[CALIBK12] Define Contemporary Fiction

[Kathy Goodwin]

Here's a little help. Show teachers the California Recommended Literature K-12 web site: http://www.cde.ca.gov/ci/rl/ll/litrlgenres.asp 
It's not totally current on recommended titles but has recently been updated to include award-winning books and a new committee will be working on it soon. It includes definitions of literary genres. California standards include exposing students to a variety of genres. I've often struggled with teachers and classes to help them with that "contemporary realistic fiction" one which can be difficult. And not every children's literature textbook or CDE glossary explains it the same. I like the CDE list definitions as they are simple and general. And, as a teacher who taught 7th/8th grade English for ten years, I do think there is a benefit in sometimes requiring students to read outside their usual areas of interest. Right now fantasy is the number one area that students are reading, but it doesn't hurt them to pick up a great historical fiction book ... which also can be "realistic" within it's time period if the teacher is open to that (for historical fiction, how about Number the Stars by Lois Lowry or Out of the Dust by Karen Hesse or Christopher Paul Curtis's The Watson's Go to Birmingham) or realistic contemporary fiction (Gary Schmidt's Trouble or Hurt Goes Happy which won a Schneider award this year). 
 
Kathy Goodwin
Center USD K-8 Teacher Librarian




Date: Mon, 6 Oct 2008 11:51:48 -0700From: theguyers at pacbell.netTo: calibk12 at lists.sjsu.eduSubject: [CALIBK12] Define Contemporary Fiction



Yesterday, my daughter brought a Language Arts issue to my attention, and I have to say I'm stumped. Her 8th grade teacher has assigned her students to do a book report, on either a realistic fiction or contemporary fiction book. My daughter chose Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer for contemporary fiction, and the teacher shot down her selection (in front of class), informing her that fantasy or science fiction does not qualify as contemporary fiction. Now, I suggested she just go with what the teacher says, and she has gone one to work on Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher. Now, the mama bear in me want to argue with the lady, and point out that her instructions were not clear enough; she didn't define realistic or contemporary fiction on her handout. Here's the big question: How do you define contemporary fiction, especially for middle/high school students? Is it specific? Is it broad?Thanks,Tatiana GuyerLibrarianMayfield Junior School
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