I think that contemporary realistic fiction is a very valuable type of story. A story that is not fact, but a story that could of happenend. I agree with the author that it makes it easy for children to identify with the characters in the story and can help them see situations that could happen.
Chapter 9 Contemporary Realistic fiction Due October 25, 2008 Jacques said
I really like this chapter 9 on realistic fiction; I like how they explain the plot, setting, characters, and setting and also explain the real lives of people. These type of stories deal with everyday problems as well as pleasures and relationships. These are also the stories that I enjoy reading as well. The favorite issues that I like to read as well are survival, animal stories and also family life. I also like when the plots have a struggle or a problem to figure out and also how personal relationships are played out as well.
Chapter nine was about contemporary realistic fiction. This is an interesting and controversial topic. Realistic fiction is about stories that are fiction but really could happen. I think these stories are both good and unhealthy for children. I think some of these stories are good for children because they can relate to the situations and characters of the story. I think that some of these stories might be unhealthy because of the certain topics of some of these books. I have seen some very adult topics that are supposed to be geared toward young people. These stories could be as bad as TV shows in some cases. I think that when parents check out books for their children at the library, or buy them for their kids, they should definatley investigate the content of the book to make sure that it is suitable for their children to read. On the other hand, I think a lot of authors try to create good and healthy books for children to read and learn from!
I do agree that children can definately relate to realistic fiction and some stories are really neat because kids can almost predict what will happen in the story because they have experienced it in real life.
Laura, I agree that you will run into both types of stories. But you will run into that type of controversies almost anywhere. It is up to the parents to monitor what they see fit for their kid.
I feel that this chapter, on contemporary realistic fiction, has essential information for students. I believe that this type of literature has a big impact as well. At this time in their lives, all students want to do is fit in and know that their thoughts, ideas and feelings are not unusual. They can see that with realistic fiction – they can relate to the characters in these stories. I think this type of literature gives teachers a great tool to address real life situations in the classroom – thing such as death or divorce, instances that will very likely affect each and every student. It doesn’t always have to be serious though, there are great stories that are mysteries, humorous or sports related… some are even controversial. Contemporary realistic fiction really gives students the opportunity to get lost in the story and picture themselves there; they can develop their personal beliefs and morals by deciding how they would have handled the dilemma faced by the main characters. That’s what I think is so great – you figure out things about yourself while still enjoying a great book. I also enjoyed the last section of the chapter, I think it’s important to have varied activities for students, and not just having the same group discussion after each book.
Laura - I agree that parents, and teachers too, should investigate the content of each book before providing to children. There are books out there that aren't suitable for all children, even if they are the same age...each student needs to be considered when making that choice.
Contemporary realistic fiction is a good category of books for children. They can relate to what is going on. There are many good options out there in this category. There are also a lot of books when written were contemporary realistic fiction that are no longer contemporary. Series of books such as Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children, Hardy Boys, Trixie Beldon, and The Dana Girl Mysteries started in the 1930’s or 40’s but continued for many years give us a look into life during those time periods yet are still written so that children of this time period can relate to them. I like to read such books to see how you can take the same characters and adapt them to different time periods. The Boxcar Children do things in the earlier books that you couldn’t imagine kids doing now days yet children still enjoy them. I recently re-read The Hundred Dresses which was written in1944 then republished in 1973. This book, even though all of the girls wore dresses, delt with a very real problem in current times. It was about bullying done by girls in a relational hostile aggression way. The girls didn’t even realize that they were being mean until it was too late. So, are these books that were written in the past 100 years that still relate to children in the same manner contemporary realistic fiction or are they historical fiction?
laura, You are right, you do have to be careful about the selection of books for our children. But, like Benjamin said you have to be careful with all genres of childrens books and adult books for that matter. I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find objectable picture books and alphabet books as well. I think I said the same thing about fantasy books.
Benjamin I am with Laura as well and I do believe that parents need to monitor what their children see, read, watch etc. However, because of, I am embarrassed to say, my generation of baby boomers, children were raised to believe that you can do anything, it’s your life, watch/read whatever you want, I’m too busy spreading sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. I seem to remember a phrase about raising children that said “Let the child go and they will find the way.” But bail them out when they get in trouble. Consequently, our children believe that nothing is their responsibility; nothing is their fault and is now passing that fallacy on to their children. Not everyone of my generation acted this way, you understand, but there are too many to count. "Like me, I have always done the right thing, it’s all those other people who are messing up... ;)" In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly.
