Characteristics of Genre

Biography/Autobiography/Memoir 1. Bio – life, graphy – write: story of someone’s life written by someone else 2. Auto – self, bio – life, graphy – write: story of someone’s life written by that person 3. Memoir – memory: a short account of the author’s experience

Drama 1. Definition: a composition intended for representation by actors 2. Characters can be any kind (person, animal, robot, etc.) 3. Plot and setting can be anything 4. Meant to be read aloud or performed

Fable/Fairy Tale/ Folkore/Mythology 1. Fable: short story with a moral often told through talking animals 2. Fairy Tale: simple stories of humans and their dealings with magical beings, intended for children 3. Folklore: traditional beliefs, myths, tales and practices of a specific people (originally told, not written) 4. Mythology: symbolic tales of the past involving gods and goddesses interacting with humans

Fantasy 1. Definition: contains unrealistic elements, represents the impossible or unexplained 2. Characters: talking animals, mythical creatures, magic users 3. Setting: medieval, time travel, magic 4. Plot: hero’s journey or quest, good vs. evil

Historical Fiction 1. Definition: brings history to life by fictionalizing the past, reflects on specific time period 2. Characters: often famous historical people, or average people who lived in the past 3. Setting: pre-1970, often historically important sites 4. Plot: authentic historical events involving significant (or average) people

Informational 1. Definition: factual information 2. Purpose: provides information on a wide range of topics 3. Topics: science, crafts, sports, articles, Social Studies, etc. 4. non-fiction – factual

Mystery 1. Definition: a detective (amateur or professional) solves a crime or series of crimes 2. Characters: detectives, investigators, spies 3. Setting: crime scene, detective agency, creepy house 4. Plot: crime or mysterious event + clues = solution

Poetry Anthology 1. Definition: a shortened form of writing 2. Use of figurative language – metaphor, simile, personification, etc 3. Anthology = Collection

Science Fiction 1. Definition: deals with the impact of science (actual or imagined) on society 2. Characters: mutants, robots, aliens, “mad” scientist, talking computer 3. Setting: advanced tech. cities, spaceships, other solar system or planet, time travel (technology) 4. Plot: alien attack/visit, time travel, technology, experiments gone wrong

Chapter Book Choice 1. Definition: A book with chapters 2. Purpose: to entertain or inform 3. Reading Level: must be appropriate

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