fiction genres
TRANSCRIPT
Fiction GenresWhat kind of story are you reading?
Essential Questions• How can I identify fiction genres?• And why should I care?
What is a genre?• A genre is a kind of text• Different genres have different kinds
of settings, conflicts, and characters
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Historical FictionHistorical fiction stories take place in the past
They might include real people, events, and places, but also include parts that are made up by the author
Historical Fiction Which one is the beginning of a
historical fiction story about school?
Marcy rode the school bus to school. She was excited about her day. Today there would be an assembly about reptiles! She couldn’t wait to see some real, live snakes.
John walked to school. He needed to arrive early so that he could start the fire in the stove. Without the stove, the schoolroom would be very cold!
Historical Fiction Which one is the beginning of a
historical fiction story about school?
John walked to school. He needed to arrive early so that he could start the fire in the stove. Without the stove, the schoolroom would be very cold!
Historical Fiction What details show that this is historical fiction?
John walked to school. He needed to arrive early so that he could start the fire in the stove. Without the stove, the schoolroom would be very cold!
Historical Fiction What details show that this is historical fiction?
John walked to school. He needed to arrive early so that he could start the fire in the stove. Without the stove, the schoolroom would be very cold!
Historical Fiction Which should you think about and
notice as you read historical fiction?
A.How people use really cool machinesB.How children everywhere are all the
sameC.How the conflict often comes from
historical events or settings
Historical Fiction Which should you think about and
notice as you read historical fiction?
A.How people use really cool machinesB.How children everywhere are all the
sameC.How the conflict often comes from
historical events or settings
Why should I care?• Readers can often learn a great deal
about history from reading historical fiction
• As you read, notice the names of the important people, places, and events
Learning from historical fiction
Think about a historical fiction book that you have read. What was it about? What did you learn?
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Realistic Fiction• Realistic fiction stories take place in
the PRESENT• They include characters and
situations that could really happen• But realistic fiction stories are still
made up by the author
Realistic Fiction• Realistic fiction stories usually look at
topics like friendship, growing up, and being in a family
Realistic FictionCan you find the example of realistic fiction?
Cousins can be so annoying! Robert stood outside on the kitchen porch. His cousin had tramped into his bedroom and stolen his new video game console. What a pain!
Hmm..this gadget had real possibilities. As I looked at the Time Travel 2000 Zapper, I imagined all of the great places I could visit. I couldn’t wait!
Realistic FictionCan you find the example of realistic fiction?
Cousins can be so annoying! Robert stood outside on the kitchen porch. His cousin had tramped into his bedroom and stolen his new video game console. What a pain!
Realistic FictionCan you find the example of realistic fiction?
Cousins can be so annoying! Robert stood outside on the kitchen porch. His cousin had tramped into his bedroom and stolen his new video game console. What a pain!
This takes place in the present. It includes events that could happen in real life, so it is realistic fiction.
Why should I care?• Realistic fiction stories often involve
characters like you• Reading about how other kids solve their
problems can help you to think about your own life and how you can solve problems
Comparing genres
• How are historical fiction and realistic fiction different from one another?
• Which one do you prefer? Why?
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Fantasy Fantasy stories include magic,
mythical creatures, and things that just can’t happen in everyday life
Fantasy Fantasy stories can happen in the
real world, or in imaginary fantasy worlds
Fantasy Even though fantasy stories include
magic, there are still rules…it’s important to pay attention to the way that magic works in each story
Which story is the fantasy?
The castle rose above the hill. James trudged up the road, eager to find out what lay ahead. Soon, soon he would learn all that there was to being a knight. He would start as a page, and then become a squire, and then he would become a knight. But all of that was years in the future. First, he had to make it up that hill!
“Where is my apprentice?” roared the wizard. A slim, small boy appeared at the door. “Yes, Master List?” he asked. “I need your help!” exclaimed the wizard. “The kingdom is being threatened by a dragon. I can stop it, but I need to finish this potion.” The boy sighed. It would be a long, long day.
Fantasy “Where is my apprentice?” roared the wizard. A slim, small boy appeared at the door. “Yes, Master List?” he asked. “I need your help!” exclaimed the wizard. “The kingdom is being threatened by a dragon. I can stop it, but I need to finish this potion.” The boy sighed. It would be a long, long day.
What details make this a fantasy?
Fantasy “Where is my apprentice?” roared the wizard. A slim, small boy appeared at the door. “Yes, Master List?” he asked. “I need your help!” exclaimed the wizard. “The kingdom is being threatened by a dragon. I can stop it, but I need to finish this potion.” The boy sighed. It would be a long, long day.
