1.

Literary Genres
2. Genres and Literature – Genre refers to a classification, or type of story, in literary discourse.
3. All categories of books or stories can be called either fiction or non-fiction.
Fiction
 a made up story
 has the ability to predict future events
 is read for fun
 characters may be like real people or imaginary
Non-Fiction
 has facts that can be checked and proven
 the author is an expert on this information
 it IS TRUE!
 is read for fun and to learn new information
4. Fiction
 Realistic Fiction Realistic fiction stories are made-up stories with made-up characters
but the events could really happen.
Examples of Realistic Fiction
 "To Kill a Mockingbird" by Harper Lee
 "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini
 "Little Fires Everywhere" by Celeste Ng
 "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah
 "Normal People" by Sally Rooney
 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.
Examples of Historical Fiction
 "The Book Thief" by Markus Zusak
 "All the Light We Cannot See" by Anthony Doerr
 "The Nightingale" by Kristin Hannah
 "The Other Boleyn Girl" by Philippa Gregory
 "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett
 Fantasy A story including elements that are impossible such as talking animals or
magical powers.
Examples of Fantasy
 "Harry Potter" series by J.K. Rowling
 "The Lord of the Rings" series by J.R.R. Tolkien
 "A Song of Ice and Fire" series by George R.R. Martin
 "His Dark Materials" series by Philip Pullman
 "The Chronicles of Narnia" series by C.S. Lewis
 Folklore Stories that are passed down from one group to another in history. This
includes folktales, legends, fables, fairy tales, tall tales, and myths from different
cultures.
Examples of Traditional Literature
 "Cinderella"
 "The Three Little Pigs"
 "Little Red Riding Hood"
 "Goldilocks and the Three Bears"
 "The Tortoise and the Hare"
 Mystery A suspenseful story about puzzling an event that is not solved until the end of
the story.
Examples of Mystery
 "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" by Arthur Conan Doyle
 "Gone Girl" by Gillian Flynn
 "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo" by Stieg Larsson
 "Big Little Lies" by Liane Moriarty
 "In the Woods" by Tana French
  Science Fiction A type of fantasy that uses science and technology. (robots, time
machines, etc.)
Examples of Science Fiction
 "Dune" by Frank Herbert
 "Neuromancer" by William Gibson
 "The Hunger Games" by Suzanne Collins
 "Ender's Game" by Orson Scott Card
 "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
 Poetry Poetry is verse written to create a response of thought and feeling from the
reader. It often using rhythm and rhyme.
Examples of Poetry
 "The Waste Land" by T.S. Eliot
 "Leaves of Grass" by Walt Whitman
 "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock" by T.S. Eliot
 "Ariel" by Sylvia Plath
 "The Sun and Her Flowers" by Rupi Kaur
19. Non-Fiction
 Informational Texts that provide facts about a variety of topics (sports, animals,
science, history, careers, travel, geography, space, weather, etc.)
Examples of Informational Writing
 News Articles
 Academic Research Papers
 How-to Guides
 Textbooks
 Scientific Reports
 Biography The story of a real person’s life written by another person.
Examples of Biography
 "Steve Jobs" by Walter Isaacson
 "Becoming" by Michelle Obama
 "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
 "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
 "The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks" by Rebecca Skloot
 Autobiography The story of a real person’s life that is written by that person.
Examples of Autobiography
 "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
 "The Story of My Experiments with Truth" by Mahatma Gandhi
 "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
 "Dreams from My Father" by Barack Obama
 "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Malcolm X and Alex Haley