FICTIONAL GENRES
Drama form of literature written in acts and scenes. Characters speak their parts and use stage directions. (plays, movies, etc)
Fable children’s stories using mainly animals to teach morals to kids. (Aesop)
Fairy Tale Stories about fairies or other magical creatures, usually for children. (Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs)
Fantasy Fiction with strange or other unworldly settings or characters; unrealistic. (Pokemon, Yugio)
Fiction form of literature not based on the truth. Stories are made up.
Folklore stories from the oral tradition (myths, legends, folktakes...)
Historical Fiction fictional stories based on true historical events. (The Watsons Go to Birmingham)
Horror stories intended to scare or draw fear from the reader. (Ghost Stories)
Legend stories that combine what is believable with what is unbelievable, usually about a famous person or event. (The Legend of John Henry)
Mystery Fiction dealing with solving a crime or secrets being revealed. (CSI, Pink Panther)
Myth stories made up many years ago to explain things people had not yet explained through science; often pertaining to the actions of the gods. (Greek mythology, Zeus, Hercules, etc)
Poetry literature written for style and emotion, written in lines and stanzas, not sentences and paragraphs. (Roses are red / Violets are blue…)
Realistic Fiction Story that can actually happen and is true to life, even though the story is made up.
Science Fiction story that is made up and centers around things that may not be scientifically possible or may be futuristic (Back to the Future)
Short Story stories that are not long and focus on one plot (Most of what’s in your textbooks)
NONFICTION GENRES
Biography/Autobiography
Narrative of a person's life, a true story about a real person. (The Autobiography of Malcolm X)
Essay A short literary composition that shows the writer's outlook or point. (your homework)
Narrative Nonfiction Factual information written in a way so that it tells a story.
Nonfiction stories that are true (news articles)
Speech Public address or discourse. (Martin Luther King's "I Have A Dream" speech)
