by Amber Miller
March 1, 2025
"Literature, for all of us, is a way that we rehearse life. And, of course, I don't have that much life left. I've already experienced everything that one can experience. But kids who are ten years old, they have it all in front of them, and some of it is going to be very, very hard. When they read about people experiencing those hard things, they rehearse how they would react, feeling it without having to truly feel it yet. It serves a valid purpose for them."
~Lois Lowry (2021) in a New Yorker Interview
Whether presented as lengthy novels or as 32-page picture books, Realistic Fiction should be a part of our book collections for several reasons. Because students find them engaging and relevant to their lives, this genre can motivate them to read more in the classroom and in their free time. The wide range of available formats, themes, and reading levels that we can now offer students makes it easier to match students with books that interest them and are on their reading levels. Some categories of high-quality, contemporary realistic fiction can provide the means for students to consider complex social issues and possible ways to face them. Others can help them gain insight into family relationships and peer relationships. Regardless of the theme, the genre can provide a context for discussing and writing about many relevant issues for young readers in a supported environment.
Sites that often honor contemporary realistic fiction include the Newbery Award, the Coretta Scott King Award, the Pura Belpre Award, the ALA Schneider Family Book Award, and the Hans Christian Andersen Award. While these awards are not strictly targeted at contemporary realistic fiction, many of the best authors in this genre have appeared on these lists.
Characters
What makes a character realistic? What makes us invested in certain characters? What helps us empathize with them? Best selling author Jason Reynolds discusses the characters in his books:
Well-developed characters have depth, and understanding their motivations and emotions requires some inference skills.
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