Realistic fiction is really good for many. Personally, I prefer the historical non-fiction. But realistic fiction can do a few things; one example is it can let a child play something 'exciting' in a safe way. ie. The Landry News by Andrew Clements is the story of a 5th grader who defied those in authority to stop writing a newspaper she developed in a classroom (a kind of school paper that really grew big) because of some controversial stories, eventually put a teachers job at risk. She continued to defy authority. The story ended with a very successful newspaper and the teacher was not fired. The child could experience this without the real troubles it causes. On the other hand, children don’t really have a good concept of what is true and what is false when it comes to stories of various kinds and the child could be tempted to defy those in authority (just like the 5th grader did in the story) to the point of ruining someone’s life and/or career. I realize this is somewhat extreme, but worse has happened. Realistic fiction should keep this in mind so that the stories that a put out for an age group do not promote daring activities.
Chapter 9 is another one of my favorites. Children’s Literature is so much more interesting than I thought it would be. I found it quite interesting how realistic fiction follows the cultural patterns. What was taboo or even valuable in one time is not so in another. As prospective teachers, we would do well to remember that children can identify with tough problems through books. Some time we may encounter a student facing an issue that we are not truly versed on and can use realistic fiction as a medium to help the student. I find the teaching section at the end of each chapter really useful and am sure I will find it to be even more so as I teach. Role playing is always a helpful tool in teaching problem solving, whether, we as the teacher are doing so or having our students “act out” certain feelings and emotions.
Chapter 9 is another one of my favorites. Children’s Literature is so much more interesting than I thought it would be. I found it quite interesting how realistic fiction follows the cultural patterns. What was taboo or even valuable in one time is not so in another. As prospective teachers, we would do well to remember that children can identify with tough problems through books. Some time we may encounter a student facing an issue that we are not truly versed on and can use realistic fiction as a medium to help the student. I find the teaching section at the end of each chapter really useful and am sure I will find it to be even more so as I teach. Role playing is always a helpful tool in teaching problem solving, whether, we as the teacher are doing so or having our students “act out” certain feelings and emotions.
Response to Wendy: Your question regarding books written over the past years, are they still relevant for today was very interesting to me. I found myself asking the same question as I read through the chapter. I suppose evaluating a book ahead of time, before we decide to use it in our classrooms, would be the best way to handle the situation. Making sure that the story relates to the culture we live in, even down to the city or town’s culture would certainly be in our best interest as teachers. Of course, we should consider the other points of critiquing realistic fiction too, like the ones that where listed earlier in the chapter. I feel as if I may carry this book around as a resource as I teach-it has so many helpful hints! :)
Contemporary Realistic Fiction has to encompass many things. Making a fictitious story seem real is a very challenging task. One big challenge is dealing with critics. To be real you have to embrace real situations and many of them will be controversial. Talking to children about sex, violence, and profanity is viewed by many as a parent's role and to be avoided at school. To talk about these things in a book you have to be ready for the backlash. These issues must be broached because children will face them whether or not their parents want them to or not. Obviously things should be age-appropriate but each item should be discussed -- at home and through literature.
Linda said: "In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly."
Linda, I agree with you so much. Many parents do a great job with their children but others are clueless. Literature is a way to reach some of these kids and they need to be prepared. If parents want their children to be sheltered from violence, sex, racism, profanity, etc they need to keep them inside forever. All of these real issues exist and the children will encounter them.
jacques said... Chapter 9 Contemporary Realistic fiction Due October 25, 2008 Jacques said
I really like this chapter 9 on realistic fiction; I like how they explain the plot, setting, characters, and setting and also explain the real lives of people. These type of stories deal with everyday problems as well as pleasures and relationships. These are also the stories that I enjoy reading as well. The favorite issues that I like to read as well are survival, animal stories and also family life. I also like when the plots have a struggle or a problem to figure out and also how personal relationships are played out as well.
October 20, 2008 10:07 AM
I siad the same thing! Good post. I appreciate your work.
The values of realistic fiction are important in that children read about characters that have very similar problems to their own. It can help them cope with the tougher issues because they know that the issues are not things that only happen to them. These issues can be common things such as adolescence and some can be serious issues such as abuse or divorce. Because these themes can have controversial or sensitive themes it's important to take care in evaluating these particular types of books.
Chapter 9 focused on the elements of Realistic Fiction. I believe that most of the books I read as a middle school age child fell into these categories. I loved to read the Babysitter's Club books, and other teenage dramas. I think that these books are increasingly important to youth today, because they offer the chance to model positive problem solving as well as values and morals. I know that as a parent I do not tend to restrict my 11 year olds literature as much as I do his TV and Video games. I am more likely to allow him to read a book about more mature topics than watch a TV show. I think that books like this encourage conversation. As a teacher, you have to be more careful about the literature that you introduce into the classroom. I found the sections about the controversial literature very interesting.
