Informational Texts

By: Kelsey Kennedy, Kelly Baucom, Liza Karras and George

Merryman
Definition
An informational text is.
__________________
Mostly science or _______________
________ information that can be verified
Caters to multi-fasted teaching
Applicable for every subject and content area
Characteristics
Graphic elements include:
Diagrams
Pictures
Compare and Contrast
Cause and Effect
Use of _______ verbs and _________ nouns
Example: birds eats insects vs. bird is eating an insect
No characters
_______ based: typically feature short titles
Might include components such
Table of contents
Bold or italicized _______ words
Purpose of Informational Texts
To _______ the reader about a specific concept
To enhance _____________
Expand vocabulary
Notable Authors
Joanna Cole
Most famous for _____________________ series
Has written over ______ books
One of her most famous titles: ____________________

Seymour Simon

 Has written over ______ books

Named the __________________________ by the NY
Times
One of his most famous titles: ____________________
Nic Bishop
Has written over ______ books
Most famous for his ___________________ series
One of his most famous titles: ____________________
Gail Gibbons
Also noted in the field of ____________________
Writes and ____________ childrens books
One of her most famous titles: ____________________
Lynn Curlee
Has written ____ award-winning informational books
for older children
Also a critically acclaimed ________ and _________
One of his most famous titles: ____________________
Susan Meyers
Fun Fact: she informally goes by the name ______
Currently works as a writer and blogger for the
_________________
One of her most famous titles: ____________________
Criteria for Selecting a Good Book
___________________
Needs to be visually appealing to engage the
students attention
This includes cover and content pages
_________________
Use of colorful and engaging images and pictures
__________________
Little-known facts are details that create images that
stir up interest and provide a starting point for greater
understanding
__________________
Must contain facts
Credible references

Annotated Bibliography
Bishop, N. (2010). Lizards. New York, NY: Scholastic Inc.
This book, part of the Nic Bishop: Animals series, describes the
lifecycle and lifestyle of lizards in detail. What is interesting about this
book is that Bishop is able to convey very detailed information about
the subject without making the book too difficult for children to digest
and enjoy. This book also features Bishops own photography which
makes Bishop all the more credible as a source. The photographs
featured in this book are exquisite and would absolutely capture the
attention of a child. These images are crucial in an informational
childrens book for two reasons. First, photographs serve to solidify the
information that is being presented via text and help the reader
understand what is being said. Second, photographs serve to grab the
attention of the reader and increase his or her interest in the topic.
Cole, J. (1999). The Magic School Bus Explores the Senses. New York, NY:
Scholastic Inc.
This book, part of The Magic School Bus series, utilizes familiar and
relatable characters to relay information about the five senses: taste,
touch, smell, sight and sound. Throughout this book, many facts are
presented about the five senses in a fun and interesting way. This book
is meant to teach children about the five senses while still capturing
their attention and allowing them to enjoy learning about this topic.
Cole uses a quirky teacher to present this information which allows the
reader to understand the context of the topic and why they should be,
knowledgeable about it. There are also little blurbs throughout the
book that give the reader little tidbits of factual information to the
reader without overwhelming the reader while he or she is reading the
main text.
Curlee, L. (1999). Rushmore. New York, NY: Scholastic Press.
This book is an informational book about Mt. Rushmore that includes
how Mt. Rushmore was built, why it was built and why it is important
and significant to American culture. Although most informational books
do not include a narrative, Curlee uses personal experience to inform
his readers about Mt. Rushmore. This is an interesting informative
tactic that Curlee utilized very often in his informational publications,
Curlee writes about subjects, places and things that he is very
knowledgeable on personally in order to add a level of depth and
credibility to his writing. In addition, Curlee uses his own illustrations in

every book that he publishes which includes a personal and sincere

touch to every book that he writes and proves that he truly cares about
the subject matter that he is writing about. Curlee considers himself an
artist, not just an author which is why his books resemble works of art.

Gibbons, G. (2000). Apples. New York, NY: Holiday House.

This book tells the story of apples: how the fruit came to America, the
different types of the fruit and how apples grow. This book is a perfect
example of childrens informational literature because it includes a
simplified, yet thorough description of a factual topic. This book would
be a good option for a young reader because there is not an
abundance of text on each page; therefore the reader would not get
overwhelmed. In addition, this particular book includes accurate yet
non-threatening illustrations which are very appropriate for a childrens
informational book. Throughout this text, there are labeled diagrams
that demonstrate the different parts of the apple and what their
functions are. One of the most notable focal points of this text is the
inclusion of factual blurbs throughout the book that define the
important words included in the text; these serve to expand the
readers vocabulary.
Meyers, S. (2008). Tarantulas! Orlando, FL: Harcourt Achieve.
This book is a very simple example of an informational text. There are
only 16 pages in the book and the information included is very basic.
However, this text is a good example of an informational book that
would be appropriate for very young readers. This book discusses the
subject matter in very simplistic and basic terms; however, these are
the terms that would be able to be understood by young children
(Preschool and Kindergarten level readers). This type of informational
text also serves to introduce children to the idea of a book that exists
with the primary purpose of teaching the reader about the subject at
hand instead of existing for the purpose of entertainment. This book
also includes a glossary which is a very common addition that is
included in informational books. This is important to note considering
the fact that informational books are essentially miniature text books.
Simon, S. (2006). Horses. New York, NY: HarperCollins.
This book is one of Seymour Simons many informational books about
animals. This particular book focuses on horses. Throughout the book,

the habitat, lifecycle and traits of horses are discussed. This book also
features exceptional photography which makes it a good choice for
children because even if the reader is not yet literate, he or she can
take interest in the book based on its photographs. This book is very
informative and gives a relatively detailed account about horses and
how they exist and interact with each other. This book would be
enjoyable for both children and adults because of the interesting
information and aesthetically pleasing images. This is a good
example of an informational book because Seymour Simon is able to
present relatively basic information in an interesting and enjoyable
manner.

Works Cited
About Seymour Simon (2015). In SeymourSimon.com. Retrieved November
17, 2015, from
http://www.seymoursimon.com/index.php/about_seymour_simon/bio/
Biography: Joanna Cole (2015). In Scholastic.com. Retrieved November 15,
2015, from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/joanna-cole-0
Bishop, N. (2015). Nic Bishop: About Me. In nicbishop.com. Retrieved
November 17, 2015,
from http://www.nicbishop.com/about-me.html
College of Education and Human Development. (2003). Retrieved November
17, 2015,
from https://umaine.edu/edhd/about-thecollege/professionals/mels/correllbook-award/what-is-informational-text/
Duke, N. (2003). Information Books in Early Childhood. Retrieved November
12, 2015,
from https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/InformationBooks.pdf
Gail Gibbons in Her Own Words (2012, March 29). In gailgibbons.com.
Retrieved November
17, 2015, from http://www.gailgibbons.com/
Informational Books In Early Childhood. (2003). Retrieved November 17,
2015, from
https://www.naeyc.org/files/yc/file/200303/InformationBooks.pdf
Lynn Curlee: Bio (2015). In curleeart.com. Retrieved November 17, 2015,
from
http://www.curleeart.com/bio.php

Meyers, R. S. (2015). About Randy. In randysusanmeyers.com. Retrieved

November 17, 2015,
from http://www.randysusanmeyers.com/bio/