contain a glossary. A few of the authors included an “author’s note” explaining their personal connection to the story. Flowers are Calling and Tree of Wonder include ways that students can take action.
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As a teacher-librarian, I appreciated the fact that these books’ back matter tied into curricular needs. It helps “sell” the book to teachers who need to use books for double duty.

In some older nonfiction books, lengthy back matter offered interesting facts aimed at the teacher. The books on this list had back matter ranging from 1 to 7 pages. Every single one of them was designed to be kid-friendly, appealing, and interesting to read.

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.While this list was a careful self-selection of a particular kind of book that I’m writing, I also found it interesting that Chronicle and Beach Lane books came up more than once. Some of my favorite back matter was in Water is Water, which was published by Roaring Brook. As a writer, this is something that I note when researching publishers.
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​Back matter can be as fascinating as the main text, and it should offer another layer to your book. Analyzing back matter and taking notes helped me begin brainstorming layers I could add to my own book. 

How have you tackled back matter?
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Marcie is giving away a free download of her e-book, Mentor Texts for Writers. This book is perfect for ReFoReMo participants! Thank you, Marcie! To be eligible, you must be a fully registered participant, comment on this post, read daily, and keep records of your progress.
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Marcie Flinchum Atkins is an elementary librarian by day and writes for children in the wee hours of the morning. Her books include Ancient China (ABDO, 2015), Mentor Text Tips, and Mentor Texts for Writers. She also holds an MA and MFA in children's literature from Hollins University. She blogs about mentor texts at www.marcieatkins.com.
508 Comments
Katelyn Aronson
3/2/2016 03:18:12 am

Thank you, Marcie! This is great to keep in mind. I have a couple ideas for non-fiction pbs but haven't dared take the plunge yet...

Feeling a bit more motivated now!

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 06:06:18 am

Definitely dive in! NF is so fun! :)

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Cheryl Kim
3/2/2016 05:24:43 am

Before reading this post I never gave this much thought to how back matter can be written in such fresh and creative ways. Thank you for this helpful post, Marcie!!

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 06:07:10 am

Me either! That's why I studied back matter specifically. When I first started teaching, back matter in books was quite dry. Now it's rather inviting. :)

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Rebecca Colby
3/2/2016 05:43:24 am

As someone who is trying to write NF PBs, this was very helpful. Thanks, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 06:07:30 am

I'm so glad! :)

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Maria Johnson
3/2/2016 05:46:06 am

Back matter makes it possible to tell the main story short and sweet,
but still have a place for all those juicy facts but I didn't realize how
many different styles of back matter there are until your post. Thanks.

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 06:08:06 am

I know! I didn't realize it either until I started really taking a look at some books with stellar back matter!

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Karla Valenti
3/2/2016 05:55:33 am

I don't write NF so back matter has generally not played a bit part in my story crafting. However, I love it when I see it and appreciate the opportunity to learn more about it. Thank you Marcie!

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Karla Valenti
3/2/2016 05:56:38 am

I don't generally write NF so back matter isn't something that plays largely in my story crafting. However, I love it when I see it and I really appreciate the opportunity to learn more about it. Thank you Marcie!

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Rita Antoinette Borg link
3/2/2016 05:59:44 am

NF Pb are great little nuggets of information. Would love to write one and this is great to begin with. Thanks

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 06:08:44 am

Thank you! Best of luck as you write your NF PB. :)

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Mary Warth
3/2/2016 06:23:23 am

Several of these books are new to me. I can't wait to check them out!
Thanks for the inspiration.

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Marcie Atkins link
3/2/2016 07:45:06 am

Happy reading! :)

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Myrna Foster link
3/2/2016 06:46:16 am

Thanks for these examples, Marcie! I think nonfiction picture books keep getting better and better.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:53:16 pm

They definitely do! :) Happy reading!

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MD Knabb
3/2/2016 06:46:25 am

Fabulous examples and ideas to make back matter improve word count while keeping in the fun-to-know facts. Can't wait to read these.
Thanks, Marcie.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:53:36 pm

You are welcome! Happy reading!

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Tina Cho link
3/2/2016 07:02:29 am

Thanks, Marcie. I like reading through back matter, too, and comparing.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:53:54 pm

Yes! There are so many good books out there!

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Megan Taraszkiewicz
3/2/2016 07:10:22 am

As a former teacher librarian myself, it was always great to find these types of nonfiction to read to my students. Love the back matter. Nice post, thank you.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:54:30 pm

Yes! I love that my job is to purchase these books and encourage kids and teachers to dive into them. :)

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Val McCammon
3/2/2016 07:10:45 am

Back matter is so important, and something that takes as much thought as the text itself. Thanks, Marcie, for great insights.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:54:58 pm

Absolutely! It does take thought and great writing. :)

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Joy Main
3/2/2016 07:12:23 am

Thank you Marcie. I've always read the back matter but now I'm looking at it with fresh eyes. Three 'fiction PBs' just taken down from my kids' bookshelves contain recipes and cultural breads in Zed's Bread (Mick Manning & Brita Granström), Swahili language and facts about Kenya in Mama Panya's Pancakes (Mary & Rich Chamberlin and Julia Cairns) and fire safety information in No Dragons for Tea (Jean E. Pendziwol and Martine Gourbault). All priceless additions to the stories themselves!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:55:35 pm

Those sound like great books for me to check out!

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Lucky Jo Boscarino
3/2/2016 07:15:04 am

Ever read a book you enjoyed so much that you didn't want it to end? Back matter is like a river delta, branching out where it meets the sea... Thanks, Marcie.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:55:56 pm

What a great simile! I wholeheartedly agree!

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Jodi McKay
3/2/2016 07:17:30 am

This is great, Marcie, thanks. I too need to find a way to make my back matter appealing so I appreciate the examples of those who did it well.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:56:22 pm

Yes! It's obvious this takes much thought and time in writing stellar back matter.

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Sue Poduska
3/2/2016 07:18:02 am

Back matter is SO important, even if you don't include everything you know in the author notes. Thanks for the reminder, super librarian! (Love the librarian by day, writer by night.)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:57:03 pm

Thanks, Sue! :)

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Carrie Pearson link
3/2/2016 07:19:21 am

Marcie, I love your perspective on backmatter adding another layer to the story. You've made me re-think a current project. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:57:20 pm

Oh yay! :) Best of luck with your writing.

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Lisa Rogers link
3/2/2016 07:23:34 am

I really love how the back matter in Water is Water interprets, spread by spread, the poetic beauty of the text. While reading it to students, we did stop at each page to discuss which form of water was represented, but they definitely learned much by reading the back matter. I think the style depends on the topic and most significantly, on the text presentation.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:57:46 pm

Absolutely, I love that too!

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Jaclyn Kruzie link
3/2/2016 07:26:55 am

Yay this is just the post I need! I am looking to write a historical picture book that is of personal significance to me. Mentor text with back matter including author notes explaining personal significance, as well as brief explanation of certain supporting characters is just what I need. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:58:06 pm

Awesome! I'm glad it was helpful!

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Leah Heilman Schanke
3/2/2016 07:38:13 am

I had never thought of back matter as an art of its own. The mentor texts are wonderful examples!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:58:23 pm

Yay! Glad you liked them! They are some of my favorites. :)

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Robin Currie link
3/2/2016 07:42:16 am

I am always torn between back note and wanting sidebars for interesting "more than the basics" information in nonfiction.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:59:10 pm

Yes, and I'm sure some of that is decided by the publisher. I know for the Work for Hire NF project I did, the publisher decided that.

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Andrea Mack link
3/2/2016 07:47:03 am

Thank you for giving me a new perspective on back matter! Even though I've sometimes tried to include it, I haven't studied it in mentor texts. Great suggestion!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:59:37 pm

Yay! Happy reading!

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Terri DeGezelle link
3/2/2016 07:47:23 am

As a kid I never read the sidebars or back matter I was so interested in the story but when I started writing nonfiction for young readers I learned sidebars and back matter are an author's friend. After doing so much research and limit to maybe 24 words or less on a page learning to use these tools can layer and enhance your project and the readers' and listeners' experience. Thank you for the great post. .

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 05:59:57 pm

You are so welcome!

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Maria Gianferrari link
3/2/2016 08:02:06 am

I'm a writer of NF PBs and a HUGE fan of both NF & backmatter!!! I love reading additional interesting facts, when books are STEM-related, or about the background/history behind the story as well as authors' notes.

I've read all of the books here except In the Canyon, which I just suggested that our library purchase, and Weeds Find a Way, which is en route.

Thanks for the tips, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:00:29 pm

You are welcome! And I hope to make it to one of your local book events, eventually, Maria! :)

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PatHaap
3/2/2016 08:05:18 am

This was great, Marcie! Back matter adds so much to the story, but is something I often forget about. Thanks for the reminder!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:00:43 pm

You bet! Happy reading! :)

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Kathy Halsey
3/2/2016 08:08:44 am

Marcie, you have complied a really great list of science NF w/fab back matter. I now read back matter first - I am addicted.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:01:12 pm

Yes! These are fun reads (back matter and regular texts). :)

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Joan Swanson
3/2/2016 08:09:32 am

What a wonderful job, and such an environment to get so many great ideas. Thank you for pinpointing some wonderful little ways we can add to our books!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:01:44 pm

Of course! I'm kind of a mentor text addict, so I'm always coming up with lists in my mind. :)

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Rosie Taylor
3/2/2016 08:11:19 am

Thank you Marcie. I can see in your comments and in reading some of the listed books how back matter can enhance a work and make it more fun and also more marketable. I will sign on to your site to keep receiving your great tips!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:03:19 pm

Thanks, Rosie! I'm glad you're joining my mailing list. :) There's also a lot of mentor text stuff in the archives too. On my website, click on FOR WRITERS, then click on MENTOR TEXTS FOR WRITERS. There are several pages with lots of links to posts and articles I've written. :) Hope they help!

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Anita Banks
3/2/2016 08:17:28 am

Thank you for the fresh look at back matter, I have seen it there but have not studied it in this way.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:03:55 pm

Yes! It's like looking at it with a new lens. Happy reading!

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Linda Schueler
3/2/2016 08:19:03 am

Hmmmm, I have never studied back matter before. What a great idea!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:04:16 pm

It's kind of fun (especially when you have such good examples). :)

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Manju Howard
3/2/2016 08:24:43 am

Thanks, Marcie! My animal stories have back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:04:33 pm

Awesome! I love back matter!