"In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly."
While I do agree with this statement I believe as teachers we should be mindful that we do not inadvertantly override the parental role. Even if it seems that the children are lacking parental guidance, they still do have parents and as teachers we can only be the best adult role model we can, and not make those decisions that should be left to parents.
Contemporary realistic fiction is one of my top favorites. I really enjoyed this chapter. These books are so easy for children to relate to and often times explore subjects that children are not willing to ask questions about. My all time favorite author is Judy Blume. I read them nonstop when I was a preteen and can still remember what shelf they were on in the library. My one question to throw out to the group is how to monitor these books within the classroom. It seems that a lot of contemporary realistic fiction stories have pretty controversial subject lines. Are they appropriate to have in the classroom or to incorporate into classroom lessons? Or are these books children should explore more on their own time?
In response to Ember "While I do agree with this statement I believe as teachers we should be mindful that we do not inadvertantly override the parental role."
I couldn't agree more! I think as teacher's we have to keep in mind that our beliefs are not necessarily the beliefs of our student's families. We have to be careful and mindful not to cross into areas that are not ours to discuss.
To Ember D I understand what you are saying, for sure, however, we can teach respect, manners, and being polite to others through the books we read and also insisting on it in our classroom. And while we can't step on any parents toes, overrideing their authority, we are not telling the kids to do what we say outside of the classroom. It is kind of like teaching the kids that tabacco, alcohol, and drugs are bad. Some parent do these things, we are just teaching them they do not have to get into it.
I am all for this chapter. I love to read realistic books. I think it gives children an idea of how others handle situations. It also gives lets them know it is okay to feel like they are. Children relate better to these types of books. At our middle school many girls read these stories. They can relate to the characters better because they are their age.
I agree with you that it is easy for children to read realistic books. The characters, plot, and settings are self explained. The children are usually going through the same thing that the character is going through.
25 comments:
I think that contemporary realistic fiction is a very valuable type of story. A story that is not fact, but a story that could of happenend. I agree with the author that it makes it easy for children to identify with the characters in the story and can help them see situations that could happen.
Chapter 9
Contemporary Realistic fiction
Due October 25, 2008
Jacques said
I really like this chapter 9 on realistic fiction; I like how they explain the plot, setting, characters, and setting and also explain the real lives of people. These type of stories deal with everyday problems as well as pleasures and relationships. These are also the stories that I enjoy reading as well. The favorite issues that I like to read as well are survival, animal stories and also family life. I also like when the plots have a struggle or a problem to figure out and also how personal relationships are played out as well.
Chapter 9
Laura Tawater
Chapter nine was about contemporary realistic fiction. This is an interesting and controversial topic. Realistic fiction is about stories that are fiction but really could happen. I think these stories are both good and unhealthy for children. I think some of these stories are good for children because they can relate to the situations and characters of the story. I think that some of these stories might be unhealthy because of the certain topics of some of these books. I have seen some very adult topics that are supposed to be geared toward young people. These stories could be as bad as TV shows in some cases. I think that when parents check out books for their children at the library, or buy them for their kids, they should definatley investigate the content of the book to make sure that it is suitable for their children to read. On the other hand, I think a lot of authors try to create good and healthy books for children to read and learn from!
Response to benjaminw:
I do agree that children can definately relate to realistic fiction and some stories are really neat because kids can almost predict what will happen in the story because they have experienced it in real life.
Laura,
I agree that you will run into both types of stories. But you will run into that type of controversies almost anywhere. It is up to the parents to monitor what they see fit for their kid.
I feel that this chapter, on contemporary realistic fiction, has essential information for students. I believe that this type of literature has a big impact as well. At this time in their lives, all students want to do is fit in and know that their thoughts, ideas and feelings are not unusual. They can see that with realistic fiction – they can relate to the characters in these stories. I think this type of literature gives teachers a great tool to address real life situations in the classroom – thing such as death or divorce, instances that will very likely affect each and every student. It doesn’t always have to be serious though, there are great stories that are mysteries, humorous or sports related… some are even controversial. Contemporary realistic fiction really gives students the opportunity to get lost in the story and picture themselves there; they can develop their personal beliefs and morals by deciding how they would have handled the dilemma faced by the main characters. That’s what I think is so great – you figure out things about yourself while still enjoying a great book. I also enjoyed the last section of the chapter, I think it’s important to have varied activities for students, and not just having the same group discussion after each book.
