LITERARY

GENRES

By: Katie Nelson

What is Literary Genre?

■ Literary Genre is a category of literary composition. Genres can be determined by literary technique, tone, content or length.

■ The distinctions between Genres and categories are flexible and easily defined.

– They are often defined by subgroups.

Genre

■ Genre is split into two categories:

– Fiction

– Non Fiction

■ Although when it comes to picture books and poetry, they are used widely across each genre.

Literary Genres

Fiction

– Narrative story

– Created from the authors imagination.

– Could be based on a true story

Non Fiction

– Facts

– Real People

– Real events

Folklore Literature

Folklore is stories passed down from generation to generation in written or oral form.

■ Folktales

– Cumulative

■ The Napping House

– Talking Animals

– Fairy Tales

■ Cinderella

– Noodlehead

– Tall Tales

■ Paul Bunyan

– Pourquoi

– Trickster

■ Fables

– The Boy who Cried Wolf

■ Myths

■ Epic Tales

■ Hero tales/legends

■ Folk/work songs

■ Mother goose/nursery

– Hickory Dickory Dock

■ Rhymes

■ Fractured fairy tales

– Goldie Locks has Chicken Pox

Biography

Biography is the story of someone’s life

written by someone else.

■ Individual

■ Collective

■ Fictionalized

■ Authentic

■ Contemporary

■ Interpretive

Historical Fiction

Historical fiction is when the setting is located in the past. Historical fiction focuses on the social conditions, and other major details of the time period that was chosen.

■ Fictionalized memoirs

■ Fictionalized family history

■ Fiction based on research

Science Fiction

Science fiction is based on imagined future

scientific or technological. It sometimes portrays

space or time travel.

■ Mind control

■ Life in the future

■ Survival

Realistic Fiction

■ Family Stories/Relationships

■ Friendship

■ Adventure/survival stories

■ Mysteries and thrillers

■ Animal stories

■ Sports stories

■ Humorous stories

■ Romance stories

■ Social-emotional issues

■ Book in a series

Realistic Fiction is stories that are true to life and events

that could really take place.

Informational Books

■ Activity Books

■ Concept Books

■ Journal/Interviews

■ Photo Essays

■ Pop-ups

■ Reference

■ Series

■ Social Histories

■ Survey Books

■ Focused, One Subject

Informational Books are not text books, but they are considered trade

books.

Award winning books from

each Genre

■ Folklore

– Last Stop on Market Street, Matt De La Pena

■ 2016 Newbery Honor Book

■ Biography

– Balloons Over Broadway, Melissa Sweet

■ 2012 Orbis Pictus Award

■ Historical fiction

– I Have A Dream, Martin Luther King, Jr.

■ 2013 Coretta Scott King Illustrator Honor Book

■ Science fiction

– The Giver, Lois Lowry

■ 1994 Newbery Medal

■ Realistic fiction

– When Sophie Gets Angry, Molly Bang

■ 2000 Caldecott Honor Book

■ Informational fiction

– Voice of Freedom, Coale Boston Weatherford

■ 2016 Caldecott Honor

References

■ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Literary_genre

■ https://www.britannica.com/art/fiction-literature

■ Genre Sheet From Elementary Literature

■ Lit Collection