Children’s Nonfiction: A Door into the Publishing World

Nonfiction piques children’s interest; consider children’s nonfiction as your way into the publishing industry.

As an aspiring author, I have often wondered how I could get started in the publishing world. Getting published isn’t just about creating a good book; it’s also important to understand the market. The landscape of children’s nonfiction holds great potential for authors looking to get published. Research suggests that children are interested in understanding how the world works and enjoy nonfiction material—and schools and publishers are noticing.

THE RESEARCH

In their study “The Pleasures of Reading Non-Fiction,” researchers ​​Joy Alexander and Ruth Jarman of the Queen’s University Belfast examined children’s interest in children’s nonfiction literature. Over the span of three years, 309 students, children ages eight to fourteen responded to questionnaires regarding their general preferences and opinions, reading habits, and interest in science. Later, 179 students as well as teachers across 17 schools completed post-project questionnaires. The study also interviewed participants, revealing their thoughts on the project.

The study reported that while the children weren’t initially interested in reading nonfiction, that “90% of participants considered [the project] … very enjoyable or enjoyable, with 112 children deeming it to be very enjoyable.” (Alexander and Jarman 2018, 81). Additionally, the results of the research illustrated “evidence of a personal response to the books with 83% reporting feeling a sense of awe and wonderment as they read and 90% that they had wanted to find out more” (Alexander and Jarman 2018, 81). The children enjoyed talking with their friends and family about what they read in the nonfiction books, supporting the idea that there is great potential for publication in children’s nonfiction.

However, the way information was presented in a nonfiction book for children mattered. The books needed pages with effective spatial organization so that children could read together and discuss what they read. For example, factoids organized into chunks facilitated learning and enjoyment. While children liked gaining knowledge and enjoyed sharing what they learned with others, they also appreciated clever and helpful designs in the aesthetics of the nonfiction books, such as pop-ups and interactive components. These findings suggest that a mix of interesting facts and organized and engaging design greatly add to a child’s experience reading nonfiction books.

THE IMPLICATIONS

The researchers hoped the study would encourage the children’s “intrinsic value in reading science information books” (Alexander and Jarman 2018, 83). This research indicates that children enjoy reading nonfiction and want more of it. Creating and crafting more children’s nonfiction could be a potential opportunity for authors, editors, and publishers to pursue.

They can use these findings to create nonfiction drafts according to the interests and needs of children: interesting factoids, relevant information organized into chunks, and stimulating aesthetics. Further, they can also consider these interests and needs of young readers to create nonfiction products that interest schools and parents—those who purchase the books. Children’s nonfiction may be an undervalued pathway to publishing success, so consider this pro tip: Write children’s nonfiction.

To find out more about children’s nonfiction, read the full article:

Alexander, Joy, and Ruth Jarman. 2018. “​​The Pleasures of Reading Non-Fiction.” Literacy 52 (2): 78–85. https://doi.org/10.1111/lit.12152.

—Katrina Rudd, Editing Research

FEATURE IMAGE BY YAROSLAV SHURAEV

Find more research

To learn more about children’s responses to nonfiction reading, check out Laura Pérez-Martínez and Diana Muela-Bermejo’s (2024) article: “Exploring Silent, Small Group and Adult Mediated Reading with Nonfiction Picturebooks: Children’s Responses and Educational Potential in Elementary School.” L1-Educational Studies in Language and Literature 24 (1): 1–22. https://doi.org/10.21248/l1esll.2024.24.1.618. 

To learn more about children’s reading comprehension, vocabulary intake, and other literacy skills, check out Edna Brabham, Pamela Boyd, and William D. Edgington’s (2000) article: “Sorting It Out: Elementary Students’ Responses to Fact and Fiction in Informational Storybooks as Read‐Alouds for Science and Social Studies.” Reading Research and Instruction 39 (4): 265–289. https://doi.org/10.1080/19388070009558326.

To find more research and empirical data on children’s nonfiction and literacy, take a look at Diana Muela-Bermejo and Rosa Tabernero-Sala’s (2025) systematic review: “Nonfiction Picturebook Reading in Early and Elementary Education: A PRISMA-P Systematic Review.” Reading Research Quarterly 61 (1): e70081. https://doi.org/10.1002/rrq.70081.