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Debra Shumaker
3/2/2016 08:31:16 am

Love, love, love back matter! And what a great tip to check out publishers and if they have a common thread on style of back matter. I have not read all of these books, but the ones I have, I have loved. Trying to get hold of the rest!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:06:28 pm

Hi Deb! Fellow NF PB lover! And the publisher thing sort of stuck out after I'd looked at several. I realized I loved the way certain publishers were giving the authors room for such great back matter.

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Anna Forrester link
3/2/2016 08:36:25 am

I'm working on a MS in this genre right now and there are some in here I don't know -- so thank you Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:06:58 pm

You're welcome! :)

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Cathy Ballou Mealey link
3/2/2016 08:37:02 am

Love the trend toward kid-friendly back matter.
Thanks for highlighting these wonderful titles Marcie.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:07:23 pm

Me too!!! And visually pleasing back matter is so refreshing!

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Mary Boehmer
3/2/2016 08:39:33 am

Thank you for sharing with us! Back Matter is so interesting and can be an intriguing addition to the story. In Dr. Seuss's Book "What Pet Should I Get" it has 7 pages of Back Matter. When I read these pages to my classes they had a better insight to what the author's relation to the story was all about. :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:07:49 pm

I don't think I knew that! I will check it out! :)

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Joanne Sher link
3/2/2016 08:47:14 am

This was incredibly eye-opening and helpful. Some of these are SO creative! Thanks for introducing them to me/us!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:08:08 pm

Of course! :) I'm happy to!

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Susie Sawyer link
3/2/2016 08:49:00 am

Back matter can add so much to a book!! I wonder, though, is the back matter considered in the total word count? I suppose as long as it's noted when subbing, it wouldn't look alarmingly long to a publisher.

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Sharon Putnam
3/2/2016 09:53:12 am

I was wondering the same thing? I have back matter in my chapter book, Anya, but split the total word count into two...Word Count and Appendix. Not sure if that's the way to go or not

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:08:53 pm

I don't count it in the total word count. I indicate the MSS word count and the back matter word count.

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Diane Asyre
3/2/2016 08:58:03 am

Great timing for me! I'm writing a sports story with back matter needs. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:09:11 pm

Awesome! That sounds exciting!

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Tanya Konerman link
3/2/2016 09:07:49 am

I personally love reading and writing back matter. Thanks for the great reminder of how important it is!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:09:29 pm

Me too! :) Happy reading!

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Elizabeth Duncan
3/2/2016 09:08:45 am

I loved the idea of two books-- the picture book and the back matter book--- in the same volume. As a teacher of gifted and talented students, the back matter allows students to get an introduction to a topic in an artistic way, then to satisfy their curiosity about the subject and go deeper into the subject matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:09:53 pm

Yes! I completely agree!

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Lisa Connors link
3/2/2016 09:10:11 am

Thank you Marcie! Many of my books, even if fiction, have science or nature in them, and I love back matter. I especially love sidebars, but those are less common these days.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:10:24 pm

Yes, they do seem to be less common. I particularly love the sidebars in Snowflake Bentley. An oldie, but goodie. :)

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Nancy Ramsey
3/2/2016 09:22:02 am

Very interesting post! Terrific mentor texts! Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:10:40 pm

Thank you, Nancy!

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Angela Turner
3/2/2016 09:23:47 am

I write NF PB so this post was especially helpful. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:10:58 pm

Awesome! I'm glad it was helpful, Angela!

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Amy Murrell
3/2/2016 09:31:54 am

Marcie, thank you so much for this great post. It was very helpful to me. I currently have a picture book in submission for which I included a good deal of back matter. OF course, I hope it gets accepted, but if it doesn't, this post gives me some new ideas (which I, of course, will keep in mind for future PBs as well)! This book is fiction but it will ideally be used as a jumping-off point for caregivers to interact with kids, doing acceptance and mindfulness exercises together. I could only find one of the mentor texts you mentioned in the three (!) libraries that I checked, so your great descriptions really helped - thank you very much! --Amy

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:12:12 pm

Amy, best of luck with your writing! So sorry they are a bit hard to find. They are all brand new (only 1 or 2 years old), so maybe the libraries will have them eventually. Maybe you can ask them to order the books (if your library allows you to make requests).

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Jill Jeffries
3/2/2016 09:32:00 am

This was so useful! Thank you! I hope to write NF PB and need all the info I can get! Thanks again.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:12:28 pm

Best of luck to you, Jill! :)

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Stephanie Gray
3/2/2016 09:33:25 am

I'm still relatively new to PB writing and have not yet attempted non fiction, but it is interesting to see the ways in which it can be done successfully. I actually learned a few things myself reading the back matter in some of these mentor texts. Thank you for sharing.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:13:04 pm

I know! After reading back matter, I'm usually like, "Wow! That was interesting!" :)

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Annette Bay Pimentel link
3/2/2016 09:39:03 am

I heard Alyssa Mito Pusey, an editor at Charlesbridge, suggest using back matter to help with revision: if some detail isn't working in your main text, cut it and paste it into a back matter document. Then when you start shaping the back matter you will have your rich research ready at hand. It blunts the pain of killing your darlings, too.

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Lisa Rogers
3/2/2016 04:38:01 pm

Thanks for passing on this idea, Annette! It's a good one.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:13:34 pm

Definitely agree! I have been doing this with my WIP.

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Laura Purdie Salas link
3/2/2016 09:40:43 am

Great post, Marcie--honored to have a book included! It's about time for me to think about back matter for a pb I just sold. It will have prose sidebars with the basic info, so I might be able to explore a whole new kind of back matter. Great to look at all these books and focus on that. On a side note, I shared your site with my teacher attendees when I did a talk on mentor texts recently:>)

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Lisa Rogers link
3/2/2016 04:39:20 pm

Laura, I'm a great admirer of your work. Do you have any suggestions on the word count for back matter? Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:14:19 pm

Laura, Thank you so much!!! :) I'm a huge fan of your work! Can't wait to read your forthcoming work too!

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Patricia A Miller link
3/2/2016 09:40:51 am

Thank you for the list of books and for telling us how you use mentor texts. I need to read these for two PBs I'm working on right now, to see how they handled the back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:14:43 pm

Oh good! I'm glad this post is timely then. :)

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AJ Irving link
3/2/2016 09:43:57 am

I have a few NF ideas in my PiBoIdMo notebook. I'm excited to get started on them. Thank you for this helpful post, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:15:00 pm

You are welcome, AJ! Happy writing!

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Sheri Rad
3/2/2016 09:46:38 am

First time reading these non-fiction selections. I love that they tie in with the science core since schools are now focused on reading, math and testing, we don't get a lot of colorful poetry and non-fiction except through free reading and anthologies. Thanks will definitely buy one of these colorful lyrical texts.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:16:49 pm

Yes, please do! My teachers have loved these books! They find all kinds of ways to use them. The great part of these is that these teach some of the concepts the kids need to know--in a very interesting way!

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Anita Jones link
3/2/2016 09:48:46 am

Very useful information! I'm astonished at all of Marcie's accomplishments and working as a librarian as well. That's a truly dedicated writer/teacher!
From this article, I will be more aware of back matter in my work. I also loved how the theme of science/biology/nature are thread through your interests and writing. I think we all need to find that "Passion" in writing. Thanks again!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:18:13 pm

Thanks, Anita! I am pretty passionate about both writing and being a librarian. I feel pretty luck to be able to pursue both! :)

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Sharon Putnam
3/2/2016 10:08:50 am

Thank you for sharing and giving us a new take on back matter. I never seriously considered using back matter in my picture books, even though I do use it in a few of my chapter books and have considered using it in my middle grade, as it is set in 17th Century Scotland.

I’m going to go over my NF manuscripts and write back matter for them. I can see where it would work with my historical and nature stories

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:18:39 pm

Awesome, Sharon! Sounds like a good plan!

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Emily J
3/2/2016 10:20:34 am

Thank you, Marcie! I LOVE NF and have several projects in various stages and I go back and forth about back matter--what to include, how much, and should it even be back matter (as opposed to woven into the main text,) etc. Your post is so so helpful! I've read through it several times already! Thanks again!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:19:00 pm

You're welcome, Emily! Glad it was helpful! :)

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Sue Heavenrich link
3/2/2016 10:26:29 am

Great post, Marcie! I love, love, LOVE back matter - even in fiction books. As a homeschooling parent back in the last century, I wished more books had back matter ... it extends the book and opens further avenues of discovery for kids and their parents. I especially like back matter in historical fiction.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:19:37 pm

Me too, Sue! I particularly love it when the back matter really surprises me. :)

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Laura Renauld
3/2/2016 10:26:56 am

Thanks for highlighting back matter, Marcie. It sounds like it can be a wide-ranging and varied as the main text! Good to remember.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:20:06 pm

It does seem that way. And it seems that publishers are branching out and making their back matter better and better.

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Therese Nagi
3/2/2016 10:29:33 am

Thank you for sharing why back matter is important. How it is beneficial to teachers and librarians.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:20:32 pm

It definitely is! And it's beneficial to kids, especially when it looks like it's kid-friendly.

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Lindsay Hanson Metcalf
3/2/2016 10:32:02 am

Thank you, Marcie! I have ideas for back matter in a couple of books, but formatting them in an interesting way eludes me. Great inspiration texts that I look forward to studying closely!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:20:51 pm

Have fun diving in, Lindsay! :)

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Rachel Hamby link
3/2/2016 10:33:43 am

I am loving the quality of non fiction books coming out these days. So much design goes into the layout/back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:21:22 pm

I agree! Publishers are doing a great job with layout, design and kid-appeal!

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Rita Lorraine Hubbard link
3/2/2016 10:33:45 am

Hi Marcie, thanks for this great post. I'm currently finishing up a historical bio that has back matter. I originally wrote it to be conversational, but after this post, I'll pull some mentor texts to see how others have done it. Great info, thanks again!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:21:46 pm

That's awesome! Best of luck with your writing!

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Meena
3/2/2016 10:35:45 am

Back matter takes the front lead when it comes to non-fiction. I love learning beyond the actual material and back matter helps explore further and dig deeper. Thanks for the interesting post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:22:09 pm

You are welcome, Meena! Happy reading! :)

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Julia Wasson
3/2/2016 10:37:18 am

Former teacher. Back matter lover. Check out the back matter in Action Jackson, about Jackson Pollock.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:23:39 pm

Yes, I have that book too! For this post, Carrie encouraged us to use books that were very new. Action Jackson is pretty traditional with it's back matter (not that that's a bad thing), but it's very interesting back matter.

