Re: Non-fiction Explanation

[Kathleen LoBuglio <kathyc@kalama.doe.Hawaii.Edu>]

When I ask my middle-schoolers, "what is non-fiction?," the robotic answer
is always "true books."

My reply is:
Now that you are getting older, you can understand more.  Non-fiction
books are information books.... and not all information is true.

This bombshell statement is met with SILENCE and then I'll get some
bewildered/curious looks .... (especially from teachers!)
Depending on the situation, I may go on to explain how every book is
written from the author's point of view, that knowledge about a topic
changes, that mistakes can be made, etc.
This can lead nicely into a discussion of the perils of the internet,
where there are no publication editors, fact-checkers, etc.

And when fiction is being defined, I love it when a perceptive kiddo
says, "But some fiction books have true stuff in them..."  So then I talk
about historical fiction.

My point to them is that while we try to categorize books for convenience,
the lines can be blurry.  Do all of them "get it" right away?  No, but
some do and the rest have had exposure.  (Not sure about the teachers,
though.<grin>)


        Kathleen LoBuglio                       It's better to ask a dumb
        Washington Middle School                question than to make
        Honolulu HI 96826                       a stupid mistake.
        kathyc@kalama.doe.hawaii.edu

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