WHAT ABOUT BACK MATTER? HOW MUCH TO INCLUDE: A Look at the Back Matter in SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL

I love back matter. At my recent children’s nonfiction picture book group meeting we discussed how back matter is used to expand the main text—from author’s notes, time lines, vocabulary lists, websites, further reading, and more. In some books the back matter was clearly for a parent, teacher or older reader, whereas in others it was at the same level as the main text. Each book we discussed had its own approach.

In my own books for children I have always liked to include back matter and my memoir, SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL (for adults), is no exception. In fact, one quarter of the 200 pages of the book is back matter. The main text of the book is written in first person present tense and meant to be read as a story. The back matter (written in past tense) is intended to fill in the names, context, and other historical details that are relevant but would slow down the pace of the story. When the two are read together it creates a richer narrative.

Author’s Note

The back matter of SETTLEMENT HOUSE GIRL begins with an author’s note in which I explain the roots of the story, how it grew out of a children’s book called CHILDREN OF THE SETTLEMENT HOUSES (Carolrhoda Books, 1998), about early settlement houses and their impact on children in immigrant communities. My memoir is “a story about me and my family set in the context of a functioning settlement house” and “a window on childhood and social customs of the 1950s.” In the author’s note I am explaining myself to you, the reader.

End Notes

The next section of the back matter is End Notes, a chapter by chapter listing of pertinent facts and other relevant material. In an early version of my manuscript these were footnotes, but I found them cumbersome and decided to move them to the back of the book. A major resource for the book was a collection of letters written by my parents and other documents they had saved. The end notes were my solution for including this source material in the book.

Appendix

The appendix is my catch-all for things I want to share with the reader but don’t fit in the main part of the book. To begin with I felt it was important to include the history of North East Neighborhood House. When I found a newspaper article that described all the activities at the settlement house at the time I lived there, I wanted to include it too. My short story, Growing Up, written when I was in high school, provides insight into my life at home with my brothers. And the final section, The Beginnings of Camp Bovey, written by my father, I felt was important to include as background for the four chapters in the book about my years at Camp Bovey.

About the Author

The final item of the back matter is a short biographical paragraph, About the Author. I also included a photo of myself as I look today—in contrast to the historical photos in the book. (As a reader I am always curious to see what authors look like.) I did not create an index for this book. The dedication and photo credits are at the front of the book along with a Table of Contents.

Whether you are writing a children’s nonfiction book or a nonfiction book for adults, the inclusion of back matter increases its value for the reader. How much or how little to include depends on your subject, your preferences, and the number of pages you have available.

North East Neighborhood House, Minneapolis, MN.