Literacy Genres

• Picture Books are stories written around one or two themes with the illustrations being an integral part of the book. You will find these under "E" for Easy Fiction in our LRC.
• Easy To Read books are fiction stories that are written at a level for beginning readers. Easy-to-read books have a call number of "E" in our LRC.
• Fantasy books are a type of fiction that contain elements such as characters or settings that could not exist in life as we know it today. Examples include characters such as dragons or animals with human characteristics. Settings might be magical or other-world. Fantasy books are given a call number of "F" (for fiction) and located within the Fiction section.
• Historical fiction books are those that give a historically accurate portrayal of life during a particular time in history. They have a strong sense of place and time. This type of book has a call number of "F" and is located alphabetically by author's name within the fiction section.
• Mystery books are stories that involve a suspenseful event (often a crime of some type). The reader uses clues from the story and gradually discovers who has committed the crime to solve the mystery by the end of the story. All mysteries in our library are marked with a "Mystery" sticker, have a call number of "F" and are located alphabetically by author's name within the fiction section.
• Realistic fiction books are those set in present-day. Characters encounter modern day difficulties and dilemmas. Realistic fiction includes mysteries, adventure stories, humorous stories, and much more. This type of book has a call number of "F" and is located alphabetically by author's name within the fiction section.
• Nonfiction books are informational books written by credible authors. Nonfiction books explain how things work, tell facts about many different topics, and show us how to do various things. Nonfiction books are located in a separate area of our library and use call numbers from the Dewey Decimal System.
• Folktales are stories that have been passed down to us over the years by real people. There are many types of folktales, including fables, tall tales, myths, and fairy tales. This type of book usually has a call number of 398.2 and can be found in the nonfiction area of our library.
  • Fables are brief stories that teach a lesson or moral. The characters are usually animals, but they are given human characteristics. An example of a fable is "The Fox and the Grapes."
  • Tall Tales are folktales that have a key element of exaggeration, such as Paul Bunyan.
  • Fairy Tales usually have magical elements with characters that could be fairies, giants, or elves. Many times magical deeds are performed. Cinderella is an example of a fairy tale.
  • Myths are stories that serve to explain some phenomenon of nature. Many incorporate gods and goddesses within the story. The story of King Midas is a myth.
• Poetry books are those that include verses or poems. Poems may be humorous, serious, lyrical, or narrative (tells a story). Many poems have a rhythm and meter. Poems create imagery. Poetry books use a call number of "811" and are located within the nonfiction area of the LRC.
• Biographies are histories of a person's life or parts of his/her life. A biography that is written by a person about his/her own life is called an autobiography. These are located in the nonfiction area, and have a call number of "921" in our library.  Sometimes biographies of several people are grouped together within one book. These are called collective biographies and are given the call number "920" in our library.

Literary Elements

• Characters are people, animals, etc. in stories. The most important person in the story is the main character. Character traits show what a person is like and offer clues to a person's behavior and actions.
• Plot is the plan or pattern of events in a story. The turning point of a story is when an event happens that lets the reader know something is about to change. The climax of the story comes at the end, when the details come together and form a resolution.
• Point of View is a way of looking at things. Each story is told from a person's viewpoint.
• Setting is where and when a story takes place. Settings can change in different parts of the story.
• Theme is the main subject or idea of a book.