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.