Literary Genres Definition: categories used to group different types of literary works

Our Genre List We will be learning about several different types of literary genres. It is important to remember that this list does not include all types of genres found in literary works.

Biographies : A true account of a person's life written, composed, or produced by another Autobiographies: The biography of a person written by that person

Non-Fiction Recommendations The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba

Non-Fiction Recommendations Claudette Colvin: Twice Toward Justice by Phillip Hoose

Non-Fiction Recommendations Red Scarf Girl by Ji-Li Jiang

Different types of fiction Historical Fiction: These stories take the reader back to a particular time period where they learn about the everyday life of a person. The character may interact with actual historical characters, but usually the main character is not based on a real person.

Historical Fiction Recommendations The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Historical Fiction Recommendations The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Historical Fiction Recommendations The Help by Kathryn Stockett

Realistic Fiction: These stories usually present a problem to be examined that could be from anybody’s life. They may cover such topics as family situations, peer relationships, and cultural differences.

Realistic Fiction Recommendations Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney

Realistic Fiction Recommendations The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Realistic Fiction Recommendations Stargirl by Jerry Spinelli

Science Fiction: This is a type of modern fantasy. It explores scientific fact and can pose ethical questions about current scientific trends and predictions. The author focuses on the adventure of exploring the unknown and the wonder of discovering new worlds and people.

Science Fiction Recommendations Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Science Fiction Recommendations The Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld

Science Fiction Recommendations Among the Hidden by Margaret Haddix Peterson

Mystery: There are different types of mystery stories, but usually a crime has been committed, and the reader wants to figure out “whodunit”. There is usually a great deal of suspense, and intrigue abounds.

Mystery Recommendations Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier

Mystery Recommendations I Know What You Did Last Summer by Lois Duncan

Mystery Recommendations And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie

Fantasy: In this type of story, the author has created a magical world where anything is possible. There are many types of fantasy, from fables to fairy tales. These stories may include magical beings, talking animals, and/or gods and goddesses.

Fantasy Recommendations The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling

Fantasy Recommendations The Princess Bride by William Goldman

Fantasy Recommendations The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

Traditional Literature These are ancient stories or poems of many cultures that originate in the oral, or storytelling, tradition.

Fables: These stories usually have a moral that is being taught. They also often use animals that speak and act like humans. Myths: These are stories or group of stories that form part of the traditional knowledge of a society. Myths often use imaginative plots and characters to explain how the world began and why nature and people behave the way they do.

Traditional Literature Recommendations The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan

Traditional Literature Recommendations The Young Merlin Trilogy by Jane Yolen

Traditional Literature Recommendations Beowulf Translated by Seamus Heaney

Classic Literature These books actually fall into many genres. Their commonality is that they have all stood the test of time. People liked them then, and we like them now.

Classic Literature Recommendations Emma by Jane Austen

Classic Literature Recommendations The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

Classic Literature Recommendations Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

Graphic Novels These are stories told in comic-book style and published in book format.

Graphic Novel Recommendations Maus by Art Spiegelman

Graphic Novel Recommendations Lost Trail: Nine Days Alone in the Wilderness by Donn Fendler

Graphic Novel Recommendations The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick

Bibliography Children’s Literature Genres, mlessons_rev/m4- collections/lesson2cl_genre.html mlessons_rev/m4- collections/lesson2cl_genre.html Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach, _view.asp?id=270 _view.asp?id=270 Dictionary.com, Wordsmyth,