Fiction Genres

What kind of story are you reading or writing?

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

Historical Fiction

Historical 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.

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

Brainstorm a list of historical fiction books: What did you learn?

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

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

• Can you think of some realistic fiction books you have read?

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

Be careful! Fantasy stories can sometimes start out sounding like realistic fiction. Look for the little details that point to 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.

• Brainstorm fantasy stories….

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 Fiction

In 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

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.

• Brainstorm time!!!

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?

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?

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

Why should I care?

Folktales are a great way to learn about different cultures from around the world

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?