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Christine Rodenbour
3/2/2016 10:39:29 am

Thanks to your post, I'm now putting thought into some potential back matter for a work-in-progress. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:24:03 pm

Great, Christine! Best of luck in your writing! :)

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Melissa Rutigliano
3/2/2016 10:40:11 am

These back matter books give me some great things to share and further discuss with my teacher friends! I have quite a few and this is a great thing for me to review and self educate myself on with them Thanks

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:24:40 pm

Yes! I think back matter also helps teachers realize many ways they can tie books into the curriculum too!

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Kristi Veitenheimer link
3/2/2016 10:40:16 am

Marcie, thanks for the great post! I'm currently working on a nonfiction biography picture book and need to get started on the back matter. I've been putting it off because I don't know what I want. I really hadn't thought about using mentor texts for that also. So thanks for the idea!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:25:07 pm

Yes, Kristi! Sometimes it helps to know what's possible. I definitely helped me. :)

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Chana Stiefel link
3/2/2016 10:41:31 am

Great post! Backmatter matters! During the research & writing process, it's also helpful to flag items that can go into Backmatter, especially when you're trying to keep a low word count (ReFoReMo Day 1), and keep your story on track. You simply can't get everything into the main story. You can flesh it out in the Backmatter. Great mentor texts. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:25:44 pm

I agree. I often copy and paste things into my "working back matter" when I realize it doesn't fit in the main story.

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Kathryn Worley
3/2/2016 10:42:09 am

Back matter extends the primary text for all readers.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:25:59 pm

Absolutely! :)

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debra daugherty link
3/2/2016 10:44:24 am

Thanks, Marcie. I've been afraid to tackle NF. I might now give it a try.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:26:18 pm

It's fun! A lot of work, but fun! :)

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Virginia Rinkel link
3/2/2016 10:46:44 am

Thank you for this great post. I'm reworking a non-fiction submitted pb to a different POV. My back matter will take on a different look now. Thanks again.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:26:39 pm

Best of luck with your book, Virginia! :)

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Natalie Rompella link
3/2/2016 10:50:20 am

FYI: For some houses, they write the back matter part in house. It's hard finding a good balance of what's enough and what's too much. I was sharing one of the above books with my preschooler, and one para into the back matter, he closed the book on me! Okay, too much for him...[I was really interested, myself!]

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:27:37 pm

Yes, I'm sure that does happen some, especially with work-for-hire NF. I know Miranda Paul mentioned that often back matter is written by the author after the main text is acquired by the publisher.

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Karen Brady link
3/2/2016 10:53:01 am

I've always loved back matter. It's as if you're getting two books in one--the main story, and the wealth of info in the back matter. I especially loved the back matter in Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt. I can definitely see a child (or anyone!) losing themselves in the descriptions of all the critters.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:28:18 pm

Yes! Definitely! If you haven't read OVER AND UNDER THE SNOW by Kate Messner, you should read that one too. It's a great one! :)

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Maria Marshall
3/2/2016 11:01:28 am

Marcie, thank you so.much for the post and the list of NF texts, I have two NF that I am now at the point of creating the back matter. This is so helpful! Thank you.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:29:07 pm

You are welcome! Glad it's helpful, Maria! :) Happy writing.

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Angie Quantrell
3/2/2016 11:01:38 am

Marcie, I loved reading about back matter. I have been needing that bit of information without even knowing it. Thank you so much! I was pleased to see a few of the books you included are some of my favorites. I was sad to find that my library does not have all of these wonderful books! That might turn into my side task on this March project: make a list of books they don't have and ask that they add them to the library system. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:29:35 pm

Yes! That's what I'd do! Your library NEEDS these books. :)

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JEN link
3/2/2016 11:02:47 am

I LOVE back matter. I have a WIP that I know will need it. But mine is fictional, so I'm researching fictional stories that have factual back matter. :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:30:18 pm

Yes, definitely research for the type of book you are doing! It's loads of fun doing this type of research.

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Heather Pierce Stigall link
3/2/2016 11:04:02 am

I have a NF (or maybe creative NF?) idea and I'm not sure yet how to approach it, but the info in this post will come in handy when it comes to back matter. Thanks for the useful tidbits and list of mentor texts to look at.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:30:34 pm

Glad it was helpful, Heather! :)

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Linda Hofke
3/2/2016 11:06:00 am

This post has two things I love-- back matter and the book Water is Water. I haven't read the others books listed but am going to do so this week.

Thanks for an informative post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:31:15 pm

Me too! I'm a big fan of Miranda's books. Yes, hopefully your local library has them! If not, request them. :)

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Kizzi Roberts link
3/2/2016 11:08:34 am

Great information! I don't read nearly enough non-fiction picture books. Thanks for the motivation and great insight!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:31:43 pm

Nonfiction picture books just keep getting better and better! I have a library bag full of them now! :)

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Lauren Kerstein link
3/2/2016 11:09:19 am

I, too, have been very interested in research back matter. Thank you for jump starting my research!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:32:19 pm

You bet! I have so many favorites! This is just a starting point! Go crazy with the NF. :)

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Annelouise Mahoney link
3/2/2016 11:16:09 am

Thank you Marcie for sharing your insights with us. I've got my stack of books beside me and ready to study. : )

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:32:43 pm

Oh good! I always have a stack going. It's a habit (a good one). :)

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L. Michelle Quraishi link
3/2/2016 11:18:17 am

Marcie, I love your Useletter! Thanks for the process insight into how to go about structuring a mentor text search for a particular WIP. Especially value the reminder that noting publishers during mentor text research is a good strategy!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:33:16 pm

Thanks so much! Yes, I try to make note of the publisher since it helps me see what kinds of books they publish.

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Donna L Martin link
3/2/2016 11:19:41 am

When I was writing my creative nonfiction chapter book on the Titanic I read not only other Titanic books to see how I could make my story unique, but to also study what the authors included in their back matter or if they even chose to include back matter at all. Instead of regurgitating historical facts most people would know about the Titanic already, my back matter speaks about the real people I included in my story as well as a list of kid and classroom friendly links to provide a more "hands-on" experience for the reader.

Great post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:33:52 pm

Yes! That's a great point! :) And kids at my school can't get enough Titanic books.

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Donna Maloy link
3/2/2016 11:19:46 am

Stellar backmatter! I now have a new editing goal for my NF manuscript. Thanks, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:34:09 pm

That's a great goal! :)

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Sandy Powell
3/2/2016 11:20:53 am

I think back matter is one of the main reasons I haven't plunged into writing non-fiction. It seems so overwhelming to come up with good and exciting back matter and present it so it's not boring. I wish I would move past my fears because I think I have some great non-fiction ideas. Someday...

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:34:37 pm

Don't let it intimidate you! Try it out. You might like it. :)

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Cecilia McCarthy
3/2/2016 11:27:38 am

Back matter adds so much more. It brings more detail and dimension to the subject without bogging down the book text and the flow of the story. Love these examples!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:35:01 pm

I totally agree!

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Jennifer Cole Judd link
3/2/2016 11:29:56 am

Thank you for this, Marcie! Writing nonfiction is intimidating for me, particularly, the back matter. I have been afraid to approach it, but this post is so helpful for highlighting texts that do nonfiction right. Especially, the juicy factual bits!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:35:19 pm

Give it a try! You can do it! :)

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Gabrielle Snyder link
3/2/2016 11:30:05 am

This is just the information I needed, Marcie. Thank you! I'm excited to tackle my in-progress NF manuscript now.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:35:39 pm

Awesome! I wish you the best of luck! :)

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Tracey Brown
3/2/2016 11:51:44 am

Thank you, Marcie. As a former teacher, I love back matter. It can help all students to make a connection to the world around them, but IMO is really important to students with disabilities. Sometimes students don't have a frame of reference - the story is just words put together. Activities in back matter can help them connect to the text of the story in a meaningful way.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:36:02 pm

That's a really good point! :)

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Lynn Davidson link
3/2/2016 11:53:16 am

I think writers are finding more interesting ways of presenting that back matter. If a young book lover enjoys the main story, the rest has to be appealing in some way so the learning continues.
I especially loved Tree of Wonder and all the back matter for it.
Thank you for this helpful post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:36:29 pm

I totally agree! TREE OF WONDER has some really unique back matter.

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Suzanne Poulter Harris
3/2/2016 11:53:46 am

As a former teacher beginning to write non-fiction picture books, I found this post extremely helpful. Thanks, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:36:49 pm

That's great, Suzanne! :)

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Martin Segal link
3/2/2016 11:56:05 am

Thanks for sharing your mentor texts and insights, Marcie! I read You Nest Here with Me to my daughter, and she had almost as many questions on the back matter as the story itself.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:37:10 pm

Wow! That's great! I love that book! :)

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Brenda Huante
3/2/2016 11:57:55 am

Marcie, these are wonderful mentor texts and your post was very helpful. Thank you very much.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:37:29 pm

You are so welcome, Brenda!

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Lydia Lukidis link
3/2/2016 12:00:46 pm

Great post! I've been starting to write some NF, but now I'm working on developing it so it has more of a unique voice, rather than a stack of facts.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:37:52 pm

Yes, that's always something I have to work on too.

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Sandra Jenkins
3/2/2016 12:02:33 pm

This is just what I need for my NF ms I'm working on. Thanks, Marcie. I'll get studying.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:38:09 pm

Fantastic! I'm glad it's helpful! :)

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Nancy Rimar
3/2/2016 12:10:26 pm

I never knew back matter could have layers. I thought it was basically citing where you get the information.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:38:40 pm

It used to be, but now it's definitely aimed at helping kids further their understanding of the topic. :)

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Sara Gentry
3/2/2016 12:11:20 pm

Thank you for sharing this reading list. I have been trying to learn more about NF PBs, as I would like to try one myself. I liked the way the back matter was structured in Raindrops Roll - using the book text to section the scientific material provided a nice cohesiveness.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:39:13 pm

Yes! I love that too. RAINDROPS ROLL is one of my favorites. I keep writing about it in different blog posts.

