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Did you know?Many of the books in this presentation are available on some really great reading lists. These lists offer other good places to look for a really good book!Texas Lone Star Reading ListBluebonnet Book ListKaty ISD 6th Grade Summer Reading ListOops! Try again!

MysteryA mystery involves the reader in solving a puzzle or a crime. The main character may be a detective, or even a curious kid! These books are usually suspenseful, which means the author leaves you with questions about whats really going on which makes you read more!

London Eye Mysteryby Siobhan DowdAn example:When Salim visits his cousins Ted and Kat, they take him to see the London Eye, a very large Ferris wheel from which riders can see 25 miles in every direction. When a stranger offers one free ticket, Salim, as the guest, gets to ride but then he doesnt exit. Ted, whose brain is wired differently, and Kat must put together the clues to figure out what happened to Salim.Science fiction

Science fiction is based on the impact of actual, imagined, or potential science. It is usually set in the future or on other planets.The City of EmberBy Jeanne DePrauIt is the year 241, and the City of Ember is in trouble. The city is decaying: supplies are dwindling, and everything is in need of repair, including the power lines that supply the only light the city has. Twelve year old Lina and her classmate Doon receive their jobs, and both begin to learn new information and uncover mysterious circumstances. When Lina finds a fragmented piece of paper in her grandmothers old box, they think they may have found a way out but they dont know what they will find when they reach the post-apocalyptic Earth, even if they do make it.An example:Realistic FictionDo you like stories about people you might meet, overcoming problems they might really face? Realistic fiction is what youre looking for. These stories take place in modern times, and the characters are involved in events that really could happen.

An example:The Truth about My Bat Mitzvahby Nora Raleigh BaskinWhen Carolines maternal grandmother dies and leaves her a Star of David necklace, Caroline begins to wonder about her religious identity. And, if she chooses to become more religious, what will her mother, a non-religious, science-loving doctor, think?Fantasy

A work of fantasy includes highly imaginative elements. Fantasies may include talking animals, magical powers, mythical creatures, and the setting may or may not be in the real world.An example:The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulaneby Kate DiCamillo and Bagram IbatoullineEdward Tulane, a cold-hearted and proud china rabbit, loves only himself until he is separated from the little girl who adores him and travels across the country.Action/AdventureDoes the main character scale large mountains, go on amazing adventures on land or at sea, overcome amazing obstacles, travel to never-before-seen places? If so, youve found an action/adventure novel!

PEAKBy Roland SmithAfter Peak Marcello is arrested for scaling Manhattans Woolworth building, his estranged father arrives to rescue him from a stint in juvie. Peaks father runs a commercial guide business on the Tibetan side of Mount Everest and wants Peak, at 14, to be the youngest person ever to make it to the top of Mount Everest. Along the way, Peak encounters hostile Chinese authorities, avalanches, howling winds, and frozen corpses and another teen who has the same goal. An example:The Mostly True Adventures of Homer P. Figg, historical fiction, also contains elements of adventure!

Non-FictionNON FICTION is a very broad genre, just like Fiction is very broad. Non fiction can also be broken into sub-genre categories.

Lets look at a few! InformationalAn informational book tells factual information about people, events, or places.

All About Sleep from A to Zzzzby Elaine ScottAn example:In this book, you will learn all about sleep, including circadian rhythms, dreams, and the functions and stages of sleep. ReferenceReference books are, of course, non fiction. You go to them when you want to know facts, but dont want to do a whole lot of reading.

BiographiesA biography is a true story about a persons life (the prefix bio means life biology is the study of life. You get it. . . ) An autobiography (auto means self) is a book written by someone about him/herself.

An example:Knucklehead: Tall Tales and Almost True Stories of Growing Up Sciezkaby Jon ScieszkaEven though Mr. Sciezka tends to stretch the truth at times, this funny book tells about his adventures growing up in Flint, Michigan with his five brothers. (Technically, since Mr. Sciezka wrote it, this is an AUTObiography!)Graphic Novels(Weird, huh?! Why would I put graphic novels in NON FICTION? Arent these FICTION?!Because these books contain ART, they are usually shelved in nonfiction, in 741.5 even though the story is usually fictional. This can get confusing, though. The public library puts the FICTION graphic novels in a section all by themselves, near the fiction. The NON-FICTION graphic novels are shelved with the subject they cover. If youre having trouble finding these books, just ask the librarian!

Graphic Novels, continued

Examples:To learn more about Amulet from the author, Kazu Kibuishi, click on the cover! The sequel will be released in September 2009!

O.K., youve read about several different genres; lets see how much youve learned!Read each book summary carefully. Click on the genre to which you think each book belongs. Use the arrow buttons to navigate to the next page.

If you have some trouble, thats o.k.; sometimes books can belong to more than one category!

To which genre does Earthquake Terror belong?When an earthquake hits the isolated island in northern California where his family had been camping, twelve-year-old Jonathan Palmer must find a way to keep himself, his partially paralyzed younger sister, and their dog alive until help arrives.Science fictionAction/AdventureMystery116

Yes!If you chose fantasy you were right! Fairies, elves, and trolls probably dont exist (at least, most of us have never seen one. . . ), so these imaginary creatures in an alternate world would certainly classify this as fantasy.HOWEVER. . . . . . .(This was a trick question no matter which one you choose, you end up here because any of the three is fairly right!)

Yes!If you chose science fiction, were also right! The gadgets used to try to rescue Holly also land this action-packed story in the category of Science Fiction!But WAIT!

Yes!If you chose Action/Adventure, you were ALSO right! The book is filled with action and adventure as Artemis and the fairies struggle.

Yes, technically this book is MOSTLY a fantasy but you see how it can be really difficult to classify a book into just ONE genre!The title of this lesson said that it would be brief.It sure didnt seem brief, did it?!Actually there are quite a few more genres that we didnt even cover! Fairy talesTall TalesFolkloreSports storiesPoetryNovels in verseHumorShort storiesEssaySpeechesGhost stories Your turn!

Now that you know a little about genre, go find a book that interests you. Be sure you can tell the librarian or your teacher which genre you selected!

Happy reading!AcknowledgmentsBook photograph by Chocolate Geek (Vipul Mather) titled for the love of books on December 14, 2006. Retrieved from http://www.flickr.com/photos/vipulmathur/471634239/ Used under Creative Commons license.Book covers used under Fair Use, Section 107, US Copyright Law; each image belongs to the publisher of the corresponding book. Genre pronunciation from Merriam-Webster Online. Retrieved 1 May 2009 from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/genre.All other sounds and images from Microsoft Office.

Special thanks to Katie Haveman for test driving this production!

Contact: Jennifer Haveman