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Writing a great nonfiction children's book begins with finding a great topic. You have an almost infinite variety of topics to work with. Of course, some topics will interest your audience — and you as a writer — more than others, so you must be selective when choosing the one on which you will focus your creative efforts.
Topics that float kids' boats
When it comes to fictional topics, you probably have a good idea of what gets children interested in reading: stories about wizards, flatulent canines, heroes with superpowers, princes and princesses, talking fish, cats with hats, Martians, girls from Kansas with ruby slippers, and many more. But what about ideas for nonfiction children's books? What topics float kids' boats? Here are just a few:
- Strange, terrible, gross, interesting facts
Choose a slant to the topic that will be unique and interesting to the intended audience. Younger kids (preschool through first grade) like topics presented as they apply to the kids' lives — for example, how to find and study bugs in your backyard. Kids in second grade and up use the books to write reports at school or do research, so tie the topics into the curriculum. And it's always good to add humor whenever possible, through the text, illustrations, or both. Consider the example of a nonfiction book in the picture book format for kids up to age 10 called It's Disgusting and We Ate It! True Food Facts from Around the World and Throughout History by James Solheim (Simon & Schuster Children's Publishing). It combines history and social studies, and it even includes recipes.
Topics that float your boat
Choosing a subject that floats your boat means that you should choose a subject in which you have a strong personal interest. Although it is ultimately of critical importance that your reader be interested in the topic you choose (otherwise, why buy it?), you have to be interested in it first. If you're not, it will show in your writing. To decide which topics float your boat, use the following indicators as a guide:
- Choose a topic that you know a lot about. Knowinga lot about a particular topic shows that you really like the subject and you have plenty of background knowledge to get started easily.
- Choose a topic that arouses your curiosity. Perhaps there's a topic that you've been wondering about for a long time but have never explored deeply. You may, for example, have a fascination with tornadoes — a topic about which you know little beyond what you learned from watching the film Twister years ago. This fascination may drive you to research the topic thoroughly — to the point that you become expert at it.
- Choose a topic that you're passionate about. Passion for something — an idea, a thing, a person — can motivate you to achieve great things, including writing a great story. Tap into the emotion, energy, and inspiration that your passion for the topic releases.
- Choose a topic that has personal meaning. If you, your parents, or your grandparents immigrated to this country from, say, China or Mexico, why not choose a topic that allows you to further explore your own roots and your cultural heritage? Maybe a book based on Chinese New Year or Mexican Day of the Dead festivities.
 | Life is too short to waste your time writing books for which you have no passion or feeling of connection. Leave those books to someone else while you focus on finding the topics that work best for you. |
Branch out into the real world
Beyond finding topics that interest your potential readers — and that interest you personally — it's a good idea to branch out and look at the real world and real topics that are going on today or that have happened in history. Perhaps it should come as no surprise that a glance through the pages of most any newspaper or magazine can reveal a wide variety of topics to consider.
Hot topics of the day
Kids are connoisseurs of all things current and hot. If there's something new out there, chances are that kids already will be in the know. Whether it's the latest teen idol, the hottest fashions and trends, or the coolest electronic gizmo, kids are likely already there.
Interesting historical topics that need more coverage
Broad subjects that are in deep need of more coverage is another terrific source of topics for your nonfiction children's book. It's unlikely that topics such as dinosaurs or fire trucks lack coverage in the children's book market, but other topics — such as the plight of Japanese-Americans who were forced into relocation camps during World War II, or great women scientists, or the impact of population growth on fragile ecosystems — may be.
Consider asking the following questions as you search for a subject that needs more coverage:
- Is the person, event, or thing historically significant?
- Is the person, event, or thing relatively obscure?
- Would a book based on the topic have a measurable and positive impact on its young readers?
- Are there other books on the topic? Do they leave certain issues unaddressed (that you can address in your book)?
- Is this a story that simply must be told because in your view it is particularly unique, timely, or compelling?
If you answer yes to a number of these questions, you've created a compelling case for writing about the topic you have chosen. So, don't just think about doing it, do it!
Test your topic
After you have a topic picked out, how can you be sure it's a good one? By testing it. And who should test your ideas? Get feedback from kids, teachers, and librarians. Here are some suggestions for doing just that.
Feedback from kids
What better place to get feedback about your idea than straight from the kids? Kids can help you quickly determine if your idea is a winner or not. Here are some questions to get the feedback flowing and to see if you're on the right track:
- What about this idea do you like?
- What about this idea do you dislike?
- What would you do to make this idea more interesting?
- What idea would you like better than this one?
Feedback from teachers and librarians
After you select your topic, get a second opinion from librarians and teachers. These professionals are on the front lines of every youthquake and megatrend that passes through their libraries and classrooms. If the kids like something, librarians and teachers probably know about it weeks — perhaps even months — before you do.
Another way of finding out if a topic is good is to look at the public school curriculum for different grades, or for the age group you want to target. Most school districts have their curriculums on the Web. Then ask the teachers for those grades if they see a need for more books on specific topics that can be used in the classrooms.
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