What details make this a fantasy?
Fantasy Be careful! Fantasy stories can sometimes
start out sounding like realistic fiction. Look for the little details that point to fantasy.
Reading for Fantasy Details
Can you find the details that point to a fantasy?
Rachel walked up to her school. She had her homework and her lunch. She was ready for the day.
But then she stared at the entrance to the school. Overnight, the regular metal doors had transformed into a huge drawbridge. A scaly green dragon coiled around the swing set.
Reading for Fantasy Details
Can you find the details that point to a fantasy?
Rachel walked up to her school. She had her homework and her lunch. She was ready for the day.
But then she stared at the entrance to the school. Overnight, the regular metal doors had transformed into a huge drawbridge. A scaly green dragon coiled around the swing set.
Animal Fantasy
Stories which include talking animals are a kind of fantasy called animal fantasy
Why should I care?• Fantasy stories often show how even
magic can’t solve every problem• Reading fantasy stories expands your
imagination and helps you to imagine other worlds and other possibilities
What have you learned?• How is fantasy different from realistic
fiction?• What fantasy stories have you read?
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Science Fiction• Like fantasy, science fiction includes
details and events that can’t happen in the real world
• Instead of magic, though, science fiction focuses more on special technology
Science FictionIn science fiction, look for: Time travel
Unbelievable gadgets
Aliens
Space travel that doesn’t yet exist
Science Fiction• Science fiction stories often explore
how technology affects people and changes our lives
• Some stories show that amazing technology still doesn’t make people happy
• Others show that some kinds of technology can cause problems in the world
Science Fiction Science fiction stories can happen in
the past, present, or future
What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at the sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer. Whoosh! He flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy. But then things started getting darker. He was leaving Earth’s atmosphere. Now he was in space! Topher saw a gray green spaceship ahead. A black door opened and he drifted through. Wow! This was much, much better than playing with a flat soccer ball.
What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at the sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer. Whoosh! He flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy. But then things started getting darker. He was leaving Earth’s atmosphere. Now he was in space! Topher saw a gray green spaceship ahead. A black door opened and he drifted through. Wow! This was much, much better than playing with a flat soccer ball.
What details show that this is science fiction?
Topher pressed the button. Zoom! Zip! Suddenly he was traveling up, up toward the sky. Wow! This was not boring. Topher looked down toward his backyard. It was getting smaller and smaller and smaller. He looked up at the sky. The clouds were getting closer and closer. Whoosh! He flew through a cloud. It felt wet and slimy. But then things started getting darker. He was leaving Earth’s atmosphere. Now he was in space! Topher saw a gray green spaceship ahead. A black door opened and he drifted through. Wow! This was much, much better than playing with a flat soccer ball.
Why should I care?• Many people think that new technology is
always good—the newer and faster the better!
• Science fiction helps us to think about some of the effects of new technology that may not be as great for ourselves and our world
Test yourself!Which genre includes real events that
happened in the past, along with details made up by the author?
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Test yourself!Which genre includes real events that
happened in the past, along with details made up by the author?
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Test yourself!You are reading a story about fifth
graders who create a school newspaper. You are probably reading…
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Test yourself!You are reading a story about fifth
graders who create a school newspaper. You are probably reading…
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Test yourself!You pick up a book from the library. It
has a castle and a unicorn on the cover. This book is probably…
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Test yourself!You pick up a book from the library. It
has a castle and a unicorn on the cover. This book is probably…
A.Realistic fictionB.Historical fictionC.Science fictionD.Fantasy
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Mystery• In a mystery, the main character is
trying to solve a mystery• The main character finds clues and
follows leads
Mystery• Whether or not a story is a mystery
is not determined by the setting• A mystery can happen in the past,
present, or future
Mystery What makes a story a mystery is how the
action unfolds…if the main character is trying to solve a puzzle or figure something out, the story is probably a mystery
Mystery If you are reading a novel, you might
not discover the mystery until you are a few pages or even chapters into the book
Be careful! Some stories do have elements of mystery, or short little mysteries in the course of a bigger story. But is the mystery the main conflict?
Which story is the mystery?
Jake peeked out from behind the porch. For the past three days, something had stolen the pies his grandmother put out on the porch to cool. Today, he’d find out who the culprit was.
Melissa stood on her grandmother’s porch. No other kids lived around here for miles. She was stuck here for three whole months. Whatever would she do? How could she spend her time, with no one to play with?
Which story is the mystery?
