How+might+one+use+contemporary+realistic+fiction+to+understand+family+relationships?

===How might one use contemporary realistic fiction to understand diversity? How might one use contemporary realistic fiction to understand family relationships? How might one use contemporary realistic fiction to understand people (consider what makes people unique or different)? What makes contemporary realistic fiction important to read? By Britt Sorensen ===

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Contemporary realistic fiction is important and unique within children’s literature in that it is the one genre which presents stories that could be from any of our lives. Unlike fantasy, myth, or historical fiction, contemporary realistic fiction stories can help us to understand ourselves and one another as we live in the modern world. Books in this genre can provide insight into the thoughts and feelings of those who are different from us, bridging gaps between cultural and social divides. Contemporary realistic fiction may also help us to feel as though we are not alone in the problems we face by depicting characters who share our own experiences, both good and bad. The possibilities for connection through diverse narratives in contemporary realistic fiction make this one of the most important genres to read. Making difficult decisions, maintaining relationships, and navigating the complex worlds of school and home are challenges that all children face and can relate to through the realistic fiction genre.

One valuable aspect of contemporary realistic fiction is that it may help us to understand family relationships. Children may feel as though they are the only one who doesn’t get along with a parent or sibling, but many realistic fiction books focus on these themes, making students feel as though they can relate to the characters in the book. Some books that deal with these relationships, such as Paula Danziger’s __Amber Brown__ series, manage to address the difficult emotions children have about divorce while still being entertaining and embraced by younger readers. Books like __Joey Pigza Loses Control__ by Jack Gantos address multiple issues which may affect students: ADHD, divorce and more serious issues such as the alcoholism of a parent. As more and more students live in one parent households, reading about the topic of divorce in realistic fiction may help them to understand they are not the only ones affected by divorce, and that it is not their fault. Contemporary realistic fiction may even help to address more controversial subjects faced by students, such as how substance abuse, disease, or conflicts around religion or other values may affect family relationships. The book __Dexter the Tough__ by Margaret Peterson Haddix is a book that focuses on a the inner feelings of a student who seems to be a bully but is really just hurt over being sent to live with his grandmother while his father is being treated for cancer. These types of narratives may help a child feel as though he or she is not alone, and also help other students to empathize with children who seem alienated or misunderstood.

Another way in which contemporary realistic fiction is especially powerful is that it may be used to help us understand diversity. Our population consists of people from vastly different cultures and ethnic origins, and many realistic fiction books deal with diversity on one level or another. Historical fiction books dealing with slavery and segregation are widely read in school, but contemporary realistic fiction books such as Andrew Clements’ __The Jacket__ address the social relationships between African-American and European-American students in schools where everybody already “gets along.” The themes of fitting in while remaining true to one’s culture may be found in a number of books, such as __My Name is Maria Isabel__ by Alma Flor Ada, __Does My Head Look Big in This?__ by Randa Abdel-Fattah and __Year of the Dog__ by Grace Lin. As our population becomes more diverse, books that address this theme of how to honor one’s culture, adapt to a new culture, and respect the foreign cultures of others is even more important than the perspective of any one group.

While cultural diversity is something that we may seek to understand through contemporary realistic fiction, the genre also can help us to understand the more subtle differences between people. Realistic fiction titles that deal with specific disabilities such as autism or blindness can help students to understand those who are affected by these conditions. Why do some people seem to be popular, while others struggle to make friends? What makes some people do well in school, while others have difficulty? Why do some children use violence, lie, cheat, or steal? How can we understand others whose values or behavior are different from ours? These are also some of the major questions addressed through contemporary realistic fiction narratives. Contemporary realistic fiction also has the power to reach students who may have encountered trauma through neglect or abuse. While traditional or fantasy children’s narratives may seem silly to a youngster who has had to live through serious adult experiences, books with mature themes, appropriately handled, may enable the child to connect to literature in a meaningful way. Books like __Bud, not Buddy__ by Christopher Paul Curtis, __Holes__ by Louis Sachar, and __Monster__ by Walter Dean Myers may appeal to adolescents who have little interest in other types of literature because of their more serious content.

Contemporary realistic fiction offers the reader the chance to learn about themselves and one another. Because of this, it makes an ideal genre for literature circle discussion groups. Literature circle roles can differ, but usually include different jobs for each member of a group such as summarizer, discussion director, vocabulary definer, passage picker, visual presenter, travel tracker, etc. As students read, they take notes and complete one role assignment. They then meet with a small group, sharing their own work on the reading and learning from their peers’ work. By examining the text in this way, students get the opportunity to discuss different aspects of the text while hearing their classmates’ points of view. Literature circle discussion groups give all of the students a chance to participate and engage with the text even if they do not want to share in a full group discussion. Here are some links with examples of different types of literature circle role sheets, or you can create your own. [] [] [] For younger students: [] (Scroll down for Literature Circle Nametags and Directions on the right) For independent contemporary realistic fiction reading, students may use a note-taking bookmark that helps them keep track of characteristics of the genre. []

__Young Adult Literature in the Classroom: Reading It, Teaching It, Loving It__ Edited by Joan B. Elliott and Mary M. Dupuis. International Reading Association, 2002. Contemporary Realistic Fiction PowerPoint LBS 803, 2010. by Mia Morgan.