Fiction is any story made up by an author. It is a creation of the author's imagination. It is not based strictly on history or facts. The word fiction comes from the Latin word fictum, which means "created". This is a good way to remember what fiction is: if it has been created or made up by somebody, it is fiction. Fiction can be written or told, or acted on stage, in a movie, on television or radio. Usually the purpose of fiction is to entertain.

A non-fiction book is one that gives facts and informs the reader of the world around them. It can cover almost any topic, from animals to space to ancient Greece. If it's about something that really happened or something that really exists, it is non-fiction. Other than books, you'll find non-fiction writing in newspapers, news websites, and in magazines. The aim of non-fiction is to teach the reader about interesting subjects.

Poetry isn't really considered fiction or non-fiction. It exists in a grey area because a poem can be about something fake and silly like limericks or it can be about real things like nature and feelings like haikus and lyrical poems.

Have you ever had trouble finding the non-fiction books you are looking for in the library? Learn about the Dewey Decimal System and how non-fiction books are classified in libraries.

Author Lauren Oliver explains the process of how a book progresses from the tiny spark of an idea for a story to publication and everything in between as she uses her novel The Spindlers as an example. Learn about her writing process, how a manuscript gets edited, how cover art gets designed, and the final proof reading before it gets sent off to the printer.