L ITERARY G ENRES Definition: categories used to group different types of literary works.
Our Genre List We will be learning about several different types of literary genres. It is important to remember that this list does not include all types of genres found in literary works.
N ON -F ICTION This can also be called “informational” material. These types of books provide information that is factual. Nothing is make-believe in these types of materials.
R EALITY IS B ROKEN BY J ANE M C G ONIGAL
T ELL T HEM W E R EMEMBER : T HE S TORY OF THE H OLOCAUST B Y S USAN B ACHRACH
Biographies: A true account of a person's life written, composed, or produced by another. Autobiographies: The biography of a person written by that person.
A N O RDINARY M AN BY P AUL R USESABAGINA
N ON -F ICTION R ECOMMENDATIONS ● Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose
B IOGRAPHY R ECOMMENDATIONS The Diary of Anne Frank and Night, by Elie Weisel
D IFFERENT TYPES OF FICTION Historical Fiction: Real events and places in history with a fictional (not real) main character. The main character may interact with real people though.
T HE B OOK T HIEF BY M ARKUS Z USAK
A L ONG W ALK TO W ATER BY L INDA S UE P ARK
T HE H ELP BY K ATHRYN S TOCKETT
A L C APONE D OES M Y S HIRTS
Realistic Fiction: Stories about situations that are real and could happen to us. Some topics could be family issues, friend relationships, or cultural differences.
H OLES BY L OUIS S ACHAR
T HE P ERKS OF B EING A W ALLFLOWER B Y S TEVEN C HBOSKY
W ONDER BY R.J. P ALACIO
Science Fiction: Considered “modern fantasy” Explores scientific fact and current scientific trends. Focus on exploring the unknown
E NDER ’ S G AME
U NWIND B Y N EAL S HUSTERMAN
T HE F OREST OF H ANDS AND T EETH B Y C ARRIE R YAN
The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm by Nancy Farmer
● Mystery: ● A crime has usually been committed ● Main character is trying to figure out “whodunit” ● Suspense and intrigue
N ANCY D REW BY C AROLYN K EENE
The Hardy Boys by Franklin W. Dixon
T HE W ESTING G AME BY E LLEN R ASKIN
T HE UNDERTAKER ’ S G ONE B ANANAS BY P AUL ZINDEL
F ANTASY Magical world where anything is possible. Fables Fairy tales Talking animals Gods/goddesses
H ARRY P OTTER
T HE P RINCESS B RIDE
T HE C HRONICLES OF N ARNIA
E LLA ENCHANTED BY G AIL C ARSON L EVINE
Fables and Myths: ● Fables: These stories usually have a moral that is being taught. It often uses animals that speak and act like humans. ● Myths: a story or group of stories that form part of the traditional knowledge of a society. Myths often use imaginative plots and characters to explain how the world began and why nature and people behave the way they do.
T HE L IGHTNING T HIEF
C LASSICS These books actually fall into many genres. Their commonality is that they have all stood the test of time. People like them then, they like them now.
P RETTY M UCH A NYTHING BY J ANE A USTEN, BUT, E SPECIALLY …
T HE H OBBIT BY J.R.R. T OLKIEN
I SLAND OF THE B LUE D OLPHINS BY S COTT O’D ELL
Graphic Novels A novel in comic-strip format.
Smile by Raina Telgemeier
Bone by Jeff Smith
P LAY Anything by Shakespeare
B UT ALSO ….
B IBLIOGRAPHY Children’s Literature Genres, ons_rev/m4-collections/lesson2cl_genre.html ons_rev/m4-collections/lesson2cl_genre.html Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach, w.asp?id=270 w.asp?id=270 Dictionary.com, Wordsmyth,