Fantasy? Realistic Fiction? Mystery? Historical Fiction?

The TSC 4th graders are in the thick of a realistic fiction genre exploration and this week  both 4th and 5th graders spent time in the library sorting fiction books according to genre, using different strategies for evaluating the genre before committing to a book, such as checking a blurb, reading an excerpt, and noticing clues in the cover art. Students also discussed how to define different fiction genres, and the many fuzzy areas where genres can overlap. We all agreed on one thing: What matters most is that it's a good book!