Laura - I agree that parents, and teachers too, should investigate the content of each book before providing to children. There are books out there that aren't suitable for all children, even if they are the same age...each student needs to be considered when making that choice.
Chapter 9
Contemporary realistic fiction is a good category of books for children. They can relate to what is going on. There are many good options out there in this category. There are also a lot of books when written were contemporary realistic fiction that are no longer contemporary. Series of books such as Nancy Drew, The Boxcar Children, Hardy Boys, Trixie Beldon, and The Dana Girl Mysteries started in the 1930’s or 40’s but continued for many years give us a look into life during those time periods yet are still written so that children of this time period can relate to them. I like to read such books to see how you can take the same characters and adapt them to different time periods. The Boxcar Children do things in the earlier books that you couldn’t imagine kids doing now days yet children still enjoy them. I recently re-read The Hundred Dresses which was written in1944 then republished in 1973. This book, even though all of the girls wore dresses, delt with a very real problem in current times. It was about bullying done by girls in a relational hostile aggression way. The girls didn’t even realize that they were being mean until it was too late. So, are these books that were written in the past 100 years that still relate to children in the same manner contemporary realistic fiction or are they historical fiction?
laura,
You are right, you do have to be careful about the selection of books for our children. But, like Benjamin said you have to be careful with all genres of childrens books and adult books for that matter. I'm sure if you looked hard enough you could find objectable picture books and alphabet books as well. I think I said the same thing about fantasy books.
Benjamin
I am with Laura as well and I do believe that parents need to monitor what their children see, read, watch etc. However, because of, I am embarrassed to say, my generation of baby boomers, children were raised to believe that you can do anything, it’s your life, watch/read whatever you want, I’m too busy spreading sex, drugs and rock-n-roll. I seem to remember a phrase about raising children that said “Let the child go and they will find the way.” But bail them out when they get in trouble. Consequently, our children believe that nothing is their responsibility; nothing is their fault and is now passing that fallacy on to their children. Not everyone of my generation acted this way, you understand, but there are too many to count. "Like me, I have always done the right thing, it’s all those other people who are messing up... ;)"
In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly.
Realistic fiction is really good for many. Personally, I prefer the historical non-fiction. But realistic fiction can do a few things; one example is it can let a child play something 'exciting' in a safe way. ie. The Landry News by Andrew Clements is the story of a 5th grader who defied those in authority to stop writing a newspaper she developed in a classroom (a kind of school paper that really grew big) because of some controversial stories, eventually put a teachers job at risk. She continued to defy authority. The story ended with a very successful newspaper and the teacher was not fired. The child could experience this without the real troubles it causes.
On the other hand, children don’t really have a good concept of what is true and what is false when it comes to stories of various kinds and the child could be tempted to defy those in authority (just like the 5th grader did in the story) to the point of ruining someone’s life and/or career. I realize this is somewhat extreme, but worse has happened.
Realistic fiction should keep this in mind so that the stories that a put out for an age group do not promote daring activities.
Chapter 9- Blog
Chapter 9 is another one of my favorites. Children’s Literature is so much more interesting than I thought it would be. I found it quite interesting how realistic fiction follows the cultural patterns. What was taboo or even valuable in one time is not so in another. As prospective teachers, we would do well to remember that children can identify with tough problems through books. Some time we may encounter a student facing an issue that we are not truly versed on and can use realistic fiction as a medium to help the student. I find the teaching section at the end of each chapter really useful and am sure I will find it to be even more so as I teach. Role playing is always a helpful tool in teaching problem solving, whether, we as the teacher are doing so or having our students “act out” certain feelings and emotions.
Chapter 9- Blog
Chapter 9 is another one of my favorites. Children’s Literature is so much more interesting than I thought it would be. I found it quite interesting how realistic fiction follows the cultural patterns. What was taboo or even valuable in one time is not so in another. As prospective teachers, we would do well to remember that children can identify with tough problems through books. Some time we may encounter a student facing an issue that we are not truly versed on and can use realistic fiction as a medium to help the student. I find the teaching section at the end of each chapter really useful and am sure I will find it to be even more so as I teach. Role playing is always a helpful tool in teaching problem solving, whether, we as the teacher are doing so or having our students “act out” certain feelings and emotions.
