What is Genre?Genre is the way we commonly classify and categorize books.

Why should I bother with it?

The 7 Major Genres

• Fantasy• Realistic Fiction• Mystery• Historical

Fiction• Non-Fiction• Poetry• Science Fiction

Science Fiction• Also called Sci-Fi• Imaginative and creative• Advanced technology• Often (but not always) takes place in the future

Realistic Fiction• A story that

COULD happen but is NOT true• Based on real-

life problems, situations, and characters• No magic or

make-believe

Fantasy• A story that

could not happen in real life• Imaginative

and creative• Magic,

supernatural creatures, or humans with special abilities are involved

Mystery• Full of

suspense• Gives the

reader and characters clues along the way• Involves a

puzzle (usually “who did it?”) the reader can solve

Historical Fiction• Story is NOT

true, but many of the facts (especially setting) are• Explains how

people lived and acted• Usually takes

place during an interesting time in history

Nonfiction• TRUE- tells about

real people, places, and events• Can be narrative

(like a memoir) or informational (like a how-to book)• More topics than

you can count!

Poetry• Written in verse,

as opposed to prose (regular writing with sentences)• Vivid and

emotional • Can be a

collection of short poems or used to tell a story

But, wait! The book I’m reading doesn’t fit into just one of those

categories!

• When your table is called, go to the reading lounge and select a book that is from a different genre than the book you’re currently reading.

• Check out the first 2 pages.• Discuss the book with your

partner. Include:-the genre of the new book

-how you can tell what genre it is

-whether you would keep reading based on what you’ve read so far

Genre Challenge!