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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.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Fiction by Genre
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62 Items found Print
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Active Filters: 3rd grade (Ages 8-9), Library Binding, In-Stock Books & Materials
$25,000 Flight
Stepping Stone: Totally True Adventures!
by Lori Haskins Houran
from Random House
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Akavak
by James Houston
from Harcourt, Brace & World
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
All About Story Book
by Watty Piper (editor), illustrated by Symeon Shimin
from Platt and Munk Publishers
for 2nd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Alvin's Secret Code
by Clifford B. Hicks, Illustrated by Bill Sokol
from Weekly Reader
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Animal, the Vegetable, & John D. Jones
by Betsy Byars, illustrated by Ruth Sanderson
from Delacorte Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
Bears, Pirates and Silver Lace
by Anne B. Fisher; illustrated by Phil Nesbitt
from Binford & Mort Publishing
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Big Wave
by Pearl S. Buck
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Black Ships Before Troy
by Rosemary Sutcliff & Alan Lee
from Frances Lincoln
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$24.99
Bokuden and the Bully
by Stephen Krensky (adapter), illustrated by Cheryl Kirk Noll
from Millbrook Press
for 1st-3rd grade
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Busybody Nora
by Johanna Hurwitz, illustrated by Susan Jeschke
from William Morrow & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Chronicles of Narnia - Deluxe Hardcover Boxed Set
by C. S. Lewis
from HarperCollins
Allegorical Fantasy for 3rd-9th grade
in Boxed Sets & Literature Packages (Location: FIC-BOX)
$139.93
Cinderella
Everyman's Library Children's Classics
by C. S. Evans, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 1st-4th grade
$15.95
Contest
by Nonny Hogrogian
from Greenwillow Books
Armenian Folktale for 1st-3rd grade
1977 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Curious Critters
by Patricia Lauber, illustrated by Don Madden
from Garrard Publishing Company
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$36.00 (1 in stock)
Danny Dunn and the Homework Machine
by Jay Williams & Raymond Abrashkin, Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
from McGraw-Hill
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Danny Dunn and the Universal Glue
by Jay Williams & Raymond Abrashkin, Illustrated by Paul Sagsoorian
from McGraw-Hill
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$15.00 (1 in stock)
Danny Dunn on a Desert Island
by Jay Williams & Raymond Abrashkin, Illustrated by Ezra Jack Keats
1971 printing from McGraw-Hill
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$25.00 (1 in stock)
Day It Rained Forever
Once Upon America
by Virginia T. Gross, illustrated by Ronald Himler
from Viking Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Earthquake!
by Kate Wilson
from Steck-Vaughn Company
for 3rd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Fairy Tales: The Brothers Grimm
Everyman's Library Children's Classics
by The Brothers Grimm, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Folklore for 2nd-6th grade
$19.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Fire at the Triangle Factory
by Holly Littlefield, illustrated by Mary O'Keefe Young
from Carolrhoda Books, Inc.
for 2nd-5th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Frog and Toad Are Friends
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Arnold Lobel
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
1971 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Giggle Box
by Phyllis R. Fenner, illustrated by William Steig
1963 Printing from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Anthology Collections (Location: VIN-ANTH)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Glory for Gil
by Maxine Drury
from David McKay Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$50.00 (1 in stock)
Good Times Today
The Macmillan Readers
by Arthur I. Gates and Celeste Comegys Peardon
1956 printing from Macmillan
for 3rd-4th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Grand Papa and Ellen Aroon
by F. N. Monjo, illustrated by Richard Cuffari
1st edition from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 3rd-7th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
House on Deer-Track Trail
by Marty Kelly
from Weekly Reader
for 3rd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Incredible Detectives
by Don & Joan Caufield, illustrated by Kiyo Komoda
from Harper & Row
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Jumanji
by Chris Van Allsburg
from Houghton Mifflin
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
1982 Caldecott Medal winner
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.50 (1 in stock)
Just So Stories
Everyman's Library Children's Classics
by Rudyard Kipling
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-6th grade
$18.00
King of the Hummingbirds
by John Gardner, illustrated by Michael Sporn
