Fantasy
Fictional characters, animals or objects that do things they can’t do in the real world
Magic - Events, creatures and settings that do not exist in a real world.
Tale of Despereux, Harry Potter, The Hobbit
Myth
Characters who may be humans, gods, or goddesses
Special powers
Explains how something in nature looks or happens or why people act the way they do
Passed on from generation to generation
Percy Jackson, Jason and the Golden Fleece
Science Fiction
Humans, aliens, or members of other species
Characters solve problems in the future
Effects of science and technology on life
Star Wars, Star Trek, 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, Wrinkle in Time
Historical Fiction
Historical facts and characters
Realistic characters that act appropriately for the time in which the story is set.
Dialogue
A story that is set in a particular time and place in the past.
Details that make the story more realistic.
Magic Tree House, Johnny Tremain, Sadako
Mystery
Fiction that includes secrets or crimes to be solved
Boxcar children, Sherlock Holmes, Hardy Boys
Realistic fiction
Characters who behave like real people or animals
Settings that are real or could be real
Events that could happen in real life.
Conflicts similar to those in real life.
Extra Credit, Frindle, Bridge to Terabithia
Legend
The story of a hero or heroine
Retold over and over and becomes exaggerated
Uses factual elements
Folktale that is based on a real person or event
John Henry, Johnny Appleseed, Robin Hood
Fable
Folktale that teaches a moral or lesson, often including animals as characters
Puff the Magic Dragon, Aesop, Tortoise and the Hare, Anansi
Tall tale
Folktale that is usually humorous and usually assumed to be untrue
Jack and the Beanstalk, Paul Bunyon
Fairy tale
Folktale that usually includes magical elements
Hansel and Gretel, Little red Riding Hood, Gingerbread Man
Autobiography
An account about a person’s life written by themselves
Details about how a person feels, thinks and talks
Real events are described, nonfiction
Can be about their whole life or part of their life
Includes the important things in their life; achievements and talents
Anne Frank, Helen Keller
Biography
nonfiction that is informational writing about real people
Martin Luther King Junior
Expository text
Factual and verifiable info about a specific subject
Events are presented in order
Organized by topics
Diagrams, photos, Graphs, maps, illustrations
Born Free
Informational
nonfiction writing about a topic, including books and newspaper or magazine articles
Zoobooks, Meteors and Comets
Nursery rhymes
Hickory Dickory Dock
Rhyming Verse
Free Verse
Musicals
Comedy
Tragedy
Romeo and Juliet