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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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Fiction by Genre
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60 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 2nd grade (Ages 7-8), Print-on-demand paperback
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll, Illustrated by John Tenniel
from SeaWolf Press
Fantasy for 2nd-7th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$6.89
Among the Farmyard People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Farmyard People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$13.99
Among the Forest People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Forest People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.99
Among the Meadow People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Meadow People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.99
Among the Night People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Night People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.99
Among the Pond People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$10.95
Among the Pond People
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$11.99
Beacon First Reader
by James H. Fassett
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$18.95
Book of Legends
by Horace E. Scudder
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-5th grade
$9.95
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$15.95
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$19.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$18.99
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$15.95
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
Color Edition from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$19.99
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$18.99
Burgess Flower Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$19.99
By Pond and River
Eyes and No Eyes #2
by Arabella B. Buckley
from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-5th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$13.95
By Pond and River
Eyes and No Eyes #2
by Arabella B. Buckley
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$7.99
Cranberry Christmas
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Cranberry Valentine
by Wende & Harry Devlin
from Purple House Press
for Preschool- 3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Dooryard Stories
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$8.99
Dutch Twins
by Lucy Fitch Perkins
from Eirenikos Press
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
English Fairy Tales
by Joseph Jacobs
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
$10.99
Fairy Ring
by Kate Douglas Wiggin
from Yesterday's Classics
$23.95
Fifty Famous People
by James Baldwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$11.95
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
$11.95 $7.00 (1 in stock)
Fifty Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin
from Living Book Press
for 1st-4th grade
$8.99
General Butterfingers
by John Reynolds Gardiner
Reprint from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 2nd-5th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$7.95 $4.50 (1 in stock)
Grimms' Fairy Tales
by Jacob & Wilhelm Grimm, illustrated by Louis Rhead
from SeaWolf Press
for 1st-5th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$11.95
Henry Explores the Jungle
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Henry Explores the Mountains
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
Anniversary from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Henry the Explorer
by Mark Taylor, illustrated by Graham Booth
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$16.99
Kersti and Saint Nicholas (adapted)
by Hilda Van Stockum, Revised and Adapted by the Author's Family
from Boissevain Books
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
King of the Golden River
by John Ruskin, illustrated by Maria L. Kirk
from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-6th grade
$9.95
King of the Golden River
by John Ruskin, illustrated by various
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
$5.99
Lion in the Box
by Marguerite de Angeli
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$11.99
Little Blacknose
by Hildegarde H. Swift, illustrated by Lynd Ward
2025 Reprint from Unknown Publisher
for 2nd-5th grade
1930 Newbery Honor Book
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$13.99
Miss Suzy
by Miriam Young, illustrated by Arnold Lobel
from Purple House Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$15.99
Peter and Wendy
by James M. Barrie, illustrated by F.D. Bedford
from SeaWolf Press
for 2nd-8th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
Pied Piper of Hamelin
by Robert Browning, Illustrated by Kate Greenaway
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.99
Pilgrim's Progress
by John Bunyan
Facsimile Ed from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-7th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$13.95
Reading-Literature: First Reader
by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$10.95
Reading-Literature: Second Reader
by Harriette Taylor Treadwell, Margaret Free
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$11.95
Reading-Literature: The Primer
by Margaret Free and Harriette Taylor Treadwell, illustrated by Frederick Richardson
from Yesterday's Classics
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
in Short Story Anthologies for Kids (Location: FIC-ANTH)
$10.95
Sleeping Beauty & Cinderella
by C. S. Evans, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
100th Anniversary from SeaWolf Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$7.95
Stories of Beowulf Told to the Children
by H. E. Marshall
from Yesterday's Classics
Myth & Legend for 2nd-5th grade
in Classics Retold (Location: FIC-RET)
$9.95
Stories of Robin Hood Told to the Children
by H. E. Marshall
from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-5th grade
$9.95 $5.50 (1 in stock)
Stories of Roland Told to the Children
by H. E. Marshall
from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-5th grade
$9.95
Tales from a Poultry Farm
by Clara Dillingham Pierson
from Living Book Press
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$7.99 $5.00 (1 in stock)
Thirty More Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin
from Yesterday's Classics
for 2nd-5th grade
$12.95
Thirty More Famous Stories Retold
by James Baldwin
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-5th grade
$9.99
Viking Tales
by Jennie Hall
from Living Book Press
for 1st-4th grade
$8.99
Ways of Wood Folk
by William Joseph Long
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$8.99
West African Folk-Tales
by William H. Barker
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-6th grade
$10.95
Wild Life in Woods and Fields
Eyes and No Eyes #1
by Arabella B. Buckley
from Yesterday's Classics
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$13.95
Wild Life in Woods and Fields
Eyes and No Eyes #1
by Arabella B. Buckley
from Living Book Press
for 1st-4th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$7.99
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