My two bits says historical fiction is fiction, whatever reading level. With young readers, it feels even more important that we shouldn't give them the wrong impression that a fictional account – with fictional characters and narrative – is a substitute for factual work.
On the other hand, I have a similar question. We've flip-flopped a couple times about where to class children's story books about holidays and observance. Many of these set up fictional situations – a guest not familiar with our traditions who asks about the reasons for an observance – which features a recitation of the relevant Bible story. While the framework is fiction, the core of the story is a non-fictional explanation of the tradition. Many kid's books fit that formula and could be as easily classed with fiction as with non-fiction. Our decision, for the time being, has been to put these in with fiction, but tie them together with non-fiction items on the same topic through the subject headings. Lee Jaffe, Temple Beth El, Aptos Dear Hasafranim, I just came along a grey area that makes me want to rethink a few things about classifying YA historical fiction, specifically biographical fiction. Someone donated this older book, Bar Kochba, by Amram Whiteman. I have very little on the period for kids, so I thought why not. For very young kids, it seems acceptable to place some historical fiction in with the history or biography it covers. Same with bible stories. For adults, of course, I wouldn't consider such a thing, but what about for tweens and YA? Should I place this fictional account of Bar Kochba with fiction or with the history of the period, with a classification identifying it as fiction so that it's in the same area? I'm also beginning to wonder about fictional accounts of biblical figures such as David or Amos. Right now they're in bible stories, but for older kids, should they perhaps be in fiction instead? Is this a grey area for others, or is there a standard practice where teen literature is concerned. Rachel Haus Library Director Congregation of Moses Fisher Library Kalamazoo MI
__ Messages and opinions expressed on Hasafran are those of the individual author and are not necessarily endorsed by the Association of Jewish Libraries (AJL) ================================== Submissions for Ha-Safran, send to: [email protected] To join Ha-Safran, update or change your subscription, etc. - click here: https://lists.service.ohio-state.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran Questions, problems, complaints, compliments send to: [email protected] Ha-Safran Archives: Current: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.service.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html Earlier Listserver: http://www.mail-archive.com/hasafran%40lists.acs.ohio-state.edu/maillist.html AJL HomePage http://www.JewishLibraries.org -- Hasafran mailing list [email protected] https://lists.osu.edu/mailman/listinfo/hasafran