Response to Wendy:
Your question regarding books written over the past years, are they still relevant for today was very interesting to me. I found myself asking the same question as I read through the chapter. I suppose evaluating a book ahead of time, before we decide to use it in our classrooms, would be the best way to handle the situation. Making sure that the story relates to the culture we live in, even down to the city or town’s culture would certainly be in our best interest as teachers. Of course, we should consider the other points of critiquing realistic fiction too, like the ones that where listed earlier in the chapter. I feel as if I may carry this book around as a resource as I teach-it has so many helpful hints! :)
Contemporary Realistic Fiction has to encompass many things. Making a fictitious story seem real is a very challenging task. One big challenge is dealing with critics. To be real you have to embrace real situations and many of them will be controversial. Talking to children about sex, violence, and profanity is viewed by many as a parent's role and to be avoided at school. To talk about these things in a book you have to be ready for the backlash. These issues must be broached because children will face them whether or not their parents want them to or not. Obviously things should be age-appropriate but each item should be discussed -- at home and through literature.
Linda said: "In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly."
Linda, I agree with you so much. Many parents do a great job with their children but others are clueless. Literature is a way to reach some of these kids and they need to be prepared. If parents want their children to be sheltered from violence, sex, racism, profanity, etc they need to keep them inside forever. All of these real issues exist and the children will encounter them.
jacques said...
Chapter 9
Contemporary Realistic fiction
Due October 25, 2008
Jacques said
I really like this chapter 9 on realistic fiction; I like how they explain the plot, setting, characters, and setting and also explain the real lives of people. These type of stories deal with everyday problems as well as pleasures and relationships. These are also the stories that I enjoy reading as well. The favorite issues that I like to read as well are survival, animal stories and also family life. I also like when the plots have a struggle or a problem to figure out and also how personal relationships are played out as well.
October 20, 2008 10:07 AM
I siad the same thing! Good post. I appreciate your work.
Marcus Taylor
10/26/08
9:37 pm
The values of realistic fiction are important in that children read about characters that have very similar problems to their own. It can help them cope with the tougher issues because they know that the issues are not things that only happen to them. These issues can be common things such as adolescence and some can be serious issues such as abuse or divorce. Because these themes can have controversial or sensitive themes it's important to take care in evaluating these particular types of books.
Chapter 9 focused on the elements of Realistic Fiction. I believe that most of the books I read as a middle school age child fell into these categories. I loved to read the Babysitter's Club books, and other teenage dramas. I think that these books are increasingly important to youth today, because they offer the chance to model positive problem solving as well as values and morals. I know that as a parent I do not tend to restrict my 11 year olds literature as much as I do his TV and Video games. I am more likely to allow him to read a book about more mature topics than watch a TV show. I think that books like this encourage conversation. As a teacher, you have to be more careful about the literature that you introduce into the classroom. I found the sections about the controversial literature very interesting.
In response to Linda M's response to Benjamin W.
"In other words, what I am trying to say is we all need to watch out for the children because our parents today are having problems with raising children properly."
While I do agree with this statement I believe as teachers we should be mindful that we do not inadvertantly override the parental role. Even if it seems that the children are lacking parental guidance, they still do have parents and as teachers we can only be the best adult role model we can, and not make those decisions that should be left to parents.
Contemporary realistic fiction is one of my top favorites. I really enjoyed this chapter. These books are so easy for children to relate to and often times explore subjects that children are not willing to ask questions about. My all time favorite author is Judy Blume. I read them nonstop when I was a preteen and can still remember what shelf they were on in the library. My one question to throw out to the group is how to monitor these books within the classroom. It seems that a lot of contemporary realistic fiction stories have pretty controversial subject lines. Are they appropriate to have in the classroom or to incorporate into classroom lessons? Or are these books children should explore more on their own time?
In response to Ember "While I do agree with this statement I believe as teachers we should be mindful that we do not inadvertantly override the parental role."
I couldn't agree more! I think as teacher's we have to keep in mind that our beliefs are not necessarily the beliefs of our student's families. We have to be careful and mindful not to cross into areas that are not ours to discuss.
To Ember D
I understand what you are saying, for sure, however, we can teach respect, manners, and being polite to others through the books we read and also insisting on it in our classroom.
And while we can't step on any parents toes, overrideing their authority, we are not telling the kids to do what we say outside of the classroom. It is kind of like teaching the kids that tabacco, alcohol, and drugs are bad. Some parent do these things, we are just teaching them they do not have to get into it.
I am all for this chapter. I love to read realistic books. I think it gives children an idea of how others handle situations. It also gives lets them know it is okay to feel like they are. Children relate better to these types of books. At our middle school many girls read these stories. They can relate to the characters better because they are their age.
Ben~
I agree with you that it is easy for children to read realistic books. The characters, plot, and settings are self explained. The children are usually going through the same thing that the character is going through.
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