ABSTRACT
Introduction he single factor that ties all fiction together is that it consists of madeup stories. That is, the story has been created from the imagination of a writer. It may include real elements such as real places, people, and past
events. However, the story itself is a creation of the author. For very young children the line between fiction and nonfiction (true stories, informational books, autobiographies, and biographies) is often confusing and blurry. Children view the world and process it differently than do adults. Well-written realistic and historical fiction can seem very real to young children, and they often believe that these are true stories. Teachers and caregivers must help explain that such stories could have happened, but they did not.