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Shelley Kinder
3/2/2016 12:12:32 pm

Very interesting post! I hadn't given much thought to back matter before reading this. Right now, I'm only writing fiction, but I do have a few nonfiction ideas, so thanks for the wonderfully informative post. I need to get my hands on some of the books you mentioned.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:39:37 pm

Yes, I hope you can find them. These are some really great NF PBs. :)

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Carol Cole link
3/2/2016 12:19:45 pm

I have a picture book published with Arbordale Publishing. It's a counting book about 10 species of Penguins. I researched the different species and had 3 pages of info for back matter. The publisher used this info and added more to the back 4 pages of the book.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:40:09 pm

That's awesome, Carol! :) I'm glad they thought it was really important.

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Jarm Del Boccio link
3/2/2016 12:20:39 pm

Great post, Marcie! I've been collecting back matter for my historical fiction PBs, but am still working out how to present them in a creative way. I will be examining these books in detail. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:40:27 pm

Best of luck, Jarm! I know you will do a great job! :)

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Melanie Ellsworth
3/2/2016 12:23:20 pm

Marcie - what a great list of mentor texts! I love it when non-fiction science picture books also manage to be so lyrical. In my house, we are huge fans of WATER IS WATER, and I agree that the back matter is wonderful too.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:40:52 pm

I'm a HUGE lyrical writing fan too! :)

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Sylvia Liu link
3/2/2016 12:23:37 pm

great post. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:41:06 pm

Thanks for reading, Sylvia!

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Jess Townes link
3/2/2016 12:28:06 pm

Thank your for this great list Marcie! I'm formatting back matter for a couple of fiction books right now, and I found these books to wonderful resources.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:41:25 pm

Great! I'm glad it's helpful, Jess!

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Janie Reinart
3/2/2016 12:32:51 pm

Marcie, thanks for the great info.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:41:40 pm

You are so welcome, Miss Janie! :)

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Karen Lawler
3/2/2016 12:43:46 pm

I have been letting nature inspire me for my pb stories but I have made the facts as part of a fictional story. My back matter does explain the science part of each story but what genre should I call this? Thanks :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:43:49 pm

Great question. I've heard the term ficinformational and fiction with an educational tie-in. It's still technically fiction. For example: Diary of a Worm has lots of facts about worms, but it's written in worm's diary, so it's fiction. Hope that helps!

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Rosie Pova
3/2/2016 01:00:27 pm

A lot of fiction PBs could also benefit from back matter so it's always a good idea to explore those options. An additional layer makes the books so much more attractive to teachers and librarians :)
Thank you for sharing.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:44:20 pm

Yes, if the back matter is done well, it makes it very appealing.

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Suzy Leopold
3/2/2016 01:04:34 pm

Nothing but the best from Marcie. Sharing matter in a book is like having two picture books in one.

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Suzy Leopold
3/2/2016 01:06:56 pm

Oops! Insert the word *back* -- back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:44:46 pm

You are a doll, Suzy! Thanks so much for your sweet words. :)

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Kathy Mazurowski
3/2/2016 01:06:08 pm

I am so interested in back matter. Thanks for the info.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:45:04 pm

You are welcome, Kathy! :)

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Michele Manning
3/2/2016 01:08:32 pm

I love the way these authors describe science in such lyrical ways. Favorite has to be "Raindrops highlight what is real" from Raindrops Roll. Thanks Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:45:29 pm

I KNOW! I just want to melt into that book. It's gorgeous!

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Mary Jo Wagner
3/2/2016 01:17:55 pm

As a freelance writer, everything I write is non-fiction. So I always felt that to depart from that I needed to write fiction picture books. No, I am starting to look at that differently! Thank you for giving me a new creative path Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:46:04 pm

Oh Mary Jo, use that awesome expertise and create some great NF PBs for kids! :)

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Lori Dubbin
3/2/2016 01:21:33 pm

Marcie, thank you for focusing on the back matter and how mentor texts can help with that! Thank you for highlighting the author's note as a place the writer can explain her/his personal connection to the story. I'll be paying attention to how different publishers do back matter as well.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:46:31 pm

Yes! Sounds like a great plan! :) Thanks, Lori!

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Janet Smart link
3/2/2016 01:28:02 pm

I'm going to have to check these out. I've written a couple of rhyming non-fiction manuscripts. I added additional info as a sidebar, plus back matter on one of them.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:46:51 pm

That's great! I love rhyming NF! :)

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Mary Worley
3/2/2016 01:29:39 pm

I love finding books with back matter. Good books often leave me wondering. So convenient to find the answers are right there. I will keep this in mind when I tackle nonfiction. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:47:26 pm

Yes! Happy reading, Mary! :)

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Sandy Perlic
3/2/2016 01:42:06 pm

I love books with back matter! It lets you dive deeper when you're curious, but doesn't detract from the storyline or lyricism of the book. Off to read some of the selections you've recommended!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:47:46 pm

I completely agree, Sandy! :)

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Valarie Giogas
3/2/2016 01:43:58 pm

I love books with back matter for the exact reason you've pinpointed: the added layer to the story. It allows the reader to get more information, or direction where to find it. My own book has back matter (though different than how I originally presented it).

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:48:32 pm

I like that--direction. It's true. My kids love to look up other books or websites mentioned in the back matter. It leads them to explore the topic deeper.

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Kirsti Call
3/2/2016 01:53:11 pm

Marcie, I love this post! I can't wait to read or re-read your book recommendations. And maybe, this will give me the push I need to attempt non-fiction!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:48:53 pm

You can do it, Kirsti! :) I hope you will!

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Andrea Allen
3/2/2016 01:55:35 pm

I love reading the back matter in NF picture books - it allows the writer to focus on one part of the "story" while still supplying other
interesting details / facts. Thanks for writing such a great post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:49:11 pm

Thanks for reading, Andrea! :)

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Sussu link
3/2/2016 02:06:42 pm

Thanks, Marcie. The back matter is actually the research the writer does before writing the story. I like how "water Is Water" shows the cycle of things and how nothing stays what it is for a long time. I also liked to think of what the teachers have in their curriculum and how my stories could fit in. I'm sure there are niche subjects.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:50:40 pm

Miranda Paul actually wrote the back matter for Water is Water after the story was published (she mentioned this today on Facebook). But I do think some of the research does end up there sometimes too. Often so much of the research never makes it into the book, but it always informs the book.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:52:27 pm

So sorry, I mistyped. Miranda wrote the back matter after it was ACQUIRED. Obviously, she wrote the back matter before it was published. :) Typing too fast... :)

Shelley Marshall
3/2/2016 02:09:30 pm

I prepared for your presentation today by having all these books ready to read. I can't wait to read in a more informed manner now that you've pointed out important components of back matter and nonfiction.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:52:52 pm

Oh awesome! I'm glad you were able to find them all! :)

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Heidi Yates
3/2/2016 02:11:44 pm

Thank you for sharing the helpful info on back matter Marcie! :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:53:10 pm

You are so welcome, Heidi! :)

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Kate Harold
3/2/2016 02:13:21 pm

Excellent selection of back matter to compare and a great topic! I'm working on an ms right now and have back matter in it. Looking forward to exploring these texts more closely to help guide my own writing!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:53:34 pm

Oh good! I'm glad this was timely! :)

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Vivian Kirkfield link
3/2/2016 02:19:44 pm

I have tackled back matter, Marcie. Sweet Dreams, Sarah has extensive back matter...with an author's note, timeline of black female inventors, and extensive bibliography. But at this point, I don't know what will be edited out or changed before the book goes to press. What I do know is that your post today is going to be mega helpful as I go forward with other nonfiction stories...these are great mentor texts for examining successful back matter. THANK YOU!!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:54:12 pm

Yes, I'm sure that things change once the book is acquired. I can't wait to read your book, Vivian! So excited for you! :)

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Ellen Leventhal
3/2/2016 02:24:02 pm

Great mentor texts! I am just now dipping my toes into NF, although I don't know why I've waited so long. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:54:34 pm

Yes, it's fun! It takes me forever, but it's oh so fun! :)

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christie allred link
3/2/2016 02:27:44 pm

It's interesting to read more in detail about back matter - a topic I hadn't ever looked at more closely until now. Thanks for the great post. :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:54:57 pm

I'm glad you are diving in, Christie! :)

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Juliana Lee link
3/2/2016 02:31:02 pm

I'm always amazed about what information authors choose to put in the main body of the text and what is shared in the front and/or back matter. I'm sure target age has a lot to do with what and how much information to give.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:55:42 pm

Yes, and I'm sure that it often changes, depending on the topic and the style of writing too.

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Rita D. Russell
3/2/2016 02:31:16 pm

Great post, Marcie! I spent a lot of time researching and writing the back matter for my science-themed PB, and I'm so glad that I did. Putting the "complicated" information in the back matter enabled me to keep the main text spare and the word count low. I used many of the fantastic nonfiction books referenced in this post as mentor texts, and each of them helped me figure out the best way to make back matter work for my story.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:56:10 pm

That is a great point, Rita! I love books that do that!

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Traci Bold link
3/2/2016 02:31:22 pm

I had read half of this list but not the other half until I read your post Marcie. You gave great examples of books both poem form and free form that have wonderful back matter. I have a polished NF book right now that I am working on my back matter for so I rechecked out some of these titles to study them further. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:56:38 pm

Oh awesome! Have fun diving in! :)

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Keila Dawson link
3/2/2016 02:42:34 pm

Really good selection of different types of back matter. All really do extend learning for kids and adults.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:57:02 pm

That's so true! I love back matter as much (maybe more) than the kids!

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Charlotte Dixon
3/2/2016 02:48:36 pm

Thank you, Marcie, for sharing the importance of back matter. You've given us some fine examples to explore for our own nonfiction work.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:57:20 pm

These are fun examples! I'm so glad they are out in the world!

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Celeste Gerard
3/2/2016 02:53:10 pm

Very interesting....new to the idea of back matter. I adored this line in Raindrops Roll - " Raindrop Spanges mark angles."

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:57:49 pm

Yes! That book is delicious! The language is so rich! One of my absolutely favorites.

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Jilanne Hoffmann
3/2/2016 03:05:05 pm

Great post, Marcie! This is something I need to take a look at to help refine the back matter I've accumulated for several stories. very helpful! Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:58:05 pm

Great! Best of luck, Jilanne! :)

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Mona
3/2/2016 03:05:41 pm

I love non fiction and the back matter has always been hidden somewhere. It's great to see the exposure or the "rest of the story!" Thank you.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:58:30 pm

Yes, I like that back matter is starting to be a key component.

