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Fiction by Genre

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 by Genre
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Active Filters: Preschool (Ages 4-5), Hardcover, New Books & Materials
"Stand Back," Said the Elephant, "I'm Going to Sneeze!"
by Patricia Thomas
from HarperCollins
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Charles Santore
Kohl's Cares Edition from Applesauce Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$19.95
Appley Dapply's Nursery Rhymes
Book 22
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Baba Yaga and Vasilisa the Brave
by written by Marianna Mayer, Illustrated by K. Y. Craft
First Edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Babar and Father Christmas
by Jean De Brunhoff
1st edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Beauty and the Beast
by M. Charlotte Craft, K. Y. Craft
from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Blah Blah Black Sheep
by N. D. Wilson, illustrated by Forrest Dickison
from Canon Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Book With No Pictures
by B. J. Novak
from Penguin Random House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99 $9.00 (1 in stock)
Brambly Hedge: The High Hills
by Jill Barklem
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Brambly Hedge: The Sea Story
by Jill Barklem
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Bremen Town Musicians
by Ilse Plume retelling Brothers Grimm
Tra from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1981 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99
Cecily Parsley's Nursery Rhymes
Book 23
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Children of the Northlights
by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire
Reprint from University of Minnesota
for Preschool-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.95
Complete Book of Flower Fairies
by Cicely Mary Barker
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$30.00
Complete Brambly Hedge
by Jill Barklem
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$26.99
Complete Tales of Beatrix Potter
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$32.00
Cupid and Psyche
by M. Charlotte Craft & K. Y. Craft
from Morrow Junior Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Curious George - Hardcover Boxed Set
by H. A. & Margret Rey
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$42.99
D'Aulaires' Book of Animals
by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire
from New York Review of Books
for Preschool-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$24.95
Dear Duck, Please Come!
by Sarah Mackenzie; illustrated by Charles Santoso
from Waxwing Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins
by Barbara Kerley
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd Grade
2002 Caldecott Honor Book, NCTE Orbis Pictus Honor Book
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$19.99
Don't Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!
by Mo Willems
from Hyperion Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
2004 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Escape Artist
by Thor Hanson, illustrated by Galia Bernstein
from Greenwillow Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Farmhouse
by Sophie Blackall
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Fire Engine Book
by Tibor Gergely
1st edition from Golden Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
First Book of Fairy Tales
by Mary Hoffman
from DK Publishing
Fairy Tales for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$14.99
Fish Out of Water
by Helen Palmer
from Random House
Animal Fantasy/Rhyming Stories for Nursery-1st grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
Flotsam
by David Wiesner
from Clarion Books
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
2007 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Foot Book
Bright & Early Books
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Grasshopper and the Ants
by Jerry Pinkney
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Guess How Much I Love You
by Sam McBratney, illustrations by Anita Jeram
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Henry's Freedom Box
by Ellen Levine
from Scholastic Press
for Nursery-1st grade
2008 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Home in the Woods
by Eliza Wheeler
from Nancy Paulsen Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99 $9.50 (1 in stock)
I Am NOT Going to Get Up Today!
