Why should I bother with it? What is Genre? Genre is the way we commonly classify and categorize books. Why should I bother with it?

The 7 Major Genres Fantasy Realistic Fiction Mystery Historical Fiction Non-Fiction Poetry Science Fiction

Science Fiction Also called Sci-Fi Imaginative and creative Advanced technology Often (but not always) takes place in the future

Realistic Fiction A story that COULD happen but is NOT true Based on real-life problems, situations, and characters No magic or make-believe

Fantasy A story that could not happen in real life Imaginative and creative Magic, supernatural creatures, or humans with special abilities are involved

Mystery Full of suspense Gives the reader and characters clues along the way Involves a puzzle (usually “who did it?”) the reader can solve

Historical Fiction Story is NOT true, but many of the facts (especially setting) are Explains how people lived and acted Usually takes place during an interesting time in history

Nonfiction TRUE- tells about real people, places, and events Can be narrative (like a memoir) or informational (like a how-to book) More topics than you can count!

Poetry Written in verse, as opposed to prose (regular writing with sentences) Vivid and emotional Can be a collection of short poems or used to tell a story

Of course, most books don’t fit in just one genre. That’s ok!