Kids love fantasy and magic. The Harry Potter series is one of the top selling series of all time, and The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings are still widely read. Reading realistic fiction is also equally if not more important than the popular speculative fiction genres. Reading realistic books allows kids to see themselves represented and can broaden their interests and horizons by teaching them about the world they live in. This session will discuss criteria for evaluating realistic fiction, the value of reading it, and suggest some recent titles for middle grade and young adult.
Outcomes:
Participants will learn what makes good realistic fiction, will learn about reasons why kids should read it and the value of doing so, and will take away suggestions of contemporary, realistic titles to purchase for their libraries.
