GENRES
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 | novels are fiction, not real |
| novels are long stories - often called chapter books |
| genre means the kind of story the novel is |
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Some recommended
Authors
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| Adventure |
| something exciting takes place. |
| lots of action happens |
| the plot is more important than the characters |
| events could take place in the real world |
| sometimes the story was inspired by real life |
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| Gary Paulsen |
| Monica Hughes |
| Theodore Taylor |
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| Animal |
| primarily about an animal |
| most common are pets, dogs, horses |
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| *Biography |
| although technically not a novel, biographies are true stories of
people's lives |
| they are like a novel in that there is a beginning, middle & end |
| something that happens in one part of life, affects what happens in
another - just like history & a good novel |
| may be read and counted as a novel |
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| Fantasy |
| takes place in an imaginary world or time |
| make believe |
| often about wizards, dragons, mythical creatures and magic |
| many details about the scenery (setting) & characters |
| events could never take place in the real world |
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| J.K. Rowling |
| Bruce Colville |
| C.S. Lewis |
| Lloyd Alexander |
| Natalie Babbitt |
| E.B. White |
| Beverly Cleary |
| Roald Dahl |
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| Historical Fiction |
| stories take place in a definite place in history. |
| something similar to the story could have happened. Often based on
real people & events |
| can include real facts and places |
| very much like the real world - just at a different time in history |
| yeaches us about the past, how people lived |
| much time spent on setting, plot and characters |
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| Laura Ingals Wilder |
| Kit Pearson |
| Karen Cushman |
| Janet Lunn |
| Jean Little |
| Avi |
| Jannette Oke |
| Barbara Smucker |
| Carol Matas |
| Bernice Thurman Hunter |
| Scott O'Dell |
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| Horror |
| stories keep reader in suspense. Scary or frightening. |
| often full of blood, gore, death, murder, weapons, nasty
characters. |
| characters involved in situations that are hurtful physically or
mentally. |
| the events are fiction but seem real to the reader. |
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Students need to have parental permission to read this
genre.
R.L. Stine, Bruce Colville, Lois Duncan
Stephen King is a masterful author of horror books but he is a writer
for adults & even then he is too gruesome for most. |
| Humour |
| can be realist or totally made up |
| involves funny situations |
| reading these stories make you laugh or smile |
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| Gordon Korman |
| Judy Blume |
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| Mystery
(Detective) |
| usually based on a crime or something that seems to be a crime or
suspicious event |
| often has the word "mystery" in the title |
| often full of false clues and hints of what is to come
(foreshadowing) |
| cliff hangers at the end of chapters & suspense |
| many details about the characters and the setting of the crime |
| lots of descriptive words to set the mood |
| often a detective or sleuth (or wanabee) involved |
| appeals to people who like to figure things out, solving puzzles,
logic |
| to solve the mystery - use Who, What, Where, When, Why and How |
| authors often write series like the Nancy Drew and Hardy Boys books |
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| Eric Wilson |
| Lynne Reid Banks |
| Agatha Christie |
| Joan Lowery Nixon |
| Lois Duncan |
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| Slice of Life
(Realistic Fiction)
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| story could really happen |
| describes real life events |
| set in modern times |
| characters are fictional but the situations are real that real
live people experience |
| lots of information about the characters |
| often deal with school, real life problems (divorce, death,
disease), friendship, family, romance |
| brings out emotions of characters and makes the reader identify with
what is happening in the story - they care what happens to the
characters |
| authors often write series for young people like the Baby Sitters
Club |
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| Gary Paulsen |
| Kit Pearson |
| Ann M. Martin |
| Judy Blume |
| Cynthia Voigt |
| Paul Danziger |
| Phoebe Gilman |
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| Letter/ Diary Format |
| story is told in the form of a series of letters or diary entries |
| excellent guide for students wishing to know how to write better
letters |
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| Bernice Thurman Hunter ( Amy's Promise) |
| Lois Lowry (Anastasia Krupnik) |
| Elvira Woodruff (Dear Levi) |
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| Science Fiction |
| story is set far in the future |
| events could happen though some of the aliens and events seem
far-fetched |
| problems faced in story based on something that has a scientific
basis in reality |
| many situations seem unreal |
| fantasy often combined with science fiction - sometimes hard to
decide which is which |
| usually written at a higher level (grade 5/6 and above) - little is
written for the beginning novel reader |
| authors often write series |
| often based on or source of television shows or movies |
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| Lloyd Alexander |
| Ray Bradbury |
| Terry Brooks |
| Diane Duanne |
| Monica Hughes |
| Annette Curtis Klause |
| Lois Lowry |
| Anne McMaffrey |
| Timothy Zahn |
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| Sports |
| usually about sports that are done by kids |
| baseball, basketball, gymnastics, football, dance |
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