GenresMrs. ManessFourth Grade

NWEMS - Fall 2009

Main Genre GroupsFiction

Nonfiction

Poetry

Fiction• Story based on the

imagination of the author

• Written to entertain the reader

• Characterized by a setting, characters, dialog (talking), problem/conflict, climax, and solution

Fiction Subgroups• Traditional Literature

• Fantasy

• Science Fiction

• Realistic Fiction

• Historical Fiction

• Mystery

Traditional Literature

• Stories that are passed down from one group to another in history.

• Includes folktales, legends, fables, fairytales, tall tales, and myths from different cultures.

Fantasy• Story including

elements that are impossible such as talking animals or magical powers.

• Make-believe is what this genre is all about.

Science Fiction• A type of fantasy

that uses science and technology

• Robots, space, time machines, aliens, etc.

Realistic Fiction• Story using made-

up characters that could happen in real life

Historical Fiction• Fictional story that

takes place in a particular time period in the past

• Often the setting is real, but the characters are made up from the author’s imagination

Mystery• Suspenseful story

about a puzzling event that is not solved until the end of the story

What Genre Is This Book?

Using what you know about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

How do you know?

What Genre Is This Book?Using what you know

about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

Realistic fiction because it looks like it is going to tell a story about something that could happen (maybe a fire?)

Nonfiction• Written work based

on facts

• Written to inform the reader

• Characterized by providing information about topics; various text structures; providing information

Nonfiction Subgroups• Informational

• Biography

• Autobiography

Informational• Texts that provide

facts about a variety of topics such as sports, animals, science, history, careers, travel, geography, space, weather, etc.)

Biography• The story of a

real person’s life written by another person

Autobiography• The story of a

real person’s life that is written by that person (the author)

What Genre Is This Book?

Using what you know about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

How do you know?

What Genre Is This Book?Using what you know

about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

Informational because it looks like it will give information about a topic (tornadoes).

Poetry• Written to create a

response of thought and feeling from the reader, or express feeling

• Often uses rhythm and rhyme to help convey its meaning

What Genre Is This Book?

Using what you know about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

How do you know?

What Genre Is This Book?Using what you know

about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

Autobiography because it is the story of a real person’s life written by that person (Martin Luther King, Jr.)

What Genre Is This Book?

Using what you know about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

How do you know?

What Genre Is This Book?Using what you know

about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

Poetry because it is a book with songs, which are forms of poetry

What Genre Is This Book?

Using what you know about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

How do you know?

What Genre Is This Book?Using what you know

about book genres, what genre do you think this book belongs?

Historical Fiction because it looks like it is going to be a story that takes place in a past time period