Realistic

Fiction
By: Kelsey Gallello, Whitney Hawkins, Nicole Greer, &
Myranda Reconnu

Introduction
Realistic Fiction is a genre of stories that could have actually happened to people or animals in a
believable setting. The fictional characters within these stories resemble real situations and the
characters react in a way similar to real people.
Realistic Fiction:
1. Takes place in the present or recent past.
2. Characters are involved in events that could happen.
3. Characters live in places that could be or are real.
4. The characters seem like real people with real issues in a realistic way.
5. The events portrayed in realistic fiction conjure questions that a reader could face in everyday life.

Harry G. Allard

Born in Evanston, Illinois on January 27, 1928.

In 1943, Allard attended Northwestern College where he later graduated.
Upon graduation, he went into active duty where he served in Korea.
After serving in the military, Allard lived in Paris for several years where he became fluent
in the French language.
He later went to Middlebury College where he earned a Master's degree in French and then
went on to earn a Ph.D. in French from Yale. He worked as a teacher and a legal translator in
Paris.
He collaborated with James Marshall to create several series that he is well known for
today. They are the Miss Nelson Series and the Stupids series.

Awards:

Miss Nelson is Missing!: Edgar Allan Poe Winner- Best Juvenile 1978, 1982 California
Young Reader Medal.
Stupids Step Out: was a SLJ Best of the Best.
Stupids Have a Ball: was an IRA Children's Choice.
Bumps in the Night: Yearling First Choice Chapter Book

Books written by Harry Allard:

The Miss Nelson series (1977, 1982, 1985)

The Stupids series (1974, 1978, 1981, 1989)
I Will Not Go to Market (1979)
Starlight Goes to Town (2008)

Beverly Cleary

Born April 12, 1916 in McMinnville, Oregon (still alive today)

Elementary school librarian influenced her to write books for children

Graduated with a BA in English in 1938

Went to the University of Washington to study librarianship

Later earned a degree in library science

In 2000, she was named a Living Legend by the Library of Congress.

Received more than 35 statewide awards from her young readers

91 million copies of her books have been sold worldwide

Awards:
1975 Laura Ingalls Wilder Award Catholic Library Association's
1978 Newbery Honor Book, Ramona and Her Father
1980 Regina Medal, Children's Book Council's
1982 Newbery Honor Book, Ramona Quimby, Age 8 American Library Association's
1984 Newbery Medal, Dear Mr. Henshaw
1985 Everychild Award
2003 National Medal of Art from the National Endowment of the Arts

Books:
Ramona Quimby, Age 8 (1981)
Janets Thingamajigs (1987)
Dear Mr. Henshaw (1983)

Children should learn that reading is pleasure, not just something that teachers make
you do in school -Beverly Cleary

Barbara Park (1947-2013)

Originally went to college to teach high school.

Her first book, Dont Make Me Smile, was published in 1981.

Most known for the Junie B. Jones series, which has 28 books itself and
has sold more than 55 million copies in North America.

She wrote just over 50 books from picture books to middle elementary
books and won over 40 childrens book awards from the Childrens Choice
Award in 1983 for Beanpole to the Library of Congress book of the Year
in 1987 for The Kid in the Red Jacket.

Books written by Barbara Park:

Skinny-bones (1982)
Geek Chronicles: Maxie, Rosie, and Earl- Partners in Grime #1 (1990)
Junie B. Jones and the Stupid Smelly Bus #1 (1992)
Junie B. Jones Is Captain Field Day #16 (2000)
Junie B., First Grader: Dumb Bunny #27 (2007)

There are those who believe that the value of a childrens book can be measured only in terms of the
moral lessons it tries to impose or the perfect role models it offers. Personally, I happen to think that a
book is of extraordinary value if it gives the reader nothing more than a smile or two. In fact, I happen
to think thats huge."

Judith Viorst

Born February 2, 1931 In New Jersey

Attended Rutgers University.
Moved to Greenwich Village and has lived in Washington DC
since 1960.
Married Milton Viorst, a political writer; they have three sons
and seven grandchildren.
Viorst is a 1981 graduate of the Washington Psychoanalytic
Institute.
Wrote books in various areas such as science books, childrens
picture books and is best known for her book Alexander and the
terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day.

Books Written by Judith Viorst:

The Tenth good Thing about Barney (1971)

The Alphabet from Z-A (1994)
Alexander, Who used to be Rich Last Sunday (1978)
Alexander, Whos Not (Do You Hear Me? I Mean It) Going to
Move (1995)
Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day
(1972)

*In 1970 Viorst won the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Variety
Series because of her Alexander series based off of her three sons.

References

Barnes & Noble Booksellers, Inc. (2015). Barnes & Noble. Retrieved from http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/miss-nelson-ismissing-harry-allard/1001878902?ean=9780395401460&quickview=true#productInfoTabs

The Book Report, Inc. (2015). Kids Read. Retrieved from http://www.kidsreads.com/authors/harry-g-allard
Bound to Stay Bound Inc. (n.d.). Bound to Stay Bound Bookstore: Harry Allard. Retrieved from http://www.btsb.
com/libcorner/showcase/AuthorDetail.php?ID=28
Fox, Margalit. (2013, October 13). Barbara Park, author of Junie B. Jones series, dies at 66. Retrieved from

http://www.

nytimes.com/2013/11/19/arts/barbara-park-author-of-junie-b-jones-series-dies-at-66.html?_r=2

HarperCollins. (2010). About beverly clearly. Retrieved from http://www.beverlycleary.com/about.aspx

Mystery Writers of America. (2015). The Edgars Database. Retrieved from http://theedgars.com/awards/
Penguin Random House LLC. (2015). My real-life friends. Retrieved from http://juniebjones.com/author
Scholastic Inc. (2015). Barbara Park. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/barbara-park
Scholastic. (2015). Beverly Clearly. Retrieved from http://www.scholastic.com/teachers/contributor/beverly-cleary
Soylent Communications. Beverly Clearly. NNDB tracking the entire world, (2014). Retrieved from
com/people/422/000032326/

http://www.nndb.