Nonfiction writing is important in a student's school life and it is important a skill that they will use throughout their lives. The majority of our daily reading and writing experience is made up of nonfiction, and students are writing nonfiction long before they are taught how to do it in the classroom.

Building on Adrienne Gear's Reading Power books, this valuable addition to her highly successful books addresses the close link between reader and writer. This remarkable book shows teachers how to help students recognize that they write because they have something to say. It argues that writing nonfiction well means considering the writer's intent and purpose, and choosing the most appropriate form among the various nonfiction genres.