"Nonfiction" is easy to extol as needed information, but in our times of TIK-TOK, Substack, YouTube, and Reddit, posts voiced by unvetted sources, not to mention traditional media outlets, once reliable sources, are diminishingly trustworthy. They now present "truth" but materials are produced by downsized-overworked-nonspecialized staff and AI generators, both equally doubtful. I've come to believe that the most reliable truths, ones I can trust, come not even from my own eyes, since AI plays a role in so many distortions and outright misrepresentations. What I turn to are works from well-vetted publishing groups for youth (ages 0-20), ones who willingly claim the label NONFICTION. Even adult works in those categories too often reflect agendas and intentions toward what is or is not included or emphasized. In works for nonfiction for youth, the guards are still at the gates and turrets. Material is scrutinized to prevent distortions, half-truths, and even an excess of flourish or creativity that could confuse young audiences.
This branch of the publishing industry, on the creative, production, and marketing sides, have gone so far as to identify works as "informational fiction" or ":creative nonfiction", offering readers a full understanding that the factual content can and will be identified even if told in imaginative ways. These works (including direct nonfiction) go so far as to incorporate back matter to expand and validate the facts shared, to offer suitable resources for curious investigators, and to clarify aspects that may have been used for storytelling purposes only. I challenge all purveyors of "information" from any of the outlets noted above to step up with comparable assurances of the TRUTHS they offer to readers. (Bottom line following this rant? READ MORE NONFICTION for kids!)
CALKINS CREEK, 2025
In both text and illustration, some nonfiction picture books take original twists on familiar people or topics, but others capture attention by introducing new individuals, discoveries, burgeoning fields of study, and so much more, all of which can capture attention just as well as digital media while providing validity and references to learn even more. THE SPIDER : Nan Songer and Her Arachnid Army is written by Penny Parker Klostermann and illustrated by Anne Lambelet. This unsung hero story would be remarkable even if it didn't involve a major aspect of winning World War II.
But it does.
It begins as an intriguing and colorful account of Nan Songer's unique childhood as the eager mentee of an expert female neighbor-entomologist then moves through Nan's emerging sense of nature and its appreciation. Rather than focus on displaying or dissecting amazing bugs, she was fascinated by their behavior. Studying that meant keeping them alive. The hearts of many wannabe scientists will resonate at the spreads showing how Nan transformed her bedroom into a living insect zoo. (Parents may cringe, but it's worth sticking with this unfolding story.)
As WWII loomed, Nan encountered a need from the armed forces- for precision spiderweb threads to use as crosshairs in many kinds of munitions.I learned so much about Nan but also about spiders in this bio-profile-career story. (That's despite my academic respect for spiders with no willingness to become roommates with them!) Among the most amazing new information is that aiming crosshairs needed to be from spider web threads because they're not susceptible to heat or cold or moisture, making the marksman's aim reliably accurate. Who knew? I certainly didn't. And I certainly didn't know how spider thread could be collected without taking it from the web! Silk thread, yes: soaking silkworm cocoons allows easy unthreading and re-spooling. But spider web threads? You won't believe it!
But you should. And you will, because it is so well told and visualized. And documented.
Nan Songer's long "hobby" meant she worked with live spiders regularly, overcame any worries about Black Widow spiders producing the most ideal threads, and so much much more. That background made her the ideal innovator for acquiring and providing threads of exacting specifications in quantities, reliably, without injuring the spiders who served our country so well. I wondered (and learned) if those same threads would have any signifcant purposes after the war ended. The story is woven as effectively and with as much complexity as actual spider webs. Both the story and the webs have strength, purpose, and jaw-dropping intricacies. Don't miss the back matter for added details and insights.
And could we all try holding reportedly "true" stories and images to the same high standard as we achieve in nonfiction for children. At a minimum, indicating when and how much AI is involved in images and reports? Deepest thanks to all who write, illustrate, proofread, crosscheck, and validate the contents so that young readers can actually trust such work.
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