Different fiction genres take children’s memories to different places

Fiction, more than expository text, nurtures intimate connections between text and the reader’s life experiences. This dimension of reader response is underexplored in relation to children. Adapting methods from Empirical Literary Studies educational research objectives, authors employed concept ‘remindings’, i.e. reminiscing prompted by studying children’s life-resonant responses self-selected leisure books. Six workshops were run primary classrooms during which participants (N = 148; age 8–11) engaged remindings mental imagery. Written then analysed for systematic variation across fiction book genres (Real-world vs. Fantasy; Relationships Adventure). They found that Real-World Adventure books discrete events, while diffuse Fantasy least likely prompt remindings. Further genre-based differences emerged distribution themes within The consider consequences these insights supporting young readers.