NF PB Journey: Plot Structure

Today you’re going to see one of the biggest reasons I chose DIRTY RATS? as my mentor text to guide us on our journey as we write a nonfiction picture book to submit to Charlesbridge.

I charted the plot structure of DIRTY RATS? on my Basic Plot Worksheet A. To download your own copy of this plot sheet so that you can fill it out in your own handwriting, CLICK HERE and scroll halfway down to click on the pdf file to print out.

Here’s how the plot unfolds:

BEGINNING

The story starts with 3 spreads where it discusses the question, Dirty Rats? Yes, rats are dirty.

CHANGE 1

But wait! Not all rats are dirty.

MIDDLE

1ST HALF

In the first half of the middle, we read four specific examples of rats that are not dirty.

CHAGE 2: TURNING POINT

In fact, we find out at the exact middle of the book, rats can even do good things.

2ND HALF OF THE MIDDLE

Here we are given 3 examples with general information about rats on the good and helpful things rats do.

CHANGE 3

To sum it all up, rats struggle to survive.

ENDING

The last page of the main text repeats the opening question: Dirty rats?

Then it answers the question based on what the reader just learned: Maybe. Maybe not.

Can you see how simple this plot structure is?

In an upcoming post, we’ll look at how we can build our own manuscript’s plot to be strong and simple like our mentor text’s.

Filed under: Nonfiction, Picture Books, Uncategorized