Reading Genres

Genres

Fiction

Realistic Fiction

  A story that uses made up characters, but could happen in real life

Mystery

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

Fantasy

  A story including elements that are impossible such as talking animals or magical powers

Science Fiction

  A type of fantasy that uses science and technology. (Robots, time machines, etc.)

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.

Traditional Literature

  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. 

  Nonfiction

Biography

  The story of a real person’s life written by another person.

Autobiography

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

Informational

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