Jake peeked out from behind the porch. For the past three days, something had stolen the pies his grandmother put out on the porch to cool. Today, he’d find out who the culprit was.
This is the mystery. Notice that there is a problem that the main character is trying to solve.
Why should I care?• Mystery stories are a great way to
develop careful reading skills• Often, important clues are buried in
dialogue or long paragraphs• By reading mysteries, you’ll learn
how to notice these clues and figure out the solution!
Reading mysteries• Have you ever read a mystery story or
series?• What was the mystery? How did the main
character try to solve it?
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Folktales• Folktales are stories that have been
told and retold over many years• Folktales exist in every culture
around the world
Folktales Folktales include myths, tall tales,
and fairy tales
Folktales• Some folktales tell why something exists
or how something came to be• These stories are called pourquoi tales
Folktales• Have you ever read a pourquoi tale?
What was it about?
Folktales• Some folktales include tricksters• These characters play tricks or
outsmart other characters
Folktales• In Native
American stories, Coyote is the trickster
• In some African stories, the spider Anansi is the trickster
Why should I care? Folktales are a great way to learn about
different cultures from around the world
Folktales• Do you enjoy reading folktales? Why
or why not?
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Genre Hybrids• A genre hybrid (or cross-genre) is a text
that includes elements of different genres• Just like a hybrid car uses both gasoline
and electricity, hybrid genres can have characteristics of two or more genres
Genre Hybrids As you think about the genre of a text,
remember that there are many stories that don’t fit perfectly into any one genre
Genre Hybrids For example, a story that combines
science fiction elements with magic could be called “science fantasy”
Have you ever read any hybrid books? What genres did they combine?
What have you learned?
On the next few slides, you’ll see descriptions of popular books. Can you figure out the genres of the books?
What’s the genre? In this book, Lucy discovers that a wardrobe
chest is a door that leads to another world—a world filled with magical creatures like fauns, witches, and talking animals
The genre is…
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Lucy discovers that a wardrobe
chest is a door that leads to another world—a world filled with magical creatures like fauns, witches, and talking animals
The genre is…Fantasy
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Lucy discovers that a wardrobe
chest is a door that leads to another world—a world filled with magical creatures like fauns, witches, and talking animals
The genre is…Fantasy
The book is…The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
What’s the genre? In this book, Nick Allen creates a new word
for pen—the word “frindle”. The new word catches on with kids at school, much to the dismay of their Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Granger
The genre is…
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Nick Allen creates a new word
for pen—the word “frindle”. The new word catches on with kids at school, much to the dismay of their Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Granger
The genre is…realistic fiction
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Nick Allen creates a new word
for pen—the word “frindle”. The new word catches on with kids at school, much to the dismay of their Language Arts teacher, Mrs. Granger
The genre is…realistic fiction
The book is…
Frindle by Andrew Clements
What’s the genre? In this story, Anansi the Spider discovers
a rock that causes one to fall down and sleep. He uses this rock to trick the other animals and steals all of their food.
The genre is…
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this story, Anansi the Spider discovers
a rock that causes one to fall down and sleep. He uses this rock to trick the other animals and steals all of their food.
The genre is…folktale
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this story, Anansi the Spider discovers
a rock that causes one to fall down and sleep. He uses this rock to trick the other animals and steals all of their food.
The genre is…folktale
The book is…Anansi and the Moss-Covered Rock by Eric Kimmel
What’s the genre? In this book, Tony tries to find out
why a robin on his neighbor’s porch has died. He collects clues that point to the culprit.
The genre is…
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Tony tries to find out
why a robin on his neighbor’s porch has died. He collects clues that point to the culprit.
The genre is…Mystery
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Tony tries to find out
why a robin on his neighbor’s porch has died. He collects clues that point to the culprit.
The genre is…Mystery
The book is… Who Really Killed Cock Robin? An Ecological Mystery by Jean Craighead George
What’s the genre? In this book, Peter and Susan think that
their new teacher is really an alien. They spy on him to try to find out the truth…and learn that he really is from another planet!
The genre is…
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Peter and Susan think that
their new teacher is really an alien. They spy on him to try to find out the truth…and learn that he really is from another planet!
The genre is…Science fiction
The book is…
What’s the genre? In this book, Peter and Susan think that
their new teacher is really an alien. They spy on him to try to find out the truth…and learn that he really is from another planet!
The genre is…Science fiction
The book is…My Teacher Is An Alien by Bruce Coville
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
Fiction Genres• Historical fiction• Realistic fiction• Fantasy• Science fiction• Mystery• Folktales• Genre hybrids
What have you learned about fiction genres?
By Emily Kissner