Fiction or Non Fiction?
What is Fiction?
Fiction is writing that comes from the author's imagination. 'Made up' stories are fiction. There are certain features that fiction books share:
- Fast, flowing text that you read quickly to fnd out what will happen next in the story.
- You read it from the beginning to the end- rather than dipping in and out- or you lose the sense of the story.
- The author's style can be very personal- as though they are talking straight to you, the reader.
- Fiction for older readers is not usually illustrated as the author relies on the words to weave a picture.
- You can often work out the meaning of new, unfamiliar words from the setting and what happens before or after the story.
What is Non Fiction?
Non Fiction writing is information, not made up stories. Books that tell us about history, science, the natural world and other countries are mostly non-fiction. They contain lots of true facts. These are the sort of books you use when you are doing a project at school. There are certain features that non-fiction books share:
- People often dip into non fiction for information rather than reading it from cover to cover.
- There are usually illustrations- including tables, diagrams and photographs- to accompany the words and to help to explain things.
- Specialised vocabulary- special words used only for particular subjects- often appears, so non fiction books often have a glossary.
- The author's style is often impersonal- reporting and describing things.
- People often read non fiction quickly, skimming through to find information they need and then re-reading the relevant sections carefully.
Fiction is writing that comes from the author's imagination. 'Made up' stories are fiction. There are certain features that fiction books share:
- Fast, flowing text that you read quickly to fnd out what will happen next in the story.
- You read it from the beginning to the end- rather than dipping in and out- or you lose the sense of the story.
- The author's style can be very personal- as though they are talking straight to you, the reader.
- Fiction for older readers is not usually illustrated as the author relies on the words to weave a picture.
- You can often work out the meaning of new, unfamiliar words from the setting and what happens before or after the story.
What is Non Fiction?
Non Fiction writing is information, not made up stories. Books that tell us about history, science, the natural world and other countries are mostly non-fiction. They contain lots of true facts. These are the sort of books you use when you are doing a project at school. There are certain features that non-fiction books share:
- People often dip into non fiction for information rather than reading it from cover to cover.
- There are usually illustrations- including tables, diagrams and photographs- to accompany the words and to help to explain things.
- Specialised vocabulary- special words used only for particular subjects- often appears, so non fiction books often have a glossary.
- The author's style is often impersonal- reporting and describing things.
- People often read non fiction quickly, skimming through to find information they need and then re-reading the relevant sections carefully.
