Books that are written for today's youths, representing contemporary times, based on real-world situations are called realistic fictions. Similar to historical fiction, except these stories are based on current events. They feature children as their main characters and often allow young readers to "experience" different settings, cultures, and situations than what is the norm for their lifestyle.
The Values of Contemporary Realistic Fiction
- helps children understand human problems and human relationships with realistic settings and help them develop their own concept of what being human means
- helps children see the world from different perspectives by taking them out of their comfort zone to topics that challenge their sensibilities and their sense of right and wrong and give them the opportunity to bring to light experiences they have not had
- helps them to understand that others have experienced the same turmoil and upset as they are going through, providing them with an understanding that they belong to a community who has gone through the same or similar situations
- realistic fiction can also provide children with tools for situations that they have not yet experienced but will someday soon, for example death
- lastly, this genre can offer a wealth of role models, positive and negative, as they see how others have navigated through life’s ups and downs.
