ReFoReMo Day 4: Marcie Flinchum Atkins Unites First and Last Lines

By Marcie Flinchum Atkins

What are the threads that tie a good nonfiction picture book together? Often a good beginning and ending can bookend a story. Let’s take a look at some recent nonfiction picture books that do this well.

Mirrors

In some books, the beginning and ending are mirrors of each other. We circle back to the beginning.

The Brilliant Deep: Rebuilding the World’s Coral Reefs: The Story of Ken Nedimyer and
the Coral Restoration Foundation by Kate Messner and Matthew Forsythe

First Line: It starts with one.

Last Line: It starts with one.

  

Sun! One in a Billion by Stacy McAnulty and Stevie Lewis

First Line: Once upon a time—about 4.6 billion years ago—a magnificent and important star was born.

Last Line: I plan to be in the biz for another six billion years. You and me, we’ve got a bright future together.

I Dissent: Ruth Bader Ginsburg Makes Her Mark by Debbie Levy and Elizabeth Baddeley

First Line: You could say that Ruth Bader Ginsburg’s life has been … one disagreement after another.

Last Line: Step by step, she has made a difference…one disagreement after another.

Cloth Lullaby: The Woven Life of Louise Bourgeois by Amy Novesky and Isabelle Arsenault

First Line: Louise was raised by a river.

Last Line: When she was done, all of her spiders beside her, she held the river and let it rock her again.

Change

In other books, the beginning and the ending show how things have changed. The ending might be the beginning with a twist, or it might show how far things have come from story’s beginning to story’s end.

The Boo-Boo’s That Changed the World: A True Story About an Accidental Invention (Really!)

by Barry Wittenstein and Chris Hsu

First Line: Once upon a time, in 1917 actually, a cotton buyer named Earle Dickson married his beloved, Josephine, and they lived happily ever after. The End. Actually, that was just the beginning.

Last Line: Because soon those snivels and sobs of pain are silenced by Earle and Josephine's accidental boo-boo invention. And that is the happiest ending of all. The End. (Really!)

Pass Go and Collect $200: The Real Story of How Monopoly Was Invented by Tanya Lee Stone and Steven Salerno

First Line: What kind of Monopoly player are YOU?

Last Line: In any case, there is no doubt that millions of people all over the world adore Monopoly.

Joan Procter, Dragon Doctor: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles by Patricia Valdez and Felicita Sala

First Line: Back in the day of long skirts and afternoon teas, a little girl named Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests.

Last Line: And just like when she was a little girl, Joan often hosted children's tea parties at the Reptile House with her scaly friends. Sumbawa was the guest of honor.

Dr. Jo: How Sara Josephine Baker Saved the Lives of America’s Children by Monica Kulling and Julianna Swaney

First Line: People called Sara Josephine Baker a tomboy.

Last Line: People were always happy to see Dr. Jo coming their way!

Ada’s Violin: The Story of the Recycled Orchestra of Paraguay by Susan Hood and Sally Wern Comport

First Line: Ada Rios grew up in a town made of trash.

Last Line: Buried in the trash was music. And buried in themselves was something to be proud of.

The Vast Wonder of the World: Biologist Ernest Everett Just by Melina Mangal and Luisa Uribe

First Line: At twilight, a man lay on a dock, luring marine worms with a lantern.

Last Line: Through his careful observations and hard work, Ernest opened up the wonder of the universe to all of us, through a tiny egg cell.

What are your favorite first and last line combinations? 

Marcie is offering one copy of her eBook Mentor Texts for Writers to one lucky winner. To be eligible for prizes throughout the challenge, you must be registered by March 4, comment on each post, consistently read mentor texts, and enter the Rafflecopter drawing at the conclusion of ReFoReMo.

Marcie Flinchum Atkins is a teacher-librarian by day and a children’s book writer in the wee hours of the morning. She holds an M.A. and an M.F.A. in Children’s Literature from Hollins University. Her “Rookie Get Ready to Code” series came out on February 1 with Scholastic Children’s Press, and her debut picture book Wait, Rest, Pause: Dormancy in Nature comes out from Millbrook Press on September 3. She muses about mentor texts and making time to write at www.marcieatkins.com. You can follow her on Twitter @MarcieFAtkins and read about her #writerlife on Instagram at @marciefatkins.