Genre

Definition

Book Examples

Autobiography

The story of a real person's life that is written by that person.

Biography

A story of a real person's life written by another person.

Fantasy

A story including elements that are impossible such as talking animals and magic powers.

Historical Fiction

A 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.

Informational

Texts that provide facts about a variety of topics (sports, animals, science, history, careers, travel, geography, space, weather, etc.)

Mystery or Adventure

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

Poetry

Poetry is verse written to create a response of thought and feeling from the reader.  It often uses rhythm and rhyme.

Realistic Fiction

A story using made up characters but could happen in real life.

Science Fiction

A type of fantasy that uses science & technology (robots and machines)

Traditional Literature

Stories that are passed down from one group to the other in history.  This includes folk takes, legends, fables, fairy tales, tall tales, and  myths from different cultures.