Genres
What are literary genres?Genres are different types of literature.
Each genre has its own definition and characteristics.
Non-FictionNon-Fiction books are books about true subjects or ideas. These are books that
generally have an index, glossary, table of contents, appendix, and prefaces that we
talked about.
Informational TextWhat it is:
Books about a single subject that are true.
Examples:
BiographyA book about a
person’s life written by someone else.
Can be about:Their entire lieA part of their lifeA single event in
their lifeLocated in 92 and
920
Examples:
AutobiographyA book about a
persons’ life written by them.
Can be about:Their entire lieA part of their lifeA single event in
their lifeLocated in 92
Examples:
Fiction…Only A Little Different
These books may be located in the non-fiction section. However they are fiction, which
means they are made up stories.
Play/DramaWritten for the stageContains a cast of
characters and dialogue
Story is told solely through the actions and words of the characters
Located in 812
Examples
PoetryGroups of words
that are written with rhythm and sometimes rhyme.
Many different kinds of poetry
Located in 811
Examples:
Fiction
Realistic FictionFiction that could
happen in real life and is set in modern times.
Characters are not real, but setting could be a real place.
Examples:
Historical FictionFiction that includes
historical information mixed in with the “made up” part of the story.
Events that happen could be real.
Some true people could be mixed in with made up characters.
Settings are real.
Examples:
MysteryFiction where the
main character must solve a crime or figure out a secret.
The plot is suspenseful and full of twists and turns.
Examples:
Still Fiction…Only Fantasy
Modern FantasyA story that could
never be real.Set in modern times.Usually contains
magical elements.
Examples:
Fairy TaleA story that has
magical elements and has a happy ending.
Examples:
FableA short story which
includes animals with certain traits (all good, all bad, all hard-working, all lazy)
Ends with a moral or a lesson.
Examples:
MythA story that has
been handed down to explain how human nature works that has no basis in reality.
Examples:
LegendA story that has
been handed down but has some basis of fact but with mythical qualities.
Examples:
Tall TaleA story that is
exaggerated. Characters and
events in the story are larger than life.
Examples:
Genre Pie…Mmmm!