Fiction Vs. Non Fiction

📚 Fiction or Non-Fiction?

Today we’re going to become book detectives. Have you ever wondered if a story is made up or if it happened in real life? For that there are two major types of reading: fiction and nonfiction. Let’s find out how to tell the difference!

✨ What is fiction?

Fiction is when an author uses their imagination to create characters, places, or events that didn’t really happen, but might feel real.

📖 Example:
In Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, the author invents a story full of magical candy and a wonderful factory run by the eccentric Willy Wonka. That all comes from the writer’s creativity!

Fiction books:

• They invite us to daydream
• Introduce us to heroes, adventures and magical worlds
• They can teach us lessons about life and feelings

🔍 And what is nonfiction?

Non-fiction tells us about real events. It is based on reality and aims to inform, teach or explain something true.

📖 Example:
A book that explains how the human body works is nonfiction – everything it says is verified by experts!

Nonfiction books:

• They teach us about the real world
• They may talk about animals, science, history, or real people
• They help us learn and grow in knowledge

🧠 How do we tell them apart?

Here are some clues to tell if a book is fiction or nonfiction:

🗺️ And what about Don Quixote?

Miguel de Cervantes‘ most famous novel, Don Quixote de la Mancha, is a fictional story, but it is full of real details. For example:

• Don Quixote fights windmills, believing them to be giants. That is imagination.
• But windmills did exist in La Mancha, and they were part of the real landscape.

Thus Cervantes mixed reality with fantasy! He also showed what life was like in his time, including peasants, nobles and priests. He used fiction to reflect society.

📖 That reminds us that fiction can tell profound truths through invented stories.

🎯 Why read both?

✅ Read fiction:

• Develops our creativity and empathy
• Helps us understand emotions and situations of others
• Gives us moments of joy, laughter and adventure

✅ Reading nonfiction:

• Teaches us about the real world
• Improves our ability to investigate and think critically
• Helps us to value truth and knowledge

📖 And did you know, Jesus taught with parables! They were imaginary stories (like fiction) that taught real truths about how to live and love. So reading fiction can also teach us how to be better people.

▶️ Watch this video to learn more

🔗 Fiction Vs. Non-fiction for kids

💭 Your mind in action

💬 Reflect:

• Do you remember any fiction books that made you imagine amazing things?
• What nonfiction book have you read that taught you something valuable?
• Why do you think Jesus used stories to teach?

🎨 Creative challenge:
Draw a page divided in two: on one side, a fictional world (castles, dragons, adventures); on the other, a real world (people, science books, real animals).

🗣️ Home discussion:
Do you think a made-up story can teach you something as important as a real book?

📝 Your turn:
Write two mini stories: one completely made up (fiction) and one about something you learned or experienced yourself (nonfiction).

🔍 Want to know more?

Other topics you may want to research:

• What is a biography and how do you write it?
• What are the parts of a fictional short story?
• What are the differences between a chronicle and a news story?
• What are the parables Jesus used to teach?
• How do you research to write a nonfiction book?
• Can you find a true story that looks like a movie story?

🛠️ Show what you know

Choose one or more activities to capture your learning:

📚 Create an infographic explaining the differences between fiction and nonfiction with pictures and examples.
🎙️ Record an audio explaining which type of book you prefer and why.
🧩 Design a cover for a fiction book and one for a nonfiction book.
🎭 Do a skit at home: a fictional character and a real-life character conversing about their worlds.
🧠 Write a mind map with everything you learned today about the two types of books.