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Beginner Books (Location: EAR-BB)
$9.99
I Had Trouble in Getting to Solla Sollew
by Dr. Seuss
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
If Jesus Came to My House
by Joan Gale Thomas
from Lothrop, Lee & Shepard Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.95
If You Give a Moose a Muffin
by Laura Numeroff
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
by Laura Numeroff
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
If You Give a Pig a Pancake
by Laura Numeroff
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
If You Plant a Seed
by Kadir Nelson
from Balzer & Bray
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
In Plain Sight
by Richard Jackson, illustrated by Jerry Pinkney
from Roaring Brook Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Joseph Had a Little Overcoat
by Simms Taback
from Viking Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
2000 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Journey
Journey Trilogy #1
by Aaron Becker
1st edition from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-4th grade
2014 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Julia's House Goes Home
Julia's House #3
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Julia's House Moves On
Julia's House #2
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
King with Six Friends
by Jay Williams, illustrated by Imero Gobbato
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
Knight Owl
by Christopher Denise
from Little, Brown & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
2023 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Love from Paddington
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Man Who Lost His Head
by Claire Huchet Bishop & Robert McCloskey
from New York Review of Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Miss Suzy
by Miriam Young, illustrated by Arnold Lobel
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95
Mister Dog
by Margaret Wise Brown
from Western Publishing
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Mr. Squirrel and the Moon
by Sebastian Meshemoser
from NorthSouth
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.95
New Shoes
from First Second
for Preschool-4th grade
in Comic Books & Graphic Novels (Location: FIC-COMIC)
$19.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Nobody Likes a Goblin
by Ben Hatke
from First Second
for Preschool-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Olivia
by Ian Falconer
from Atheneum
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-1st grade
2001 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Outside Over There
by Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
1982 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$22.99
Paddington at St. Paul's
by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Pegasus
by Marianna Mayer & K. Y. Craft
1st ed from HarperCollins
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog
by Mo Willems
First Edition from Hyperion Press
for Preschool-Kindergarten
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Piglet Named Mercy
Mercy Watson #0
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Chris Van Dusen
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$18.99
Poky Little Puppy
by Janette Sebring Lowrey & Gustaf Tenggren
from Golden Books
for Preschool-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99 $3.00 (2 in stock)
Polar Opposites
by Erik Brooks
from Two Lions
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Quest
Journey Trilogy #2
by Aaron Becker
from Candlewick Press
for PRes
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Rapunzel
by Barbara Rogasky, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
2nd edition from Holiday House
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Rfaud Tastes Wisdom
Plain Proverbs Book #1
by Martin D. Carlson
1st edition from BoCook Publishing
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Clearance: Picture Books (Location: ZCLE-PIC)
$12.50
Richard Scarry's Best Mother Goose Ever
by Richard Scarry
50th Anniversary Edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Mother Goose & Nursery Rhymes (Location: PIC-MG)
$17.99
Richard Scarry's Funniest Storybook Ever
by Richard Scarry
2017 edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$17.99
Richard Scarry's The Bunny Book
by Richard Scarry
from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Saggy Baggy Elephant
by B. Jackson, Kathryn Jackson, illustrated by Gustaf Tenggren
1st edition from Golden Books
for Nursery-1st grade
in Little Golden Books (Location: PIC-GOLD)
$5.99
Sam & Dave Dig a Hole
by Mac Barnett
from Candlewick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
2015 Caldecott Honor Book, E.B. White Read Aloud Award
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Secret River
by Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings, illustrated by Leo & Diane Dillon
First Ed from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
1956 Newbery Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Simon and the Better Bone
by Corey R. Tabor
from Balzer & Bray
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Sneetches and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
1St Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$18.99
Snow Princess
by Ruth Sanderson
from Crocodile Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.95
Snow Queen
by Hans Christian Andersen, Retold by Allison Grace MacDonald and Illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Story of a Fierce Bad Rabbit
Book 20
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Story of Babar the Little Elephant
by Jean De Brunhoff
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Story of Ferdinand
by Munro Leaf
from Viking Press
Animal Stories for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Story of Miss Moppet
Book 21
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Benjamin Bunny
Book 4
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Ginger and Pickles
Book 18
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Jemima Puddle-Duck
Book 9
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Little Pig Robinson
Book 19
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Mr. Jeremy Fisher
Book 7
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$6.99
Tale of Mr. Tod
Book 14
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Mrs. Tittlemouse
Book 11
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Peter Rabbit
Book 1
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Pigling Bland
Book 15
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$7.99
Tale of Squirrel Nutkin
Book 2
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of the Flopsy Bunnies
Book 10
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of the Pie and the Patty-Pan
Book 17
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Tom Kitten
Book 8
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-1st grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
Tale of Two Bad Mice
Book 5
by Beatrix Potter
from Frederick Warne & Company
for Nursery-3rd grade
in Peter Rabbit & Friends (Location: FIC-PETER)
$8.99
The Lorax
by Dr. Seuss, Theodor Seuss Geisel
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Tops and Bottoms
by Janet Stevens
from Harcourt Children's Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1996 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Tuesday
by David Wiesner
from Clarion Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
1992 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Ugly Duckling
by Hans Christian Andersen, Jerry Pinkney
First edition from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
2000 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Where the Buffaloes Begin
by Olaf Baker
from Dover Publications
for Preschool-2nd grade
1982 Caldecott Honor Book
in Native American History (Location: HISA-19NAT)
$13.56
Wind Blew
by Pat Hutchins
from Macmillan
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.99
Yertle the Turtle and Other Stories
by Dr. Seuss
First Edition from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Nursery-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
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