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Lori Gravley link
3/2/2016 03:06:39 pm

I write non-fiction and though I'd noticed the shift in back matter audience as I've been reading lately, I hadn't really processed it. Thanks for making the shift to kid-centered back matter so overt. And thanks for introducing me to some new books and helping me some old favorites in new light.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:58:50 pm

Yay! I'm so glad you enjoyed them! :)

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Denise Engle
3/2/2016 03:24:41 pm

Thanks, Marcie! I also take notes and examine back matter of NF mentor texts to help determine the layers for my work! Very helpful post on back matter!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:59:05 pm

I'm so glad it's helpful, Denise! :)

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Kimberly Marcus link
3/2/2016 03:30:36 pm

I've just recently begun to write NF bio's so I had not given backmatter a thought until recently. Thank you so much for tackling this topic - it is fascinating how differently the back matter is handled. I really liked adding additional reading - if the readers are like me, I like to read a lot of books on the same topic so I think it is very generous of the authors to give book lists. Thank you!!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 06:59:33 pm

I agree! Book lists are awesome to add to back matter.

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Sue Ganz-Schmitt link
3/2/2016 03:39:26 pm

Thanks so much! These are a great resource for me. Working on a science themed book with back matter and it is helpful to see how others have handled this!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:00:03 pm

Best of luck with your book, Sue! Enjoy diving into some mentor texts with great back matter!

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Joan Kassmann
3/2/2016 03:49:34 pm

They say to write what you know and enjoy. I truly enjoy animals and I love picture books that have a little twist that makes me laugh. I also am a firm believer that there is opportunity to learn something new in every book. Being completely new at writing, I was unfamiliar with the term "back matter." Now I think I will try to add back matter to 2 of my stories in process ... Animal characters with a plot twist that makes you laugh, along with some interesting back matter fast facts. Thank you for your post Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:00:31 pm

You are welcome, Joan! Best of luck with your writing.

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carole calladine link
3/2/2016 04:09:19 pm

Thank you, Marcie for not only broadening my knowledge of how to tackle back matter, but also broadening my knowledge of new nonfiction picture books.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:00:48 pm

Yes, I love finding new books! It's so fun!

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Holly Samson Hall
3/2/2016 04:23:40 pm

I was only able to get my hands on 4 of these, but examining the back matter was so helpful. I'm hoping to eventually write a NF historical PB, and I will definitely come back to these texts. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:01:32 pm

Yes, all of these are brand new titles, so libraries may not have them all in yet. I hope your library will be able to order some of the titles they don't have. But 4 is great! :)

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Judy Cooper link
3/2/2016 04:29:46 pm

I attended the 21st Century Children's Nonfiction Conference held this past June in New York City. The over riding theme from the presenters this year was that "Back Matter Matters." I had never considered it before. Thank you for sharing this book selection that sheds more information on the topic.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:01:57 pm

It definitely matters! :) Glad to hear that's been preached in other places too. :)

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Melissa Stoller link
3/2/2016 04:40:11 pm

Thank you, Marcie! I love reading author's notes that explain the author's personal connection to the story. I appreciate and plan to use your tips on back matter!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:02:18 pm

I do too! It makes the story that much better! :)

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Carla Ketner
3/2/2016 04:52:17 pm

What surprised me the most from your post is how many really well-done nonfiction picture books there are! Thanks for the eye-opener.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:03:06 pm

Yes, and this is just the tip of the iceberg! I was only allowed 10, so I had to keep it really focused. :) There are sooooo many good ones out there.

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Kathy Cornell Berman
3/2/2016 05:09:46 pm

Thanks for this post Marcie. I recently finished a picture book biography. I really enjoyed writing the back matter. You are right, it adds another wonderful layer to the story. By the way I love your website, so informative.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:03:28 pm

Thanks so much! I'm glad you found the website to be helpful! :)

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Virginia Law Manning link
3/2/2016 05:24:22 pm

Interesting post! I'm excited to read today's list! I still read a picture book to my son every night. Since he's 12, we often gravitate to non-fiction and picture book biographies and often have further discussions when we read the back matter. Unfortunately my library didn't have all the books on your list but I'll keep my eye out for those in the future!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:04:28 pm

Yes, so many of them are new (really new), so libraries may not have them yet. I hope they will soon though. I love that you and your son read picture books together every night! There are so many awesome picture books out there. We are never too old for PBs!

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debbie mccue
3/2/2016 05:24:48 pm

Thanks for sharing the books that you found helpful. They give a nice variety of different ways that back matter can be incorporated into science-themed book. The information is very useful and I know I will be referring to your list again and again.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:04:55 pm

I'm so glad it's helpful, Debbie! Have fun reading! :)

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Beverly Marsh
3/2/2016 05:33:27 pm

Thanks for your post. I just returned from the library with several of the NF mentor texts you referenced.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:05:24 pm

Oh I'm so glad they had some of these. I couldn't live without my public library and my school library.

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Ashley Bankhead
3/2/2016 05:34:03 pm

Thanks for the post about back matter. It was interesting.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:05:37 pm

Thank you, Ashley!

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Pia Garneau
3/2/2016 05:43:55 pm

Thanks for the shedding the light on back matter, Marcie! Great info!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:05:57 pm

You are welcome, Pia!

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Bethany Roberts link
3/2/2016 05:49:55 pm

Thanks, Marcie. You've given us lots to think about here!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:06:15 pm

Awesome, Bethany! Glad it was helpful!

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Bev Baird
3/2/2016 05:54:18 pm

Great post Marcie. So many wonderful books to read and study. Back matter can be a challenge - to get i right and in the appropriate language. I liked the different ways these authors approached it.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:06:36 pm

It can definitely be a challenge. These authors did an amazing job!

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Vicki Reinhardt
3/2/2016 05:58:42 pm

How interesting! I'm embarrassed to say I did not know what back matter was till now! Thank you for enlightening me. =)

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:07:11 pm

Do not be embarrassed at all. I learn something new everyday! It's how we grow! :) Happy reading.

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Mike Karg link
3/2/2016 06:01:48 pm

I love how back matter and sidebars stretch the age range for a book -skip reading it for the youngest and delve into it for the older ones!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:07:33 pm

I completely agree! It makes it accessible to more kids, for sure!

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Susan Zonca
3/2/2016 06:06:26 pm

You chose one of my favorites, Water is Water, but introduced me to many wonderful new books. I have recently enjoyed Drum Dream Girl and Gordon Parks and appreciate more fully the back matter as you have drawn us to focus on it.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:07:58 pm

Absolutely! Those books are awesome too!

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Cathy Breisacher
3/2/2016 06:08:06 pm

I am an elementary librarian and I enjoy reading the back matter in nonfiction books. Thanks for sharing this informative post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:08:26 pm

Yeah! Another librarian! :) I love reading back matter too!

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Denise Benavides
3/2/2016 06:32:27 pm

Thanks for the lesson on back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:08:41 pm

You are welcome, Denise!

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Susan Deo
3/2/2016 06:46:30 pm

Thanks for the great collection of books with interesting back matter! I've been working on a natural history story and have written back matter for it thinking it would go at the end. Now I'm thinking of revising the back matter and interspersing as side bars right in with the relating text pages. Am looking forward to playing around with it more now that I have some great mentor texts!

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:09:08 pm

Yes! I love that you are thinking about the possibilities! That's so exciting!

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Chris Perry link
3/2/2016 06:48:46 pm

Handy guide to writing non fiction books. They even mention 2 publishers that publish a lot of non fiction books.

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Marcie Atkins
3/2/2016 07:09:34 pm

Yes, these publishers are some of my favorites. They are putting out amazing books!

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Ginger Weddle
3/2/2016 06:55:11 pm

Thanks Marcie! This is very helpful! I never know how much back matter to provide. I wish critiques covered the back matter as well as the manuscript. ;-)

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:12:14 am

I agree! That would be helpful!

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Samantha Baker
3/2/2016 07:23:03 pm

Thanks for sharing Marcie. I never knew just how important back matter really is! Often I feel that it might get lost when teachers read aloud or when kids look at a book on their own! Time to take a closer look with my students so they are more aware!!! :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:12:55 am

I think sometimes it does get lost. The nice thing is the examples I gave have such great back matter, I feel like kids will tune in.

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Zainab Khan
3/2/2016 07:31:59 pm

Thanks for the great post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:13:13 am

You're welcome! Thanks for reading!

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Laurie Bouck
3/2/2016 07:46:30 pm

What a great post! I enjoy the back matter as much as the book I'm reading - it's like an extension of the book! And thank you for the great examples! Very helpful! :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:13:29 am

Yes, I always learn so much from the back matter.

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Darlene Frybarger
3/2/2016 08:05:37 pm

Thanks for your post on back matter. I never knew what back matter was, so I never understood its importance. I so appreciate your post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:13:45 am

Yes! It's so important!

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Deborah Allmand
3/2/2016 08:22:17 pm

Marcie what a great idea. Using your research material to deepen your subject matter and help to determine how your back matter will be used. Wonderful post. Also noticing which publishers set up things more in line with your thinking. Excellent information.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:14:41 am

Yes, I think it's important to note the publishers because these publishers recognize the importance of back matter so much so that they are making it a priority to make it look good and contain good information.

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sharon giltrow
3/2/2016 08:25:55 pm

Thanks Marcie for showing me what back matter is and how important it is. I will definitely use your list of mentor texts when I'm writing NF.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:14:56 am

Awesome! Happy reading, Sharon!

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Noelle McBride
3/2/2016 08:38:49 pm

Thanks for bringing so many amazing titles to my attention. As a writer/ teacher I am always looking for books such as these to add to my collection and my curriculum.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:15:39 am

I know! I have lists and lists of books I want to purchase for next year. Enjoy reading! :)

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Linda Chavez
3/2/2016 08:45:03 pm

Can't wait to dig into these mentor texts and study back matter. This is new information for me! Thanks, for such a useful topic.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:16:09 am

That's great, Linda! Enjoy studying these mentor texts. :)

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Dee Leone link
3/2/2016 09:15:23 pm

That was very helpful, Maricie, especially since I'm diving more into nonfiction now.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:16:28 am

Awesome! Best of luck with your NF writing! :)

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Stephanie Dreyer link
3/2/2016 09:22:35 pm

I just wrote a manuscript that I want to include back matter for. These texts were so helpful in brainstorming content. Thanks for all of the help!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:17:07 am

Oh good! I always look to reading for inspiration! Hope these helped!

