Fiction by Genre - Exodus Books

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Fiction is good. It's not just lies—lies are the dishonest things we tell other people out of selfishness, while fiction is (or should be) those stories used to reveal truth. Not that all stories have to be tied up with a neat moral at the end. Truth wears many faces, and our favorite stories are as varied, and often as unresolved, as life itself.

A good book always has something to say, however. Even if the message is as simple as "it's good to have friends" or "growing up is difficult no matter who you are," there is a message and it can be understood. There are books that are all plot....but they aren't good books. There are books that are all blatant morality and character-building....also not good books, at least in the sense we mean here.

For those of you about to stop reading, know this: we aren't promoting immoral books. Just because there isn't an obvious "and Johnny was happy because he knew that stealing was bad" ending doesn't mean we support kids reading about worldly characters doing worldly things as though this was normal and healthy. But we also don't think Pathway Readers are the only appropriate fiction available to children.

What we mean by "good book" is one which accurately depicts human nature, demonstrates an engaging style, displays a consistent worldview, and doesn't use cheap tricks to get readers interested. That excludes a lot of books. It also includes a lot of books, and they typically aren't the ones filling the new release racks at Barnes & Noble.

We emphasize classic fiction at Exodus Books. That's not to say we shun all modern fiction, but typically good writing survives for years and years and years on its own merits, and those books that fit that description can be trusted more than those still in their infancy. Genres we find particularly problematic are those built around cheap formulas and plots with little to say (fantasy, sci-fi and mystery series come immediately to mind).

Books that rely on non-stop action and thrills are also avoided by our charming and discerning book-buying staff. Kids need to learn to enjoy reading because it's good for them and offers new ways to look at the world, not simply for a book's entertainment value. It's not enough just to read—if you read a steady diet of trash or sub-standard fiction you're really no better off than watching hours of television.

There is a difference between children's and adult literature. Kids shouldn't be sheltered, but they also aren't prepared to deal with the themes and darker elements adults must confront. Most of the titles in this section are "safe"—not a lot of extreme violence, sexual content, profanity, etc. here (though there is some overlap with the adult and children's genres).

Along the same lines, we don't encourage letting kids read abridged versions of classics or advanced material. Everything we offer is unabridged unless explicitly stated—it's far better to have kids read stories at their level than to have them read edited and often misrepresented versions of books not intended for children. If they read Charlotte's Web and Rufus M. as kids, they'll be ready for Great Expectations when they're older.

Nowhere in the Bible does God say "Read fiction. It'll make you a better person." But neither does He say "Have a time set aside for daily devotions. It's the only path to true spirituality." Simply because there's no command in Scripture doesn't mean a particular activity isn't a really good idea. Not that reading the Bible and reading fiction are in any way on the same level. Reading God helps us understand Him better—reading fiction helps us understand ourselves.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.

