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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 is a husband and father, teaches adult Sunday school in his Presbyterian congregation, and likes 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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Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Trade Paperback, Used Books & Materials
26 Fairmount Avenue
by Tomie dePaola
from Mondo Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Abiyoyo
by Pete Seeger
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Alexander, Who's Not (Do you hear me? I mean it!) Going to Move
by Judith Viorst
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Amon's Adventure
by Arnold Ytreeide
from Kregel Publications
Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Easter & Lent (Location: HOLIDAY)
$18.99 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Apple Picking Time
from Dragonfly Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Apprentice
by Pilar Molina Llorente
Reprint from Sunburst Book
for 2nd-4th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99 $5.00 (3 in stock)
Armadillo from Amarillo
by Lynne Cherry
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Armadillo Rodeo
by Jan Brett
from Scholastic Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Big Book of Animal Stories
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Big Frank's Fire Truck
by Leslie McGuire
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Biggest Bear
by Lynd Ward
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Bony-Legs
by Joanna Cole, illustrated by Dirk Zimmer
from Scholastic Inc.
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Book About Christopher Columbus
by Ruth Belov Gross, Illustrated by Syd Hoff
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-3rd grade
in Biographies (Location: BIO)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Carrot Seed
by Ruth Krauss & Crockett Johnson
from HarperCollins
Humorous Book on Botany for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (4 in stock)
Cinderella
by Marcia Brown (translator)
from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Coals of Fire
by Elizabeth Bauman
from Herald Press
for ages 7 and up
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Coming On Home Soon
by Jacqueline Woodson
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Day the Goose Got Loose
by Reeve Lindbergh, illustrated by Steven Kellogg
First Scholastic Printing April 1993 from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Doctor De Soto Goes to Africa
by William Steig
Reprint from HarperCollins
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.89 (1 in stock)
Dodsworth in New York
by Tim Egan
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Earthquake!
by Kathleen V. Kudlinski
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Titanic & 20th Century Disasters (Location: HISW-20DIS)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
F is for Freedom
by Roni Schotter
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Feelings
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Emotions for Kids (Location: BIB-CHEM)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Fin M'coul
by Tomie dePaola
from Holiday House
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Gilgamesh the King
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$8.95 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Gingerbread Man
by Jim Aylesworth
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Granny Han's Breakfast
by Shelia Groves
from OMF
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Hank the Cowdog #08
Hank the Cowdog #8
by John R. Erickson
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Hank the Cowdog (Location: SER-HANK)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Harold and the Purple Crayon
by Crockett Johnson
from HarperCollins
Fantasy for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$11.99 $6.00 (1 in stock)
Hidden Tales from Eastern Europe
by Antonia Barber
from Frances Lincoln
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (3 in stock)
House on East 88th Street
by Bernard Waber
from Trumpet Club
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Ian and the Gigantic Leafy Obstacle
by Sheila Miller
from OMF
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.00 (2 in stock)
In Search of the Lost Colony
Outer Banks Animals Adventure Series
by Mary Maden
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in New World Colonization (Location: HISA-17NW)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Ira Says Goodbye
by Bernard Waber
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Journey West on the Oregon Trail
by Cecile Alyce Nolan
from Rain Dance Publishing
for 2nd-7th grade
in Oregon Trail (Location: HISA-19OR)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling
from Dover Publications
for 1st-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Just So Stories
by Rudyard Kipling, illustrated by Joseph M. Gleeson
from Book-of-the-Month Club
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.50 (1 in stock)
King's Chessboard
by David Birch & Devis Grebu
Reprint from Puffin Books
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Kirsten's Cook Book
American Girl
by Jodi Evert
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Cooking for Kids (Location: COOK-KID)
$2.40 (1 in stock)
Lamb And The Butterfly
by Arnold Sundgaard
from Scholastic Inc.
