Fiction and Nonfiction
Name_________________________________________________ Date____________________
Elizabeth McCracken
Listening and Viewing
Segment 1: Meet Elizabeth McCracken
• Where does Elizabeth McCracken get inspiration for the characters she writes about in her books?
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• If you were writing a fictional story, would you base your characters on real people or
invent them entirely? Why?
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Segment 2: Fiction and Nonfiction
• Why does Elizabeth McCracken enjoy writing fiction?
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• Why do you think it is important for a fiction writer to also read nonfiction books?
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Segment 3: The Writing Process
• Why is it important for Elizabeth McCracken to develop her characters?
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• Which fictional character left a lasting impression on you? Explain.
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Segment 4: The Rewards of Writing
• What advice does Elizabeth McCracken offer young writers?
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• What do you “get out” of reading fiction?
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Grade 9 Unit 1
1
Learning About Fiction and Nonfiction
The following chart compares and contrasts two types of prose literature.
Characteristics
Fiction
Nonfiction
Elements
Fiction tells about characters,
imaginary people or animals.
They participate in a plot, or a
series of made-up events, that
contains a conflict, or problem,
to be solved. The plot takes
place in one or more settings.
The story conveys a theme, or
idea about life.
Nonfiction tells about real
people, animals, places,
things, experiences, and
ideas. Nonfiction can contain
facts, opinions, and ideas.
Sample forms
short stories, novels, novellas
articles, autobiographies,
biographies, essays, journals
Author’s purpose
to entertain
to explain, inform, persuade,
or entertain
A. DIRECTIONS: Write fiction or nonfiction to identify the kind of literature described.
__________1. a piece of literature that features a talking tiger
__________2. a piece of literature about travel to Japan
__________3. a piece of literature about the lessons two friends learn about themselves
when they go to summer camp
__________4. a piece of literature that explains how a runner trains for victory
B. DIRECTIONS: Read the paragraph. Then, answer the questions that follow.
The modem on Alicia’s laptop computer had been blown apart in the lightning storm. Try as she
would, she could not connect to the phone line. But Alicia refused to give up. Opening the cover on her
cell phone, she held the instrument firmly and pressed a silver-colored button for precisely three
seconds. Within another three seconds, she was small enough to slither through the back of the
laptop. She saw the modem glinting on the motherboard. She was ready to begin the repair job.
1. Does the preceding paragraph introduce a piece of fiction or nonfiction?__________________
2. Explain your answer to Question 1.
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Grade 9 Unit 1
2
from The Giant’s House by Elizabeth McCracken
Model Selection: Fiction
A fictional story is told by a narrator. The narrator may or may not be a character in the story. If
the narrator is part of the story, he or she tells the plot using first-person point of view, with pronouns
such as I, me, and our. If the narrator stands outside the story, he or she tells it in third-person point
of view, using such pronouns as he, she, and them. In reading fiction, you need to distinguish between
plot and theme. The plot is what happens. The theme is the message carried by the plot, the
characters, and the setting.
A. DIRECTIONS: The excerpt from The Giant’s House is a piece of fiction. Answer these
questions about the narrator of The Giant’s House.
1. Is the narrator of The Giant’s House inside or outside the story?_________________________
2. Does the narrator use first-person or third-person point of view?_________________________
B. DIRECTIONS: Study the following example, which distinguishes between the plot of a story
and its theme. Then, in your own words, state the plot of The Giant’s House and the theme that grows
out of the plot.
Plot of story: Maria practices her lines for the school play every day. She wants to bring her
character to life, so she experiments in front of a mirror with different gestures, facial expressions,
and tones of voice. On opening night, she turns in a first-rate performance, and the audience
applauds warmly.
Theme of story: Hard work leads to success.
Plot of excerpt from The Giant’s House:
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Theme of excerpt from The Giant’s House:
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Grade 9 Unit 1
3
Desiderata by Elizabeth McCracken
Model Selection: Nonfiction
The author of a piece of nonfiction has one or more purposes for writing. The purpose or
purposes relate to the kind of nonfiction the author is producing.
• The purpose of narrative nonfiction is to tell about a real-life event. Examples of narrative
nonfiction include autobiographies and memoirs. Some narrative nonfiction is reflective
writing, which gives the writer’s thoughts and feelings about a personal experience, an
idea, or a concern. Examples of reflective writing include reflective essays and journals.
• The purpose of expository nonfiction is to inform or to explain. Examples of this type of
nonfiction include analytical essays and research reports.
• The purpose of persuasive nonfiction is to make the reader act or think in a certain way.
Examples include editorials and political speeches.
• The purpose of descriptive nonfiction is to create mental images for the reader. Examples
include character sketches and scientific observations.
DIRECTIONS: Authors often have more than one purpose in mind when they write a piece of
nonfiction. Here is a list of purposes:
to explain
to entertain
to persuade
to report a real-life event
to inform
to share thoughts and experiences
What two purposes do you think Elizabeth McCracken might have had in mind when she wrote
“Desiderata”? Support your answer with reasons and examples from the selection.
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Grade 9 Unit 1
4