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Parent Categories

Fiction & Literature

Fiction by Genre

Subcategories

Action & Adventure Stories

Animal Stories

- Animal Stories: Fantasy

- Animal Stories: Realistic

- Small Mammal Stories

Classics Retold

Fantasy Fiction

- Animal Stories: Fantasy

Historical Fiction

- G. A. Henty Books

- Louise Vernon Historical Fiction

- Nautical Fiction

- We Were There Series

Humor & Comedy

Mystery & Suspense

Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children

- Aesop's Fables

- American Tall Tales

- Andersen's Fairy Tales & Stories

- Asian Myths & Fairy Tales

- Grimm's Fairy Tales

Novels in Verse

Princess Stories

Realistic Fiction

- Animal Stories: Realistic

- Coming of Age Stories

- Family Stories

- Homeless Stories

- Illness & Loss Stories

- Orphan Stories

- School Stories

- Sports Stories

- Wilderness & Survival Stories

Romantic Fiction

Science Fiction

Short Story Anthologies for Kids

Westerns

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	Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass Penguin Classics by Lewis Carroll from Penguin Classics Fantasy for 5th-8th grade in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19) $11.00
	Amos Fortune, Free Man by Elizabeth Yates, illustrated by Nora S. Unwin from Puffin Books Realistic Fiction for 4th-8th grade 1951 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99
	Caddie Woodlawn by Carol Ryrie Brink from Simon Pulse Realistic Family Fiction for 3rd-7th grade 1936 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99
	Call it Courage by Armstrong Sperry from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Fiction for 2nd-6th grade 1941 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $5.99
	Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller from HarperCollins for 10th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $16.99
	Carry On, Mr. Bowditch by Jean Lee Latham from Houghton Mifflin Biography for 5th-9th grade 1956 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $15.99
	Charlotte's Web by E. B. White from HarperCollins for 2nd-6th grade 1953 Newbery Honor Book in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $8.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
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	Crispin: The Cross of Lead by Avi from Hyperion/Madison Press for 4th-8th grade 2003 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99
	Dark Frigate by Charles Boardman Hawes Dover 2018 from Dover Publications Historical Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1924 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $7.99
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	Dune Dune Chronicles Book 1 by Frank Herbert, introduction by Brian Herbert Second Ace hardcover, 2019 from ACE Publishing Science Fiction for 10th-Adult in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20) $50.00
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	Giver by Lois Lowry from HMH Books for Young Readers for 7th-10th grade 1994 Newbery Medal winner in Science Fiction (Location: FIC-SCI) $11.99 $6.00 (14 in stock)
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	High King Prydain Chronicles #5 by Lloyd Alexander from Henry Holt and Company Fantasy for 4th-8th grade 1969 Newbery Medal winner in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $7.99
	Holes Holes Series #1 by Louis Sachar from Yearling for 4th-6th grade 1999 Newbery Medal winner in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV) $8.99
	I, Juan de Pareja by Elizabeth Borton de Treviño from Square Fish Publishing Realistic Fiction/Slavery for 5th-8th grade 1966 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $8.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
	Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell Anv from Sandpiper Books Realistic Fiction for 5th-8th grade 1961 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.00 (2 in stock)
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	Ivanhoe by Sir Walter Scott, Illustrated by Frank E. Schoonover 200th Anniversary from SeaWolf Press Historical Fiction for 9th-Adult in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW) $14.95
	Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Paterson from HarperCollins Family Stories for 7th-10th grade 1981 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
	Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes Reprint from Sandpiper Books Historical Fiction/Adventure for 5th-9th grade 1944 Newbery Medal winner in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF) $9.99 $5.50 (1 in stock)
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	King of the Wind The Story of the Godolphin Arabian by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Wesley Dennis from Aladdin Paperbacks Realistic Animal Stories for 3rd-7th grade 1949 Newbery Medal winner in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI) $6.39 $3.20 (1 in stock)
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	Shen of the Sea Chinese Stories for Children by Arthur Bowie Chrisman from Dutton Juvenile for 3rd-5th grade 1926 Newbery Medal in Myths, Fairy Tales & Folklore for Children (Location: FIC-MYT) $17.99
	Single Shard by Linda Sue Park from Sandpiper Books Realistic fiction for 5th-8th grade 2002 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $10.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
	Slave Dancer by Paula Fox from Aladdin Paperbacks Historical Fiction for 6th-10th grade 1974 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $6.99
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	View From Saturday by E. L. Konigsburg from Aladdin Paperbacks for 5th-9th grade 1997 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
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	Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech from HarperCollins for 7th-10th grade 1995 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99
	Waterless Mountain by Laura Adams Armer from Dover Publications for 4th-8th grade 1932 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $5.99
	Westing Game Puffin Modern Classics by Ellen Raskin from Puffin Books Mystery/Suspense for 5th-8th grade 1979 Newbery Medal winner in Puffin Classics (Location: FIC-PUF) $9.99 $4.50 (2 in stock)
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	White Stag Puffin Newbery Library by Kate Seredy from Puffin Books Heroic Legend for 4th-6th grade 1938 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $7.99
	Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Robert Ingpen from Sterling Publishing Co. Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN) $24.99
	Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck from Puffin Books Humorous Family Stories for 5th-9th grade 2001 Newbery Medal winner in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA) $8.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)

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