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Brook Gideon link
3/2/2016 09:28:27 pm

Thank you so much for a wonderful post. I have a few NF book ideas floating around in my brain, both biographical or science based so this post will help me immensely! I am also going to take a session at the New England conference in April on this particular subject with Jane Yolen, Heidi Stemple, Susannah Richards, Sarah Albee and Julie Bliven. I can't wait!!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:17:31 am

That will be an AMAZING session! You are so lucky! Enjoy!

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Brook Gideon link
3/3/2016 06:41:33 pm

I will, thank you!! Now I can't wait! And once again thank you for such a wonderful list of titles. now that I have read them all, so many have made it as new favorites and want to purchase!! They are reminders that non-fiction does not have to be all facts or dry or boring! They can be beautiful and lyrical!

DeLeon
3/2/2016 09:44:46 pm

This was totally new to me. I've never realized that there was a back matter in certain non-fiction books. To be able to check this out in the mentor texts was extremely helpful since I'm very interested in writing non-fiction and this seems just right and something that can enrich the information already given in a more creative approach. Thank you so much Marcie. Great choice of mentor texts!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:18:22 am

Thanks so much! Yes, not every book contains back matter and some books contain back matter that is just okay. These contain AMAZING back matter!

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Lisa Williams
3/2/2016 09:56:07 pm

I love back matter in the picture book biographies I read but I had never thought about it for my picture book. I will now, though! Thanks for a great post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:18:49 am

Sounds great! I love PB biography back matter too!

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Maureen Morrison
3/2/2016 09:58:07 pm

I'm in the middle of a personal war with my fictional rhyming manuscript, but this will be SO very helpful to remember when I write the book about the special needs cheerleaders I work with. I will have to tread carefully with difficult subject matter such as Autism, and Downs Syndrome, but back matter will be very important to the goal of acceptance and understanding. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:19:32 am

Every book is different and each subject matter has its own unique set of circumstances. I wish you the best of luck in pursuing how best to handle this!

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Patricia Nozell
3/2/2016 10:01:20 pm

Very helpful post, Marcie. I find it especially helpful that you noted the publishers that came up a few times in your list of books with back matter. Something I'll be looking for as I read the mentor texts this month. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:20:29 am

Yes! I started doing this when I found books that I LOVED that "supposedly" people weren't publishing. They WERE being published, so I started keeping track of who was publishing them.

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Katie Parnell
3/2/2016 10:03:44 pm

Thank you for the informative post Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:21:12 am

You are welcome, Katie!

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Deirdre Englehart
3/2/2016 10:08:49 pm

Marcie,
Great information about back matter. I want to go back and reread some of the books you list. I like how the back matter is adding a different element to the story! Great information!~

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:21:41 am

Thanks, Dierdre! Yes, I reread these all the time! And I keep discovering new things!

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Juli Caveny link
3/2/2016 10:11:12 pm

Marcie, I hope you haven't answered this already in the hundreds of posts ahead of mine, but in your process, do you write the back matter first or the poetic narrative? Also... when you are thinking of your target audience, do you writer the back matter with a suggested word list? (I know many NF authors who write for Capstone etc who work with recommended word lists.) Thanks for the inspiring post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:26:11 am

Great questions, Juli! I always write the main text first. As I'm writing, if I find things that *might* fit into the back matter, I save them. Miranda Paul just mentioned on Facebook yesterday that the back matter for Water is Water was fashioned after the book was acquired by the publisher. So, just know that often it will change or even emerge later. I do not work with a suggested word list for trade publishing. Picture books are meant to be read aloud, so it doesn't have to have a controlled vocabulary like I Can Read books do. Capstone is an educational publisher, instead of a trade publisher, and so they would aim for a certain reading level and books in a series would have similar looks, etc. Capstone mostly does work-for-hire too. That means you'd be given all of the parameters before writing. Whereas in trade publishing (what all of my examples are), the author has more flexibility with word choice, etc. Hope that makes sense.

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Judy Cooper link
3/3/2016 11:36:41 am

Marcie - Thanks for this additional, useful information.

Lotus Ivak link
3/2/2016 10:12:08 pm

Thank you so much for the awesome insights Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:26:27 am

You're welcome, Lotus!

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Kevin Klein
3/2/2016 10:15:03 pm

I've read and heard about some of these books, but so glad to see they constitute a sub-genre. Thanks, Marcie.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:27:36 am

Well, they are a sub-genre in my mind mostly because of style. :) I had a HUGE stack of books and I grouped them according to what I needed to look at, at the time.

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Lisa Williams
3/2/2016 10:29:49 pm

I was finally able to pick up a huge stack of books from the library today and got a chance to read Bridget's Beret. I was so excited!!! It has Bridget's take on a Van Gogh. I teach a Van Gogh/art unit each year to lower grades and am always on the lookout for new picture books I can use with that unit. Other paintings were also included AND it had back matter about art! SCORE!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:28:23 am

I love it! :) That's awesome! :)

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Cindy Cornwall
3/2/2016 10:33:37 pm

I love Water is Water and You Nest Here With Me. Some of the others I hadn't heard of...will be glad to dive in. I'm a big fan of PB biographies, which usually include some back matter to round out the subject's life story. Thanks Marcie for your suggestions.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:29:27 am

Yes, I love PB bios too! They were in my original gigantic stack of mentor texts for back matter. I adore THE IRIDESCENCE OF BIRDS and SWAN. Both delightfully lyrical PB Bios.

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Anne Appert link
3/2/2016 10:41:39 pm

Feeling like the newbie I am today, I have never heard the term "back matter" before though I've seen it in picture books. Can't wait to read some of these books now that I've read your post. (Most are on hold at the library currently). Thank you for teaching me something new today!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:29:55 am

That's great! It's just something fun to pay attention to. :)

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Susan Wroble link
3/2/2016 11:03:28 pm

I LOVED this post -- it was exactly what I needed and I found I took extensive notes on the type of back matter in each of the books. So many were written in verse or poetic language, that I wondered if it was harder for this type of story to be published if it was NOT in that writing style...

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:33:09 am

I don't really know. I just picked the lyrical/poetic language examples because that's what I love and that's what I write. There are lots of NF books that don't have lyrical language and are still amazing books. There are many with far longer texts or with lots of humor. I just selected these because they matched what I was trying to do with my own WIP.

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Trine
3/2/2016 11:15:17 pm

I, too have written this type of manuscript. Thanks for the great examples of mentor texts for back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:33:26 am

That's great, Trine! I hope this helps!

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Natalie Lynn Tanner
3/2/2016 11:19:45 pm

Turning to mentor texts is what we writers need to do more of. We can learn SO MUCH from each other! Another GREAT resource: I have truly been enjoying the comments from other writers/readers/researchers on this page. I appreciate all of your insights! Thank you for sharing them!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:33:57 am

Yes, this is an amazing community! Bravo to Carrie and Kirsti and Janie for keeping it going!

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Kirsten Larson link
3/2/2016 11:22:09 pm

Yes, I love backmatter, and I have to curb my enthusiasm when it comes to writing it.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:34:20 am

I love it! Yes, that can be a challenge. :)

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Pamela Courtney
3/2/2016 11:44:24 pm

What a wonderfully informative post. I have NEVER considered writing back matter in the way you suggest. But as I read, I thought, doink, of course you would. Why in the world, wouldn't you? Recently I began sharing the back matter with my students. I was so amazed and pleased to see them turning to the back matter to read the information. And sharing it. So yes, it should be lyrical, poetic, just as intriguing and as engaging as the story. Thank you so much for this post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:35:08 am

PAM! So good to hear from you! Yes, with back matter done as well as these, you can feel good about sharing it with your kiddos. I'm so glad they are making it more kid-friendly. :)

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Lynn Alpert link
3/3/2016 12:17:00 am

I love books that are fun to read while teaching you something. Thanks for the great examples of books with back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:35:49 am

Yes! And it helps that there are those two elements when we are trying to spend money for our libraries. When it's fun and informative, it's a win-win. :)

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Anne-Marie Strohman
3/3/2016 12:20:27 am

Thanks for a great list of mentor texts! I've been enjoying them. They and you are sparking my interest in writing NF PBs.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:36:06 am

That's great, Anne-Marie! :)

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Amanda Sincavage
3/3/2016 12:22:53 am

What a great list, and the illustrations are amazing!!! Took a workshop with Cindy Jenson-Elliott last weekend and discussed lyrical nonfiction. I am so excited to experiment with this genre! Thanks Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:36:29 am

That is so awesome! I would have loved to have been there!!!

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Marlene Rohr
3/3/2016 12:59:53 am

A great post, Marcie, I am going to pay much more attention to back matter after reading this.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:36:48 am

That's great! Back matter can be so fun!

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Tootie Nienow
3/3/2016 01:02:57 am

Great information! I haven't thought about how the back matter would be different in biography vs non-fiction.

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:37:34 am

I think every book and subject matter is different. I looked at a number of PB Bios too (just didn't add them to this post). Each book is different. It's a fun study.

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Mischa Kuczynski link
3/3/2016 01:49:30 am

Great post! This makes me want to tackle a NF MS I've been mulling over!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:37:56 am

Oh good, Mischa! Best of luck in your writing!

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Lisa Billa
3/3/2016 02:14:18 am

Thanks for a great post. I found most of these, and a few others I loved from some of the same authors- but now I want to buy more books!

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Marcie Atkins
3/3/2016 06:38:41 am

That is ALWAYS my problem! For the first time in my adult life, I now have a book budget as a librarian. I love deciding how I'm going to spend it on the best books possible! :)

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Lisa Morgan
3/3/2016 06:12:23 am

Oh, THANK YOU Marcie!!! I have to admit, I had no idea what back matter was until today. I feel that this was a personal lesson for me. I am a science teacher and many of my stories are lyrical poems about different science topics. I was always curious how I would add other important information to the story. Thank you so much!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:27:57 am

That's awesome! I hope you will be able to put your expertise to good use! :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:45:48 am

Not that you aren't using your expertise for good use now. Teaching is a most important profession. I just mean that you could put your expertise to FURTHER use by writing. :) I taught science for 12 years and I got so much inspiration from my science curriculum and what the kids were interested in.

