Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Christina Broyles Lori Menzel Jen Roberts Theresa Spicer

Contemporary Realistic Fiction: uses plots, themes, settings, and characters to mirror todays world with all of the problems, situations, and challenges that many young people face daily.

Today CRF are young adult books which address a wide range of themes:
Religion Sexuality sexual orientation Ethnicity Concern for the future
Buchner, K, & Manning, M (2005). Young adult literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Prentice Hill.

Dresand (1999) stated that these books are now breaking boundaries and using topics, certain types of characters, and styles of language that were once prohibited.
Themes- According to Jordan (1995), Dresand (1999), & Aronson (2001) Contemporary Realistic Fiction: take settings, characters, and plot from real world and change the randomness of the world into meaningful patterns mirror the real world and the moral and ethical dilemmas that young people face are believable exhibit the literary qualities (plot, setting, characters, point of view, theme, and style) of good fiction comment on the human condition are direct and often intense or extreme

Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Definition: Titles dealing with the todays problems and joys of living. Often there is an element of character growth or selfrealization. The titles can promote tolerance and understanding of others and their experiences. It "extends children's horizons by broadening their interests, allowing them to experience new adventures and showing them different ways to view and deal with conflicts in their own lives" (Through the eyes of a child (2003), p. 363)

Glaister, Huston, Rodemond, & Fowler, 2003, http://www.uleth.ca/edu/currlab/handouts/genres.html

Contemporary Realistic Fiction: stories that take place in the present time or recent past and portrays attitudes of present culture.
Contemporary Realistic Fiction stories may include funny, happy times, but also includes some of the unpleasant times which are part of childrens lives. CRF may focus on current issues of alcoholism, racism, poverty, and homelessness.

Lynch-Brown, C., & Tomlinson, C. (2005). Essential of childrens literature 5th edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.

References:
Buchner, K, & Manning, M (2005). Young adult literature: Exploration, Evaluation, and Appreciation. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hill. Glaister, B., Huston, B., & Fowler, L.(August 2003). Our favorite childrens and young adult authors. Retrieved March 13, 2008, from Curriculum Laboratory Web site: http://ww.uleth.ca/edu/currlab/handouts/genres.html Lynch-Brown, C., & Tomlinson, C. (2005). Essential of childrens literature 5th edition. Boston, MA: Allyn and Bacon.