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Little Fox
by Edith Brecht, Illustrated by Joan Sandin
from J.B. Lippincott Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Picture Books (Location: VIN-PIC)
$10.00 (1 in stock)
Little Maverick Cow
from Charles Scribner's Sons
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Loony Limericks from Alabama to Wyoming
by Jack Stokes
from Doubleday & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Poetry for Children (Location: POET-CHIL)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Molly's Pilgrim
by Barbara Cohen
from William Morrow & Company
for Preschool-3rd Grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Marble Angel
from California State Department of Education
for 3rd-4th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Midnight Visitor
California State Series - The Morgan Bay Mysteries
by John and Nancy Rambeau, illustrated by Joseph Maniscalco
1969th edition from California State Department of Education
for 3rd-5th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
Mystery of the Pilgrim Trading Post
by Anne Molloy
from Hastings House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (2 in stock)
Night the Monster Came
by Mary Calhoun, illustrated by Leslie Morrill
from Weekly Reader
for 2nd-4th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$3.00 (1 in stock)
No Room for a Dog
by Marion Holland; illustrated by Albert Orbaan
from Random House
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Ol' Paul the Mighty Logger
by Glen Rounds
from Holiday House
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$4.00 (2 in stock)
Our Lady of Guadalupe
by Helen Rand Parish, illustrated by Jean Charlot
1964 Printing from Viking Press
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Pearl Divers
California State Series - The Deep Sea Adventures
by James C. Coleman, Frances Berres, Frank M. Hewett, William S. Briscoe, illustrated by Joseph Maniscalco
from California State Department of Education
for 2nd-3rd grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Pet Dragon
by Christoph Niemann
First Edition first Printing from Greenwillow Books
for 1st-3rd grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Peter Jumping Horse at the Stampede
by Gordon Langley Hall, illustrated by Jennifer Kent
from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Poppy Seed Cakes
by Margery Clark, Illustrated by Maud and Miska Petersham
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for Kindergarten-3rd grade
$26.95
R My Name is Rachel
by Patricia Reilly Giff
from Random House
for 3rd-6th grade
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Raggedy Ann Stories
by Johnny Gruelle
from Johnny Gruelle Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$9.00 (1 in stock)
Ramona the Pest
Ramona Collection Book 2
by Beverly Cleary, illustrated by Louis Darling
1974 printing from William Morrow & Company
for 2nd-4th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$20.00 (1 in stock)
San Domingo
by Marguerite Henry; illustrated by Robert Lougheed
from Rand McNally
for 3rd-7th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$12.00 (1 in stock)
Sounder
by William H. Armstrong
from Harper & Row
Realistic Fiction for 3rd-8th grade
1970 Newbery Medal winner
in Realistic Fiction (Location: FIC-REA)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
South Town
by Lorenz Graham
from Follett Publishing Co.
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Straw Ox and other tales
by Fan Kissen
from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Stuck with Luck
by Elizabeth Johnson
from Little, Brown & Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Swamp Angel (Library rebind)
by Anne Isaacs
Library Binding from Dutton Children's Books
for 2nd-4th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$4.00 (1 in stock)
Theseus and the Minotaur
by Leonard Everett Fisher
from Holiday House
for 3rd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.00 (1 in stock)
Trouble for Tomas
by Fraz Hutterer; illustrated by Irene Schreiber, translated by Joyce Emerson
from Hale-Cadmus
Historical Fiction for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$24.00 (1 in stock)
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
40th printing from SeaWolf Press
for 3rd-7th grade
1923 Newbery Medal winner
in Seawolf Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SW)
$9.99
Wanderings of Odysseus
by Rosemary Sutcliff & Alan Lee
from Frances Lincoln
Greek Mythology for 3rd-8th grade
$19.00 (1 in stock)
Whale Hunt
California State Series - The Deep Sea Adventures
by James C. Coleman, Frances Berres, Frank M. Hewett, William S. Briscoe, illustrated by Joseph Maniscalco
from California State Department of Education
for 3rd-4th grade
in Vintage Readers & Textbooks (Location: VIN-READ)
$6.00 (1 in stock)
Wildcat Under Glass
by Alki Zei, translated by Edward Fenton
1969 second printing from Holt, Rinehart and Winston
for 3rd-6th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$5.00 (1 in stock)
Wizards and Witches
by Frances Wilkins, illustrated by Fritz Wegner
from E.M. Hale and Company
for 2nd-5th grade
in Vintage Fiction & Literature (Location: VIN-FIC)
$7.00 (1 in stock)
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