The Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children recognizes books which demonstrate excellence in the "writing of
nonfiction
Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...
for children."
[ It is awarded annually by the ]National Council of Teachers of English
The National Council of Teachers of English (NCTE) is a United States professional organization dedicated to "improving the teaching and learning of English and the language arts at all levels of education. Since 1911, NCTE has provided a forum ...
to one American book published the previous year. Up to five titles may be designated as Honor Books.
The award is named after the book considered to be the first picture book
A picture book combines visual and verbal narratives in a book format, most often aimed at young children. With the narrative told primarily through text, they are distinct from comics, which do so primarily through sequential images. The images ...
for children, ''Orbis Pictus
''Orbis Pictus'', or ''Orbis Sensualium Pictus'' (''Visible World in Pictures''), is a textbook for children written by Czech educator John Amos Comenius and published in 1658. It was the first widely used children's textbook with pictures, ...
'' (''The World in Pictures''), by John Amos Comenius
John Amos Comenius (; cs, Jan Amos Komenský; pl, Jan Amos Komeński; german: Johann Amos Comenius; Latinized: ''Ioannes Amos Comenius''; 28 March 1592 – 15 November 1670) was a Czech philosopher, pedagogue and theologian who is considere ...
, which was published in 1657.
The award has recognized one book annually without exception since it was inaugurated in 1990.
Criteria
* The book must be "nonfiction literature which has as its central purpose the sharing of information". Biographies
A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or c ...
are welcome, but not "textbooks
A textbook is a book containing a comprehensive compilation of content in a branch of study with the intention of explaining it. Textbooks are produced to meet the needs of educators, usually at educational institutions. Schoolbooks are textbook ...
, historical fiction
Historical fiction is a literary genre in which the plot takes place in a setting related to the past events, but is fictional. Although the term is commonly used as a synonym for historical fiction literature, it can also be applied to other ty ...
, folklore
Folklore is shared by a particular group of people; it encompasses the traditions common to that culture, subculture or group. This includes oral traditions such as tales, legends, proverbs and jokes. They include material culture, ranging ...
, or poetry
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings i ...
".[
* The book must have been published during the previous calendar year in the United States.
* The book must meet the literary criteria of accuracy, organization, design and style.
* Additionally, the book "should be useful in classroom teaching grades K-8, should encourage thinking and more reading, model exemplary expository writing and research skills, share interesting and timely subject matter, and appeal to a wide range of ages."
]
Recipients
Multiple awards
Two writers and no distinct illustrators have won the Orbis Pictus Award more than once.
* Jim Murphy
James Francis Murphy (born 23 August 1967) is a Scottish former politician who served as Leader of the Scottish Labour Party from 2014 to 2015 and Secretary of State for Scotland from 2008 to 2010. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for East Ren ...
, 1994, 1996, and 2004[ ]
* Russell Freedman
Russell A. Freedman (October 11, 1929 – March 16, 2018) was an American biographer and the author of nearly 50 books for young people. He may be known best for winning the 1988 Newbery Medal with his work '' Lincoln: A Photobiography''.
...
, 1991 and 2006
See also
References
External links
A New "Picture of the World": The NCTE Orbis Pictus Award for Outstanding Nonfiction for Children
''Language Arts'' 68.6 (October 1991): 474–79
''The Best in Children's Nonfiction: Reading, Writing, & Teaching Orbis Pictus Award Books''
published by National Council of Teachers of English, 2001
{{DEFAULTSORT:Orbis Pictus Award
American children's literary awards
Awards established in 1990
American non-fiction literary awards