Realistic Fiction in Children’s Literature

Classification, Evaluation, Conversation

“Imaginative writing that accurately reflects life as it was lived in the past or could be lived today. Everything in the story can conceivably happen to real people living in our natural physical world.”

~Children’s Literature in the Elementary School. 10th ed.

Definition

Popular Types of Realistic Fiction

Categories

Animal StoriesHumorous

StoriesSports Stories

School Stories MysteriesAdventure and Survival Stories

Samples:

Animal Stories

Samples:

Humorous Stories

Samples:

Sports Stories

Samples:

School Stories

Mysteries

Samples:

Adventure and Survival

● Does the book honestly portray the realities of life for today’s children?● Does the book illuminate issues of growing up in today’s world?● Does the story transcend the contemporary setting and have universal

implications?● Are the characters convincing and credible to today’s child?● Are controversial topics dealt with in an open way?● If negative behavior is part of the story, does the author provide

motivations and show the aftereffects?● Does the author avoid stereotyping?● Does the book truly represent the experience of the culture depicted?● Does the book help children enlarge their personal points of view?

Evaluating Realistic Fiction

Helps children to: ● understand and come to terms with themselves as they acquire “human-

ness.”● gain a fuller understanding of human problems and relationships● see the world from another perspective● see that they are not the first to face certain problems● illuminate experiences that they have not had● see different models for behavior, both good and bad, and shape their own

thinking

Value

● What is real?● How real should a children’s book be?● Bias and stereotyping ● Author’s background

o Experience vs. Imagination● Categorizing

o contento age-appropriateness

Issues