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The distinction between fiction and nonfiction focuses on the aspect of literature teachers usually emphasize when teaching it to students: content. It is equally important, however, for students to understand the "mechanics" of literature, including how a writer crafts his or her material and how the text establishes expectations in a reader. Examining a narrative drawn from fact, such as Sharyn McCrumb's 1998 novel, "The Ballad of Frankie Silver," can deepen students' understanding of what writers do, how writing works, and why literature matters. The story operates on two levels, and by weaving together the two, McCrumb has created a unique work which bridges the fact/fiction gap. This paper shows how a reader of "The Ballad of Frankie Silver" can explore differences in the purpose, technique, and reader response of fictional and nonfictional material in one book. The paper recounts the novel's origins in a true story of an 1832 murder in North Carolina and discusses another book with the same theme, "The Untold Story of Frankie Silver" by Perry Deane Young. It recommends having students read and compare both books. The paper suggests that students scrutinize how McCrumb weaves primary written sources into her text, noting that they can learn a lot about how narrative is shaped and the decisions a writer makes in shaping it from examination of the original materials. It discusses in detail several aspects of the plot. The paper reiterates that reading McCrumb's novel and Young's book and examining original case materials can help students understand the workings of narrative, including theme, point of view, and multi-layered plots, as well as readers' differing expectations for fiction and nonfiction. (NKA)

On the Internet, one can not only buy books but also obtain information about publishers and vendors, book reviews, authors, and other book-related information. Even electronic texts are available for downloading or browsing online. The paper discusses World Wide Web sites for many book-related information needs, whether a person is searching for nonfiction and reference, various fiction genres, a bookseller specializing in rare books, or the newest book about the Internet itself. The paper describes InfoTrac and FirstSearch, and many of the other services available on the Internet for researching, browsing, purchasing, and downloading books. It also discusses the fact that the diverse book-related activity on the Internet contradicts the oft-heard notion that printed books might be on the verge of extinction. Also included is a topically subdivided list of 36 Web addresses: General Sites (6); Academic Book Sites (9); Book Reviews (7); Rare and OP (out-of-print) Books (3); Book Stores (2); Texts Online (5); Online Magazines and Books (3); and Book Arts (1). (Author/SWC)