Confronting the Know-It-All Narrator

Inviting Young Readers into the Story

Authors Annette Pimentel and Eija Sumner discuss helpful strategies for shaping narrative voice when writing books for youth. This presentation is part of the 2nd annual Lilac City Book Festival.

A young reader’s first point of contact with a story is the narrative voice. Often that narration is built to be invisible, as if the story is unfolding untouched by human hands. The practice of "metafiction," however, can call attention to the narrative voice and show young readers a more engaging version of storytelling. Metafiction invites young people to be more critical readers. It demonstrates that story structure and voice are their own form of play. Two picture book writers whose stories both have characters interacting with the book’s narrator (to very different effects!) will explore why they used this metafictional writing technique, what its particular challenges were, and how it affects the reading experience.

The Lilac City Book Festival is a yearly event to support local writers and illustrators of books for children and teenagers. It's organized by Spokane Public Library and presented in partnership with the local chapter of the Society for Children's Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI).

About the presenters:

Annette Bay Pimentel writes nonfiction for kids about the people and ideas that have shaped our world. Her latest book is How a Bear Became a Book: The Collaboration that Created Winnie-the-Pooh, illustrated by Faith Pray and published by Henry Holt. When she’s not writing at her treadmill desk, she helps administer the public library as an elected Trustee in Moscow, Idaho.

Eija Sumner writes funny picture books from her home in Moscow, Idaho. Her latest book is, The Good Little Mermaid's Guide to Bedtime, illustrated by Nici Gregory and published by Tundra Books. Eija has worked in public and academic libraries, been a bookbuyer for an independent bookstore, and has an MFA in writing for children and young adults from Hamline University.

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