Discerning fact from fiction can be extremely difficult (particularly as regards children), so much so that I'm not sure I know where to begin.
By way of example, consider some of Mark Twain's travelogues. His description of the grounds of Versailles in 'The Innocents Abroad' reads almost like a Tolkien description of some Elf kingdom or other, yet it is perfectly, exactly true. By contrast, he relates a whopper about finding a ancient newspaper in the Colosseum, containing a review of recent gladiatorial contests, as well a playbill containing a preview of upcoming events. He tells the story is such a straightforward manner, however, that I'm sure many children (and not a few adults) would think it was not a fictional account.
That being said, kids aren't stupid. They're almost sure to know that a story about a flying, talking hippo is a fable, as would be one where the furniture gets up and goes dancing round the room. But a 'general principles' list is going to be pretty hard to come up with, as fiction exists on a spectrum.
Boru
By way of example, consider some of Mark Twain's travelogues. His description of the grounds of Versailles in 'The Innocents Abroad' reads almost like a Tolkien description of some Elf kingdom or other, yet it is perfectly, exactly true. By contrast, he relates a whopper about finding a ancient newspaper in the Colosseum, containing a review of recent gladiatorial contests, as well a playbill containing a preview of upcoming events. He tells the story is such a straightforward manner, however, that I'm sure many children (and not a few adults) would think it was not a fictional account.
That being said, kids aren't stupid. They're almost sure to know that a story about a flying, talking hippo is a fable, as would be one where the furniture gets up and goes dancing round the room. But a 'general principles' list is going to be pretty hard to come up with, as fiction exists on a spectrum.
Boru
‘I can’t be having with this.’ - Esmeralda Weatherwax