Lisa Morgan
3/6/2016 10:55:09 am

I completely understood what you meant!! I was just at MSTA and spoke with one of Presidential Awardees, who sits on a committee that reviews new books for NSTA Science Recommendations for educators. This morning I reread all of these books with new eyes. NSTA is so specific on talking animals, correct vocabulary and history of science discovery. (MSTA=Michigan Science Teachers Association, NSTA= National Science Teachers Association)
I think my new favorite book is Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt!!!

MaryLee Flannigan
3/3/2016 06:46:33 am

Thank you Marcie - I have 2 NF PB's on my list to write this year and this makes me want to start one of them write now - oops, I mean right now. 😀

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:28:30 am

Yay! Have fun! I love NF PBs. :)

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Julie J Burchstead
3/3/2016 07:24:47 am

Thanks for this great list. As I venture into trying my own hand at NF, this is especially helpful information. I loved science, but remember hating the dull NF books of my youth. Now it is a genre I can't get enough of.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:28:56 am

So true! There were a lot of dull NF books. Today, there is so much great NF out there!

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Rebecca Trembula
3/3/2016 07:33:19 am

So many options for things to include in back matter!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:29:16 am

Yes! I love the variety of back matter in these books!

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Donna Cangelosi link
3/3/2016 08:04:57 am

Great selection of books, Marcie! Back matter gives writers a lot of room to enrich their stories. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:29:36 am

Yes, so true! :) You are welcome!

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Anne
3/3/2016 08:17:01 am

The back matter of my book has more words than the actual text. I have had to cut ruthlessly to get to the point where it will all fit on one page. On the cover page, do I list the back matter as a separate word count or include it in the overall count? I am keen to indicate the low word count of the text so would prefer the former. Information appreciated.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:31:19 am

I don't know if there is a rule to this. Several of the books in my examples have longer back matter than actual story. I think the key is that the actual story must be amazing! And keep in mind the back matter might have quite a bit of tweaking/feedback from the publisher.

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Jane buttery link
3/3/2016 09:16:25 am

This blog was enlightening. I have been writing about where we live because ,as a teacher, i could not find books about places and events of interest. my first picture book was about a local Harrow fair. later i did one about a tropical greenhouse and about the local Jack Miner Bird Sanctuary. They are well accepted and i often have to write about "why I wrote the books- back matter. I believe in celebrating where we live and feel that children have responed to these books. But your list opens up so much more to me that i feel like an amateur! i have now read some of these REFOREMO research texts and I'm delighted to read about your work and your obvious knowledge of recent beautiful books for children.I love Molly Idle's artistic books and I've read Henry' Freedom Box and the Big Hole. i am trying to order some you mention. I think children today are fortunate to have books like those above and alibrarians who know what to chose.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:33:15 am

I think writing about where you live gives a LOT of choices. I live in Virginia and there are so many things kids are required to know for the curriculum and there are NO books about those people/places/events. It's a source of endless inspiration. I hope the list will inspire pursue great back matter. :) I know it helped me.

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Marianne Kuzujanakis link
3/3/2016 09:35:41 am

I LOVE Lyrical NF PBs! Thanks Marcie for a great post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:33:29 am

Me too! I can't get enough of them!

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Gabrielle Schoeffield
3/3/2016 09:51:18 am

Thanks for the back matter insight...this will be helpful for me!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:33:44 am

Oh good! I"m so glad!

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Carol Nelson
3/3/2016 10:44:55 am

I love the lyrical language and beautiful illustrations in these books. It was interesting to see the different ways back matter was presented in the books listed. This gives me ideas about how to revise my manuscript.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:34:03 am

That's fantastic, Carol! :)

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Kelly Rice Schmitt
3/3/2016 10:57:45 am

Marcie,

Thank you for this great post and list of good back matter texts. I LOVE back matter and how much it can add to the story and discussion once they story is over. I think Raindrops Roll is very effective, and there are many great PB biographies with good texts too -- I particularly loved Jimi: Sounds like a Rainbow: A Story of the Young Jimi Hendrix by Gary Golio and Mind Your Manners Alice Roosevelt (Leslie Kimmelman).

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:35:03 am

Yes, there are lots of PB Bios that have great back matter! I had to narrow my list down to just 10 faves, but YES, there are so many great PB Bios that do equally amazing jobs on back matter.

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Sydney O'Neill
3/3/2016 11:02:19 am

Thank you, Marcie. The recommendations are great examples of how backmatter can be written, and I'll save and use your four criteria.

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Sydney O'Neill
3/3/2016 11:12:12 am

Just remembered your criteria were for the main text, but they are also good to keep in mind for backmatter. It's so true that backmatter is more interesting now than in the past.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:37:13 am

You can set your own criteria depending on the book you are writing. That's what I did. If you are writing a PB BIO, you will want to take a close look at those types of books that have been published in the last 2-3 years. If you are writing about an event in history, the same thing. It's like creating your own class for yourself. I talk about this when I do mentor text workshops. Studying mentor texts allows you to "DIY creative writing course" based on the type of book you want to write. :)

Ann Magee
3/3/2016 11:54:03 am

Thanks, Marcie. Some new titles here I'll have to investigate :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:37:31 am

Have fun reading! These are gems. :)

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darlene koppel link
3/3/2016 12:37:36 pm

Excellent information on back matter. Thank you.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:38:07 am

You are welcome. Glad it was helpful, Darlene! :)

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Shari Della Penna link
3/3/2016 01:42:48 pm

Thanks for the great list. I'm trying to get a handle on back matter. This is really helpful.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:38:36 am

Great! Read as many books as you can. That will definitely help you!

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Karen Condit
3/3/2016 01:46:21 pm

I like the thought of back matter being another 'layer' to a book.
Great post!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:39:06 am

I'm glad that resonated with you. Happy reading! :)

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Monique Wakefield
3/3/2016 04:27:35 pm

I never really thought about :( now that I am aware back matter I need to go through my manuscripts. :)

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:39:54 am

No worries. Not every books needs back matter. But some back matter, like the above examples, made an amazing book even more amazing.

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Susanne link
3/3/2016 07:25:49 pm

Reminds me of Mrs. Frizzle and the Magic School Bus. So much back matter.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:40:44 am

Yes, different style of writing, but those books still were aiming at helping tie the book to the curriculum and further interests.

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Tina Hoggatt
3/3/2016 08:58:21 pm

Such a fabulous post! Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:40:58 am

Thanks for reading! :)

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Ju'nelle
3/3/2016 10:50:18 pm

As a child, I was never been interested in back matter in children's book; therefore I didn't give it much thought. After reading your email t I realized I probably wasn't interested because it was never interesting. Now I'm interested in checking out your recommendations.
Thanks a million,
Ju'nelle

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:42:32 am

I think that's true for me too. Though sometimes if you look at older NF books, some of them have NOTHING in the back. No sources, no extra information at all. I love that publishers and authors are putting more information in there for kids.

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Cindy Jolley
3/4/2016 12:45:35 am

Thank you Marcie for such a great selection of mentor texts. I have not really thought about writing a non-fiction picture book, but you have motivated me to consider moving that direction.

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Marcie Atkins
3/4/2016 05:42:50 am

It's a lot of work, but so much fun! :)

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Linda Carpenter link
3/4/2016 07:47:36 am

Many thanks for the post. Writing the back matter when trying to fix some glitches in the story sounds like a very helpful tip. Going to try this.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:04:16 am

Sometimes you find interesting information that can't go in the main text. It might find a home in the back matter.

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Joana Pastro
3/4/2016 09:17:11 am

I learned something new today! I'm new to PB and had no idea what Back Matter was. Now I know and see that it can be just as interesting and fun as the book itself. Thanks, Marcie!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:04:34 am

Yay! It can be fun and interesting. :)

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Linda Kujawski link
3/4/2016 09:55:51 am

This is a wonderful help, Marcie. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:04:46 am

You are welcome!

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Lauren Barbieri
3/4/2016 10:30:43 am

Thank you for the post. All of these books are so engaging, and the back matter is wonderful. Do you have recommendations for works of fiction with great back matter?

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:06:03 am

You know, Up in the Garden, Down in the Dirt is shelved in fiction in my library. The main text incorporates so many facts, so I included it here. Also, Over and Under the Snow is also a good one to look at. Candace Fleming has several PBs that might be worth looking at. One example is Papa's Mechanical Fish.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:15:58 am

Though I don't have it in front of me, I think President Taft is Stuck in the Bath by Mac Barnett also has back matter.

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Angela De Groot
3/4/2016 12:19:07 pm

I hadn't really given much thought to the different options available for back matter and how it is as important and creative as the main text. Your post is going to be very helpful for my WIP revisions which also happens to be my first pb project with back matter. Perfect timing!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:06:17 am

Oh great! :)

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Sadee Schilling link
3/4/2016 12:42:02 pm

What a wonderful list, Marcie. Thank you! I'm working on a text right now which is narrative but also part concept book in that it explores the contrast between the slowness of a sloth and the quickness of monkeys. I wonder if a few pages of back matter about sloths might work even though the book isn't technically non-fiction. I will look at your recommendations to see if I might be able to make it work as a sort of "hybrid."

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:07:32 am

It might. Not every single book that has a NF tie-in has back matter. It might be something that you and the publisher discuss and decide what should go in. Take a look at the examples and hopefully they will help you decide if you should add it for your book.

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lilli
3/4/2016 10:00:55 pm

Thank you for the great selection of books for explaining back matter! I like the different ways it can be used. I have yet to write a story that needs it but seeing the variety makes me think...

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:08:10 am

That's totally okay. :) Maybe one day you will. And if not, it's fun to know what's out there.

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Caroline Webster link
3/5/2016 01:40:44 am

I'll be looking at back matter in a whole new way, thanks to your post. You've also inspired me to read more nonfiction picture books in general, and consider ones I might like to write Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:08:40 am

I highly recommend reading NF PBs. There are some really, really good ones out there.

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Angela
3/5/2016 07:52:35 am

Oh wow, I just realized back matter / side bar is the way to tell the whole other side of the story I'm working on. Who knows how long it would have taken me to get there without this post. Thank you for sharing your process and the great list of mentor texts to launch my research.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:08:56 am

That's great, Angela!

