Suggesting that the vital element nonfiction lacks is professional attention, this book shows the literary qualities of nonfiction as well as defining its importance for young adults. The book discusses seven issues related to information books, each issue making up a single chapter. The first chapter addresses the reading interests of teenagers, emphasizing the role of nonfiction in young adult book selection. The next five chapters concern criteria for evaluation: accuracy, content, style, organization, and format. The final chapter addresses the role of the librarian or teacher in using informational books to promote recreational reading, supplement the curriculum, and to maintain a current collection. Interspersed among each of these chapters are interviews with seven prominent authors of informational books (Lee J. Ames, Milton Meltzer, Laurence Pringle, Brent Ashbranner, James Cross Giblin, and Susan Cohen). (Contains 377 references.) (RS)