More Than Just the Facts: A Hundred Years of Children's Nonfiction.

NONFICTION novel; CHILDREN'S literary criticism; MACMILLAN Co.; CARRY On, Mr. Bowditch (Book); STORY of Mankind, The (Book); SEAMAN, Louise; NEWBERY Medal; LATHAM, Jean Lee, 1902-1995; VAN Loon, Hendrik Willem, 1882-1944; PUBLISHING; HISTORY

The article considers the history of children's nonfiction publishing. The first children's department was founded at the Macmillan Company under Louise Seaman, with no separate sections for fiction and nonfiction. The first nonfiction Newbery winner, "The Story of Mankind," by Hendrik Willem van Loon, was published by an adult company. Award trends encouraged the publication of fictionalized biographies, like Jean Lee Latham's "Carry On, Mr. Bowditch."