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Eleanor Rubin link
3/5/2016 11:45:54 am

It is clear from the volume of comments and the many references to new approaches to back matter that this is a topic important to many of us. The list of books you gave us enlarges my perspective. I'm also interested in books like those by Peter Sis which incorporate layers of facts within or at the edges of his story, as for instance in his picture books "The Wall" and in "Starry Messenger" about. Galileo.Thanks so much for your wonderful post.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:09:59 am

Yes, I used Starry Messenger every year with my 4th graders. Peter definitely has his own style. I liked the way he incorporated primary resources in those bits and pieces throughout the story.

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Helen Dening link
3/5/2016 02:52:47 pm

Your post is a terrific encouragement and inspiration. I shelved a factual fiction picture book manuscript(or is it creative nonfiction?) because I wasn't sure how to keep it interesting, informative, but not heavy on the facts. I didn't want it to be like the dry factual books of my past. Back matter is my answer. I'm sooo excited. I have a date with a stack of books. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:11:20 am

Creative nonfiction is still nonfiction--it just uses literary techniques to bring the NF to life. Maybe it's ficinformational? The terms get a little crazy. :) But yes, keep it interesting. That's always a good rule of thumb for kids.

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Karen Bell
3/5/2016 04:55:52 pm

Thanks Marcie for sharing your journey to finding a fun, informative way to include back matter in pbs. I am thinking of writing a pb about a woman who became an accomplished aviator.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:11:44 am

Awesome! We always need good strong women PBs. Best of luck!

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Kristen Browning
3/5/2016 11:01:07 pm

Thanks for your great post. I love these books! So beautiful in both language and illustrations and informative in an accessible way. The back matter is so interesting and well written, too. I want to write a book like this!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:11:59 am

yes, me too!

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Lauri Meyers link
3/6/2016 09:56:19 am

Marcie!! This post is so fabulous and so up my alley, I feel like I'm cheating by reading it. Great research!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:12:18 am

Thanks! I'm glad it was helpful!

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Claire Noland link
3/6/2016 11:03:31 am

Thank you for the list of mentor texts. I'm trying to put together back matter for a NF picture book and your post is helping me to figure out what to include.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:12:37 am

Great! These examples are great!

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Marilyn Garcia
3/6/2016 11:30:24 am

I never would have thought to look at the publishers of the back matter! (Boy, I still have a lot to learn.) That is such an astute observation and exactly what can really flesh out the research as well as guide the submission process. So helpful!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:13:09 am

We are all learning every day! :) I'm always learning something new.

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Jena Benton link
3/6/2016 04:49:43 pm

Thank you! I've been studying nonfiction and back matter on my own for a while now. It's nice to know that someone else is doing it too.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:13:24 am

When it's done well, it's fascinating!

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Linda Thomas
3/6/2016 05:33:02 pm

Thank you, Marcie, for sharing your research into types of back matter! I'm looking forward to reading all the suggested titles on your list! I love nonfiction books that are written in lyrical language too.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:13:46 am

I'm a huge fan of lyrical PBs, especially lyrical NF.

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Bruna de luca
3/7/2016 02:07:58 am

Thanks Marcie,

It's good to know back matter isn't restricted to NF.I've been skirting around the idea of including back matter for a manuscript I'm working on. This have provided some great examples I might not have come across otherwise!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:14:17 am

Yes, you will often see historical fiction books include back matter.

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Ashley Pierson
3/7/2016 09:35:45 am

Hi Marcie, This is a great post! Looking forward to reading through your suggested titles. Your ebook looks amazing too!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:16:15 am

Thank you, Ashley!

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Sherri Jones Rivers link
3/7/2016 10:22:48 am

You are a treasure trove of information. Thanks for sharing! I am always learning from you.

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:16:29 am

You are so sweet, Miss Sherri! :)

Reply
LuAnn Kern
3/7/2016 10:37:11 am

I'm just starting to delve into nonfiction and this exploration of back matter has been very helpful and enlightening. I'll be on the lookout for it in other books. Thanks!

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:16:50 am

Yes! Let us know if you find any awesome titles! :)

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Sherry Howard link
3/7/2016 11:20:13 am

This is a great resource. Thanks! I'm a former teacher and can appreciate how well-done back matter adds to the value for a teacher.

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:17:43 am

Yes! I've been teaching almost 20 years and I've seen the change in back matter from nonexistent to boring to downright amazing. That is a good change!

Reply
Kristen Schroeder
3/7/2016 02:45:25 pm

Thanks for the great examples of back matter. Very timely for my February draft, which could possibly include back matter.

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:17:57 am

Great news!

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Suzy Leopold
3/7/2016 06:40:41 pm

Thank you, Marcie for sharing your thoughts on Back Matter. I have several WIPs, both fiction and nonfiction that include Back Matter. I appreciate the list of mentor texts.

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:18:12 am

Yay, Suzy! Glad to hear it! :)

Reply
Annie Bailey
3/7/2016 11:26:33 pm

Love the title suggestions. I'm going to check some out and see if it might be something I could try writing.

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Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:18:32 am

These titles are some of my favorites. :)

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Karla Valenti
3/8/2016 05:23:02 am

Wow! This is an area of PB writing that I have never really explored much but I love it. It has so much potential and it was great fun to see how effectively it can be used in story telling. Thank you!

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/8/2016 06:18:58 am

You are so welcome. Glad it was helpful! :)

Reply
Lenne' Musarra
3/8/2016 04:58:37 pm

Thank you for the post on back matter. I've always found the back matter to help me as the reader in reading and discussing the story, even if the children couldn't sit through a reading of it. I know I will be using your suggestions and mentor texts to improve the layering of my F and NF writing. It sounds feasible to me.

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/10/2016 07:19:22 pm

Yes, I agree. Sometimes the back matter is only helpful to the teacher. These are ones that have great kid-appeal. :) That's a huge bonus and, for me, something to aim for.

Reply
Jane Buttery link
3/8/2016 06:59:55 pm

I have been reading so much that I am trying to do something different with a mythological tale, well established in my homeland wales. I wouldn't put 'back matter' in a fictiona; story but this is rooted in historical circumstances, It is about wales' Dragon which is red, After waking him up, he fouf=ght with the white dragon ( who happened to have sneaked in by him and they had a fight. The welsh red dragon won and the white one went south. This is part of the legend that, because the red dragon one Wales would get rid of the saxon hoard and be restored to rightful ownership! Now this red dragon has been on the welsh fladg for centuries.
I would appreciate it if you think this story needs the added explanation as I would just like to make it fun for children to read and use dialogue a bit.Thanks

Reply
Marcie Atkins
3/10/2016 07:21:17 pm

I'm not sure if it needs back matter or not. I think the idea that it's on the flag is pretty important. If it's not in the tale itself, it needs to be mentioned in the back matter. I'd look at some recently published (last 3 years) fairy tales and folk tales and see how they are handled. I know I just read PANCHO RABBIT AND THE COYOTE by Duncan Tonatiuh and it does have back matter. Might be one to look at.

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Jane Buttery link
3/10/2016 11:28:37 pm

Thank you for that good advice. I have made a note of the book you mention and will go to the library for it. The teacher in me makes me want to explain more. Although the story is a myth , it is an important reason why our Welsh dragon still stays on the flag. Young children don't know that story today.. Marcie, thanks for taking the time to reply. Bless you.

jane buttery link
3/8/2016 08:04:19 pm

i wrote above in haste and made several faux-pas. Forgive me for that .I was called to deliver something and hit send without checking. The red dragon "one' for example should be "won for Wales." The Saxons left and the red dragon is on our flag (before a Sp mistake!) i apologize Carrie and Marcie.

Reply
Carol Gordon Ekster link
3/8/2016 11:35:36 pm

I love books with back matter and have included them in a few of my works. Now I'll be taking a closer look at them in the books you mentioned. Thank you!

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Marcie Atkins
3/10/2016 07:21:39 pm

You are welcome! Back matter can be pretty fun! :)

Reply
Nadine Gamble link
3/10/2016 07:25:12 am

I'm a little behind, but wanted to thank you for your insights on back matter, plus the list of mentor texts for this topic. Very helpful!

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Marcie Atkins
3/10/2016 07:21:57 pm

I'm happy to do it! Hope you enjoy the list.

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Ali Bovis
3/10/2016 11:15:24 am

Thanks so much for this amazing post! Several of my PB manuscripts are holiday themed. I will now start thinking of how to add this extra layer. Thanks!!!

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Marcie Atkins
3/10/2016 07:22:33 pm

Sounds fun! I'd take a look at some recently published (last 3 years) holiday themed books and see if they include back matter and, if so, what kind of back matter they include.

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sharon langley link
3/14/2016 07:07:09 pm

Thanks...I had the chance to see Weeds Find A Way in Escondido at the Picture Book exhibit...it's wonderful to think about including so many facts in such an enticing way!

Reply
Jane Buttery link
3/14/2016 11:28:50 pm

I just received Raindrops Roll from the library; it is a joy to look at. I will have to look for Weed Finda way. I know they are great copy cats!

Reply
Chantra Tham
3/16/2016 12:42:05 am

Thank you for sharing your insight. Back matter is very new to me. I feel as if I can apply some of it to my own writing.

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Dina Ticas
3/16/2016 11:50:58 pm

Thank you Marcie. I had a friend review a manuscript for me and his take on made me see back matter from a parent (and male)'s point of view. I was attempting to add details about an animal, such as where it lives, what it eats, etc., but perhaps I didn't go about it in the best way. My reader was left with more questions that answers or interest. (Bummer!) I did explain that my hope was that a brilliant illustrator would have the privilege of adding some visual details; much like Jane Yolen's "You Nest Here with Me" did. Anyway, I was a bit discouraged as some of the feedback was something like, "Would a 4-7 year old know what a ___ was?". I think some of the comments were legitimate and spoken with love and only the best intensions. But, I couldn't help but feel like a flop. Do you think some of the back matter can be very dependent on illustrations to fill in the gaps of understanding? Thank you again. Loved this!

Reply
Wendy Greenley
3/20/2016 06:04:38 pm

I am struggling with this. Wondering how much to provide. Wondering if I just note that it is optional/available and see if editor wants it. I have heard different opinions on letting the story stand alone. Perhaps depends on the house.

Reply
Lynne Marie link
3/20/2016 07:14:41 pm

I am a big fan of Marcie's Mentor Texts! Thanks again!

Reply
Myrna Foster
3/29/2016 03:14:23 pm

Thanks for this post! I have a nonfiction PB that I'm struggling to get right.

Reply



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