Literary Genres

What is a Genre?

• Definition: categories used to group different types of literary work (like non-fiction, fiction and poetry).

Non-fiction Books

• Non-fiction books contain “informational” material. All of the information found in non-fiction books are factual. None of the information is “make-believe.”

Examples of Non-fiction Books

• Sports• Cooking• History• Animals/Pets• World Record Books• Technology• Music/Art• Government

Biographies

• Definition- A true account written about a person’s life.

• Autobiography- The biography of a person written by that person.

Question…

What are some non-fiction books that you have read?

Fiction Books

• Fiction books are stories that are made-up by the author. Although these books can include some factual information, the book is primarily “make-believe.”

Examples of Fiction Books

• Junie B. Jones

• Diary of a Wimpy Kid

• A to Z Mysteries

• Amber Brown

• Horrible Harry

• Ramona Quimby

• Magic Tree House

Different Types of Fiction

• Realistic Fiction- These are fictional stories that seem like they could really happen. The characters in these books have no special powers or abilities- they are just like you!

Different Types of Fiction

• Science Fiction- These are fictional books that include elements of science (like aliens or time travel). These books can include the discovering of new worlds and the exploring of the unknown.

Different Types of Fiction

• Historical Fiction- These stories take the reader back to a particular time period where they learn about the everyday life of a person. The story’s character may interact with actual historic figures (like Ben Franklin or Abraham Lincoln), but usually, the main character is made-up.

Different Types of Fiction

• Mystery- In most mysteries, a crime has been committed and the reader wants to figure out who did it. Most mysteries are very suspenseful and are full of twists.

Different Types of Fiction

• Fantasy- These stories are filled with magical worlds where anything is possible. These stories include characters with magical powers (like Harry Potter) or magical beings (like unicorns).

Tall Tale

• Exaggerations.• The main character has

problems to solve.• The main character is

bigger than life and has super-human abilities.

• The plot of the story is funny and impossible.

• The main character always defeats the villain.

• The story includes lots of action.

Horror

• These are fictional stories meant to scare you!– Examples: The

Goosebumps series and The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.

Question…

What are your favorite fictional stories?

Bibliography

• Children’s Literature Genres, http://www.alpine.k12.ut.us./depts/media/elemlessons_rev/m4-collections/lesson2cl_genre.html

• Dictionary.com, http://www.dictionary.com

• Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach, http://www.readwritethink.org/lessons/lessonview.asp?id=270