Re-thinking “E” Is for Everyone

Nonfiction for  kids just keeps getting better and better every single
year. It’s such an exciting time for informational books. And I’m deeply grateful for the efforts of librarians to enrich their
nonfiction collections with new books in all different categories . There truly is a perfect nonfiction book for every
child, and librarians are out there on the front line looking for innovative
ways to help students find just the right book at just the right moment. Thank
you!

Seeing librarians in action has inspired me to be on the lookout for even
more ways to help unite students with nonfiction books they’ll love. As I’ve
been touring school libraries and watching students utilize them, I noticed something
worth thinking about.

Many libraries call the section with fictional picture books “E” Is for
Everyone. As far as I can tell, no one is quite sure about the origin of this
practice.

One possibility is that “E” initially stood for “Easy,” but librarians
made a change to emphasize that readers of all ages can enjoy fictional picture
books.

Or maybe the section was called “picture books” in the past, but then
re-named because the nonfiction section also contains picture books.

Regardless of the origin, I’m hoping we can move away from this
terminology because it sends an unintended message to students. It implies that
the other two main sections—fictional novels and nonfiction--are NOT for
everyone.

Of course, it’s true that the novel section isn’t appropriate for K-2
reading on their own. Due to the length and reading level of these books,
they’re a better choice for older readers.

BUT the nonfiction section is an entirely different story. It truly IS
for everyone because, in nearly all children’s libraries, nonfiction for all grade
levels is arranged by topic and shelved together. A 32-page picture book about
elephants is right next to a 112-page middle grade title about elephants.

“E” is for Everyone applies to the
nonfiction section just as much as it applies to the fictional picture book
section.

By using this label for fictional picture books only, we are giving
nonfiction short shrift. We’re marginalizing it—and the kids who connect
strongly with these books.

What’s the solution to this problem? Let’s think about it. Can we develop
a better labelling system?

If you have
suggestions, please add them to the comments below.