for 1st-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Last Quest of Gilgamesh
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Life Story
by Virginia Lee Burton
Updated from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Little Engine That Could
by Watty Piper, Cristina Ong (Illustrator)
1st edition from Philomel Books
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Lon Po Po
by Ed Young
from PaperStar Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-4th grade
1990 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Looking for Home
by Eileen M. Berry
from Bob Jones University Press
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Making of a Knight
by Patrick O'Brien
from Charlesbridge
Picture Books/Historical Fiction for 2nd-6th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Many Moons
by James Thurber & Louis Slobodkin
from Harcourt
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-3rd grade
1944 Caldecott medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.00 $4.50 (2 in stock)
Many Moons
by James Thurber
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Mary McLean and the St. Patrick's Day Parade
by Steven Kroll
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Medieval Feast
by Aliki
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Middle Ages (Location: HISW-MID)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Meet Samantha
American Girl
by Susan S. Adler
from American Girl
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Millicent and the Wind
by Robert Munsch
from Annick Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Miss Bianca
by Margery Sharp
from Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$1.50 (4 in stock)
Miss Bianca in the Orient
by Margery Sharp
from Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Miss Bianca in the Salt Mines
by Margery Sharp
from Yearling
for 2nd-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Molly's Pilgrim
by Barbara Cohen, illustrated by Daniel Mark Duffy
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$1.50 (2 in stock)
Most Wonderful Doll in the World
by Phyllis McGinley
from Scholastic Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1951 Caldecott Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
New World Echoes
Copper Lodge Library
by Compiled and Edited by Jennifer Courtney
from Classical Conversations
for 1st-6th grade
in Classical Conversations (Location: CUR-CC)
$14.95 $10.50 (1 in stock)
Nory Ryan's Song
by Patricia Reilly Giff
from Yearling
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Once a Mouse
by Marcia Brown
2nd edition from Aladdin Paperbacks
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1962 Caldecott Medal Winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Opossum and the Great Firemaker
Legends of the World
by Jan M. Mike; illustrated by Charles Reasoner
from Troll Publishing
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Paddletail the Beaver and His Neighbors
by Neil Wayne Northey
from Pacific Press
for 1st-3rd grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Patchwork Quilt
by Valerie Flournoy
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Paul Bunyan
by Steven Kellogg
from William Morrow & Company
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Poke in the I
by Paul Janeczko
from Candlewick Press
for Nursery-2nd grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$7.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
Pulling Together
by Dawn L. Watkins
from Bob Jones University Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.99 $4.50 (3 in stock)
Question of Yams
by Gloria Repp
2nd edition from Bob Jones University Press
Realistic Fiction for 2nd-4th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Revenge of Ishtar
by Ludmila Zeman
from Tundra Books (NY)
for 1st-4th grade
$8.95 $6.00 (2 in stock)
Salmon Princess
by Mindy Dweyer
from Paws IV Publishing
Fairy Tales & Fables for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Samantha Learns a Lesson
American Girls
by Susan S. Adler
from American Girl
for 2nd-5th grade
in American Girl (Location: SER-AMGIRL)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Sea Star
by Marguerite Henry
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Shoemaker Martin
by Leo Tolstoy & Bernadette Watts
from North-South Books
Realistic Fiction for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Stanley's Christmas Adventure
by Jeff Brown
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Story of Ruby Bridges
by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford
Rep Anv Sp from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Story of Ruby Bridges
by Robert Coles, Illustrated by George Ford
from Scholastic Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (2 in stock)
Strega Nona
by Tomie dePaola
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Summer Magic
by Ruth Chew
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$1.50 (1 in stock)
Summer My Father Was Ten
by Pat Brisson
from Boyds Mill Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Tacky the Penguin
by Helen Lester
from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.99 $4.00 (2 in stock)
Talented Clementine
by Sara Pennypacker & Marla Frazee
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$2.50 (1 in stock)
Tales of a Korean Grandmother
by Frances Carpenter
from Tuttle Publishing
Eastern Fairy Tales for 1st-6th grade
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Tenth Good Thing About Barney
by Judith Viorst
1st edition from Atheneum
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$3.50 (1 in stock)
Thanksgiving Story
by Alice Dalgliesh
from Simon and Schuster
Historical Fiction for 1st-3rd grade
1955 Caldecott Honor Book
in Pilgrims at Plymouth (Location: HISA-17PIL)
$8.99 $5.50 (2 in stock)
Third Grade Detectives #10
by George E. Stanley
Repackage ed. from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-4th grade
in Series Books (Location: SER-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Third-Grade Detectives #4
by George E. Stanley
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Series Books (Location: SER-MISC)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Three Little Kittens
by Paul Galdone
from Clarion Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for Nursery-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Through Grandpa's Eyes
by Patricia MacLachlan
from HarperCollins
Family Stories for K-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.99 $3.50 (1 in stock)
Through the Thunderstorm
by W.G. Van de Hulst, illustrated by Willem G. Van de Hulst, Jr.
from Inheritance Publications
for 1st-3rd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Upstairs Mouse, Downstairs Mole
Green Light Readers Level 3
by Wong Herbert Yee
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 1st-3rd grade
in Early Readers (Location: EAR-MISC)
$4.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Violet Mackerel's Brilliant Plot
Violet Mackerel
by Anna Bradford, Illustrated by Elanna Allen
from Simon and Schuster
for 1st-4th grade
in Series Books (Location: SER-MISC)
$5.99 $3.00 (1 in stock)
Welcome to the Ice House
by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Laura Regan
Other Printing from G.P. Putnam's Sons
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
What Do You Do With a Tail Like This?
by Steve Jenkins & Robin Page
from Houghton Mifflin
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
2004 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$4.50 (1 in stock)
Where the Wild Things Are
by Maurice Sendak
from HarperCollins
Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
1964 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.95 $5.00 (1 in stock)
White Stallion of Lipizza
by Marguerite Henry, illustrated by Wesley Dennis
from Sonlight Curriculum, Ltd.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Wicked Nix
by Lena Coakley, illustrated by Jaime Zollars
from Amulet Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Wind Blew
by Pat Hutchins
from Scholastic Inc.
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Yeh-Shen
by Ai-Ling Louie
from Puffin Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.99 $4.50 (1 in stock)
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