ABSTRACT
English lessons are the special home of fiction and this is reflected in the length and depth of analysis of a range of genres. However, some kinds of non-fiction have an important place in the English curriculum and have, perhaps, not always received the attention they deserve. The motivational aspect of electronic biographies should not be underestimated. But print biographies may also draw in children who are not normally avid readers. Linnea Hendrickson recommends for these young learners well-illustrated small biographies of sports heroes and entertainers. Visual material often complements and extends the written text: photographs of people, buildings and landscapes, drawings and diagrams like family trees and timelines. Michael Rosen explores how the events of Dahl's life influenced and found their way into his writing, from the beating and the bullying of boarding school days, to the myths and Norse legends his mother told him of wicked trolls and monstrous giants.
