Beth Anderson, Children's Writer

I felt like this last part should be titled “From whence it came and where it goes,” but that just seemed a bit unwieldy. Every manuscript I tackle teaches me more about researching, so I often add a note on what was special in the back matter—sometimes a short note, sometimes longer. It’s valuable for kids to see the process in action and how a story emerges from books, documents, and more. And just like that research launched the book, back matter often shares extensions to launch kids into new areas of interest, creative projects, and maybe even their own research!

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In case you missed the earlier posts in this series of classroom activities to do with back matter, you can find them here:

Part 1: Connections

Part 2: Images and Graphics

Part 3: Research and More!

In this final part, we’ll look at back matter pieces that provide opportunities for students to understand authors’ research and writing processes. Professional tips as well as pitfalls and breakthroughs contribute to the growth of students as writers.

Quotations:

I’m always in search of quotations by or about the subject of my writing. Quotes are manageable primary source tidbits that encapsulate an idea in a special way. I like to introduce a story with a quote as an epigraph, and I also love to share more quotations in the back matter. Why?

Quotes are thought-provoking—ready-made discussion or writing prompts. They are often the piece that helps me identify the “heart” of the story and “prompts” me to dive into it.

Quotes reveal character. Gather a few quotes to use for character studies or when exploring characterization.

Research Process:

Notes that share the author’s real world experiences with research can serve as “mentee” pieces for young researchers. They can learn the ins and outs, get tips, and be inspired by an author’s thrill of discovery and fascination with details. 

In Cloaked in Courage: Uncovering Deborah Sampson, Patriot Soldier, the mix of fact and fiction in the research and presence of truth and lies in the historical documents created quite a challenge. I learned a lot about being a history detective with that project, and wanted to pass some of it along to students. The majority of the back matter in this book is about that research process. It begins with the need for thinking bigger when doing something as basic as name searches, and then addresses primary sources, secondary sources, and the importance of the varied aspects of setting.

Bibliography:

Though bibliographies don’t make for exciting reading, they can add to a discussion of the differences between primary and secondary sources.

They can open up thinking on types of sources available when researching, as well as evaluating sources for bias and veracity. A quick scan might show interviews, letters, diaries, documents in archival records, videos, speeches, historical sites, museums, and more.

Q&A:

Sometimes authors share questions that guided their research. Questions focus the search, open doors, and build needed background. Seeing the kinds of questions an author used to guide research provides valuable examples for students.

You might also find Q&A in back matter that answers some of the questions students posed in a K-W-L chart, or Q&A that extends a story or topic and inspires further investigation.

While you seldom see specific information about an author’s writing process in back matter, research is part of the writing throughout the entire process as revisions are made.

Glossaries:

Glossaries, another type of text feature, may include foreign words, subject matter words, and special terms used in the main text. Glossaries serve to expand vocabulary, especially Tier 2 (high-frequency academic words) and Tier 3 (content specific words). In addition to glossaries as a text tool, the words present an opportunity to work with context clues and invite student use through writing, speaking, and listening as new words become their own.

Extensions:

Back matter may expand on a topic, object, event, or person related to the text, showing how the text can be a springboard for further discovery. Consider why the author chose to share the additional information. What else in the story sparked your curiosity? What would you like to know more about? 

Activities such as seek-and-find, recipes, and crafts are interactive extensions found in back matter in which students actively practice, enjoy, or use information from the text in a new way. 

I hope this 3-part series has inspired you to dive into the back matter of illustrated texts and play with its wide-ranging potential to support student learning in language arts and across the curriculum.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD the complete article with an INDEX TO BACK MATTER CONTENT in the books I’ve written.

AND if you subscribe to the KID LIT FOR GROWING MINDS newsletter featuring book news and resources for the classroom, you’ll get an expanded INDEX OF BACK MATTER CONTENT for books from the group.

📘 GIVEAWAY! 📗 Don’t forget to leave a comment below to be entered for winner’s choice of my titles. ALSO let me know if you share on social media or with teachers for extra entries. AND if you ARE an educator, please note that for 5 extra entries! (US addresses only, please. 3 winners – one drawn from each post in the series – announced 8/22/25)

For more blog posts on back matter for educators and writers, click HERE.

😍 Wishing all you educators, librarians, and students a fabulous school year ’25-’26