Fiction and Nonfiction: Real or Make-Believe?
Grade 1 · English · Study Guide
Learn the difference between fiction stories and nonfiction books that share real facts.
Every book belongs to one of two big groups: fiction or nonfiction.
Fiction books are stories that are made up. The characters, events, and sometimes even the places in fiction books are invented by the author. Fairy tales, adventure stories, and picture books about talking animals are all examples of fiction. Even if some parts of a fiction book seem real, if the author made it up, it is fiction.
Nonfiction books are about real things, real people, and real events. The information in a nonfiction book is true. Books about animals, science, history, and how things work are usually nonfiction. A book that tells you how butterflies grow from caterpillars is nonfiction because it is sharing real facts.
You can tell the difference between fiction and nonfiction by looking for some clues. Fiction books often have made-up characters who do things people or animals cannot really do, like a mouse who goes to school. Nonfiction books often have photographs instead of drawings, headings, labels, and a table of contents.
Both kinds of books are wonderful to read. Fiction helps us use our imagination and explore new worlds. Nonfiction helps us learn true facts about our amazing world.
When you pick up a book, ask yourself: could this really happen? If yes, it might be nonfiction. If it is made up, it is fiction.
Key terms
- fiction
- A made-up story that is not real
- nonfiction
- A book about real people, places, or events — everything is true
- author
- The person who writes a book
- fact
- A piece of information that is true and can be proven
- make-believe
- Something invented by the imagination that is not real
- photograph
- A real picture — often found in nonfiction books as evidence
Flashcards
- fiction
- A made-up story — characters and events are invented by the author
- nonfiction
- A book about true, real-world people, places, and events
- make-believe
- Not real — found in fiction books
- fact
- True information — found in nonfiction books
- photograph
- A clue that a book might be nonfiction — real images of real things
- table of contents
- A list of chapters or sections — common in nonfiction books
- fairy tale
- A type of fiction — involves magic, imaginary creatures, and made-up events
- biography
- A type of nonfiction — tells the true life story of a real person
Questions
A story about a dragon who flies to the moon is an example of what?
- Nonfiction
- Fiction
- A dictionary
- A textbook
Show answer
Answer: Fiction
A dragon flying to the moon is make-believe, so it is fiction.
Nonfiction books contain true information about the real world.
Show answer
Answer: True
Nonfiction books share true facts about real things, people, and events.
Which book is most likely nonfiction?
- The Talking Cat
- How Volcanoes Work
- Adventures in Dragon Land
- The Magic Umbrella
Show answer
Answer: How Volcanoes Work
'How Volcanoes Work' shares real facts about volcanoes, making it nonfiction.
A book with made-up characters and events is called ______.
Show answer
Answer: fiction
A book with made-up characters and events is called fiction.
A fiction book is always about things that really happened.
Show answer
Answer: False
Fiction books are made-up stories — they are not about things that really happened.
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