Getting to Know Each Other with Contemporary Realistic Fiction

Contemporary realistic fiction includes stories about people and events that could actually happen. An important literary element within this genre is characterization. Characterization can be considered the soul of literature. Readers connect and experience the story through the eyes of the character. They enrich their emotional experiences and grow to understand themselves and others more. By reading stories about people and events that could really happen, they themselves take a journey to self-discovery. For example, reading books that portray a character struggling toward adulthood allows readers to see themselves reflected and provide an opportunity for thinking about how they might respond to varied real life situations. As a young girl, I remember reading Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume. The book helped me sort through my own feelings about the issues I was going through. I was able to make connections about puberty and religious beliefs. 

More recent novels like Rules by Cynthia Lord, helped me understand autism more. I could put myself into the position of the main character, Catherine, and gain an understanding about the challenges she faced and how she learned about what was really important in life. By reading realistic fiction, a person can become more compassionate, more knowledgeable, and even recognize their inner strength.

Children's contemporary realistic fiction reflects the problems that exist in today's society like poverty and prejudice. It provides stories of courage that show characters with inner strength. For example in the novel, The Heart of a Chief by Joseph Bruchac, Chris is a 6th grade student who lives on a reservation and is Penacook Native American. His dad is battling alcoholism so he is being raised by his grandparents. Chris is aware of the gambling casino that people want to be built to help provide jobs and income for the reservation but he hates to see the natural beauty of the island destroyed. At school, Chris takes the lead on a school project to help people understand the racism that exists when people use Indian names for sports teams. He has never felt confident at school. Chris explores his own inner strength to be a leader and convince the school and the public about respect. These issues of casino gambling and offensive team sport names are contemporary. By reading stories like this, students can see how characters can grow and change and are affected by the world around them.