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Million $ Jeopardy Winner Credits Children's Books

24/4/2019

 
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There's a lot of buzz about the latest record-breaking Jeopardy winner, James Holzhauer, who became the second contestant in the history of the game to win more than a million dollars.  Yes, he has a strategy on how to win BIG.  He goes for the high money clues-- the hardest hints-- because he has a real body of knowledge he can literally count on.  

I am not a die-hard Jeopardy fan, but I've watched it a few times.  How could I not?  It's part of American lexicon.  And I was  pleased that I knew a few of the answers. ( Yet, I couldn't twist my brain around to phrase the answer as a question.)  But the statement that caught my eye in the NY Times article of April 23, 2019, is Holzhauer's attribution about where his knowledge comes from:
           

"As for the sources of his knowledge, Holzhauer has said that an underrated strategy is reading children’s books, which he said are more effective than adult books because they cater to readers who might not be naturally interested in the subject matter."  

I am presuming that he is referring to children's nonfiction because he is mentioning "subject matter," i.e. "content."  He is not referring to "textbooks" or school books or even school.  He's a reader who long ago discovered what we, who write children's nonfiction, hope that the education community and maybe even the patrons of school and public libraries would also discover.  If you want to learn about something new, read a kid's book or two on the subject.  You'll soon learn who the best nonfiction authors are.  They are the ones who treat the reader as an intelligent person (not using over-simplified language or "dumbing down" a subject) but assume that their reader has little or no prior knowledge on the subject.  We write for the uninitiated on content that captivates us as authors so that our writing will also captivate our readers.  We use a lot of the techniques of the best fiction authors and have invented a few tricks of our own.  

​A study in 1988 showed that good writing is memorable. That concept has paid off very well for James Holzhauer.  Maybe those who marvel at the depth of his knowledge  will be inspired to follow Holzhauer's course of study.  He read for pleasure about the real world, he followed his interests when he read, and he studied Jeopardy from childhood to master the moves of the game. He learned that he could play the game and play it well before he became a contestant.  

I'm betting that he's still reading children's nonfiction. 


    


Roxie Munro link
24/4/2019 09:05:54 pm

Yep, just read good well-written children's nonfiction books and you are good to go!

Carla Killough McClafferty
25/4/2019 09:43:37 am

The best-kept secret in the world: To learn anything begin with great nonfiction books for young readers. They will be succinct and interesting!

Jan Adkins link
25/4/2019 11:05:35 am

Researching an unfamiliar subject? You can't dive for the specific details first. Every writer for young people knows that details too often obscure the shape of the subject, its topography and patterns. We begin with a broad appreciation of the process and its parts before we hang details on them. Holzhauer seized the broad strokes of nonfiction for young readers as plain-language surveys on which he could hang details when he understood the shape of the subject.

When we write for our brilliant audience of minds not yet skewed by the avalanche of details unfounded in fact, plucked without priority, unfounded in context. We create plain outlines and build a path to understanding with good roadsigns, and we use language as the herbs and spices of understanding.

In short, adults may benefit from reading our nonfiction, but we write it for a keener audience of fresh minds who want everything – both data and style.

Dorothy Hinshaw Patent link
26/4/2019 06:30:29 pm

I am a dedicated Jeopardy fan and a kids' nonfiction author, and on the program on April 25, host Alex Trebak again asked James about using childrens' books to learn, and James gave our work an even louder and more enthusiastic shout-out, followed by Alex pointing at the camera and telling contestant wannabees to follow Jame's example! Hurrah for James and Alex!
I've always recommended to adults who want to learn a new subject to head for the children's section to get the best basic info on just about any topic. Great to see a popular TV program also pointing that out!

Carole Jean Tremblay link
1/5/2019 09:23:09 am

As a long-time Jeopardy fan as well as a children's writer, I am delighted to read about James Holzhauer's strategy for the big win! Even books for the very youngest audience can inform both the child and the author. My latest story (now seeking a publisher!) "Catfish, Dogfish", is about a clownfish seeking the most beautiful fish in the sea. It combines fiction with fact. I didn't know before I began that the whale shark is the biggest fish in the ocean, and that it's as big as a school bus! Thanks to James and Jeopardy for putting the spotlight on child lit.


Comments are closed.

     Vicki Cobb

    *Award-winning author of more than 90 nonfiction books for children, mostly in science.
    *Former Contributor to the Huffington Post
    *Founder/President of iNK Think Tank, Inc.
    *Passionate advocate for the joy of learning for every child and teacher.


    Disclaimer: All opinions, typos, and grammatical errors are my own,  especially small word omissions which I often don't notice in my fervor.  

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