What is a Genre?
Simply a fancy way of saying category or style. Genre allows us to group similar stories so they can be put into a category recognized by readers. Genre identifies the type of story, in broad terms, and does so through a one- or two-word description of what the story is about.
|
Genre |
Source/Origin |
Key Elements |
Purpose in Children’s Books |
|
Biography |
Factual accounts |
Life stories of real people, chronological |
Inspire through true stories, teach history and role models |
|
Fables |
Ancient oral stories |
Moral lessons, talking animals, simple narratives |
Teach ethics and morals in a memorable way |
|
Fairy Tales |
Oral tradition, collected |
Magic, royalty, good vs. evil, talking animals |
Spark imagination, teach morals, introduce cultural motifs |
|
Fantasy - High |
Written fiction by authors |
Entirely invented worlds, complex magic systems |
Encourage creativity, escapism, explore epic themes |
|
Fantasy - Low |
Written fiction by authors |
Magical elements in real or familiar settings |
Blend reality with magic, explore everyday challenges |
|
Folklore |
Oral cultural tradition |
Community values, ordinary people or animals |
Preserve cultural heritage, teach traditions and lessons |
|
General Fiction |
Written fiction by authors |
Realistic characters and settings, everyday issues |
Reflect real life, develop empathy and understanding |
|
Mythology |
Ancient religious/cultural |
Gods, creation stories, heroes, supernatural events |
Explain natural phenomena, explore beliefs and values |
|
Non-Fiction |
Factual information |
True facts, explanations, educational content |
Provide knowledge, support learning and research |