Literary Genres

Genre Activity

• Picture Books are stories written around one or two themes with the illustrations being an integral part of the book.
   
• Fantasy books are a type of fiction that contain elements such as characters or settings that could not exist in life as we know it today. Examples include characters such as dragons or animals with human characteristics. Settings might be magical or other-world.
   
• Historical fiction books are those that give a historically accurate portrayal of life during a particular time in history. They have a strong sense of place and time.
   
• Mystery books are stories that involve a suspenseful event (often a crime of some type). The reader uses clues from the story and gradually discovers who has committed the crime to solve the mystery by the end of the story.
   
• Realistic fiction books are those set in present-day. Characters encounter modern day difficulties and dilemmas. Realistic fiction includes mysteries, adventure stories, humorous stories, and much more.
   
• Nonfiction books are informational books written by credible authors. Nonfiction books explain how things work, tell facts about many different topics, and show us how to do various things.
   
• Folktales are stories that have been passed down to us over the years by real people. There are many types of folktales, including fables, tall tales, myths, and fairy tales.
  • Fables are brief stories that teach a lesson or moral. The characters are usually animals, but they are given human characteristics.
  • Tall Tales are folktales that have a key element of exaggeration, such as Paul Bunyan.
  • Fairy Tales usually have magical elements with characters that could be fairies, giants, or elves. Many times magical deeds are performed. Cinderella is an example of a fairy tale.
  • Myths are stories that serve to explain some phenomenon of nature. Many incorporate gods and goddesses within the story. The story of King Midas is a myth.
     
• Poetry books are those that include verses or poems. Poems may be humorous, serious, lyrical, or narrative (tells a story). Many poems have a rhythm and meter. Poems create imagery.
   
• Biographies are histories of a person's life or parts of his/her life. A biography that is written by a person about his/her own life is called an autobiography.

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