Realistic Fiction, Historical Fiction, Poetry, Mysteries, Fantasy, Myths, Legends, Science Fiction, Hybrids

Texts are characterized by:

• varied structures (e.g., short stories, plays) with multiple narrators, some longer books requiring sustained reading and recall of information; some collections with interrelated themes

• plots with detailed episodes/subplots/multiple story lines; occasional unexpected twists, description important to understanding, some obvious symbolism

• main character with some complexity and unpredictability, i.e. “hero” with shades of good and bad; factors that relate to character development that require inferences; multiple characters revealed through dialogue, actions, thoughts and/or perceptions of others

• variety of dialogue with use of descriptive language; relationship between characters becoming important to plot and character development; settings described in detail are important to understanding; often beyond personal experience

Content Subject Textbooks, Memoir, Reports, Instructions, Biography, Autobiography, Hybrids

Texts are characterized by:

• several topics and/or explicit ideas/information often linked by categories and presented through clear structures (e.g. description, sequence, compare/contrast, problem/solution, cause/effect- at times combined in same text

• small pieces of information per section; sections not always clearly identified; paragraphs of various length

• print and illustrations equal in prominence; print that adds details necessary for interpretation; variety in layout, often not linear

• wide variety of graphics, some dense and challenging, supplement text; scales/legends/labels often require interpretation; some complicated layouts additional information conveyed through text features (e.g. table of contents, index. glossary, subheadings, captions, sidebars, cutaways, charts, diagrams, maps, keys/legends, and bold type