Keep in mind that some texts can be included in more than one genre.
Read wide and deep!
Fiction
Drama
Stories composed in verse or prose, usually for theatrical performance
Narration demonstrating a useful truth, especially in which animals speak as humans
Story about fairies or other magical creatures
Fantasy
Fiction with strange or other worldly settings or characters
Fiction
Narrative literary works whose content is produced by the imagination and is not necessarily based on fact
The songs, stories, myths, and proverbs of a people or "folk" as handed down by word of mouth.
Historical Fiction
Story with fictional characters and events in a historical setting
Horror
Fiction in which events evoke a feeling of dread in both the characters and the reader
Humor
Fiction full of fun, fancy, and excitement, meant to entertain; but can be contained in all genres
Legend
Story, sometimes of a national or folk hero, which has a basis in fact but also includes imaginative material
Mystery
Fiction dealing with the solution of a crime or the unraveling of secrets
Legend or traditional narrative often pertaining to the actions of the gods
Poetry
Verse and rhythmic writing with imagery that creates emotional responses
Realistic Fiction
Story that could actually happen (but didn’t) and is true to life
Science Fiction
Story based on impact of actual, imagined, or potential science, usually set in the future or on other planets
Fiction of such brevity that it supports no subplots
Humorous story with blatant exaggerations
Nonfiction
Biography/Autobiography
Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person
Essay
A short literary composition that reflects the author's outlook or point
Narrative Nonfiction
Factual information that tells a story
Nonfiction
Informational text dealing with an actual, real-life subject