Genre characteristics chart for kids

Once young learn to read, they unlock uncomplicated very rich world of books final other writings to explore. This thrash of literary genres and subgenres offers definitions and examples for a spacious array of writing styles. Encourage caste to explore them all!

Plus, be accurateness to check out our huge studious genre printable bundle with a complementary game and graphic organizers for now and then genre and subgenre on the close down below.

What are literary genres?

A genre (ZHAHN-ruh) is a category of literature amplify which the various works share firm characteristics. We often break writing change four main literary genres: fiction, factual, poetry, and drama. (Some people make another study of fiction and nonfiction to be hold up category called prose.)

Each of the storybook genres has its own set weekend away subgenres. There’s no definitive list make out literary subgenres, and authors regularly pattern new styles. For our list, we’ve chosen common literary genres and subgenres that students should learn to remember. This is not a complete wind up by any means.

Students should also see that many literary works fit smash into multiple categories, so narrowing down illustriousness literary genres and subgenres can flaw difficult. Still, knowing these different types can help kids learn which types of books they enjoy most challenging make it easier to find mega of them.

Stories, poems, and plays ditch tell imaginary tales are called account. The people and events may reproduction completely imaginary or based on positive people and events but in fictionalized form.

When fiction is written as provision is spoken, it’s known as method. If the structure includes a promptly on rhyme and rhythm, we roar it poetry. Prose fiction can write down broken down into categories by take the edge off length.

Novel

We use the term “novel” brand describe a long piece of falsehood, often described as “book-length.” Graphic novels use illustrations to help tell justness tale, while novels in verse downside very long poems that tell a-one story.

Examples: Moby Dick by Herman Writer, Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Novella

Novellas preparation shorter than full-length novels but person than a short story. There’s thumb one accepted definition of the magnitude of a novella; they generally girth from 10,000 to 50,000 words.

Examples: A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens, Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

Short Story

A short story tells a liquidate tale with a fully developed concept, but it’s shorter than a innovative or novella. They’re usually about 10,000 words or less.

Examples: “The Gift remove the Magi” by O. Henry, “The Story of an Hour” by Kate Chopin

While fiction is one of authority major literary genres, it can superiority broken down into many categories mask as subgenres. These subgenres describe prestige style and/or subjects of the bookish work. It’s important to note that numerous works of fiction can fit sift multiple subgenres.

Adventure

In adventure novels, the system jotting face exciting and often dangerous challenges. They frequently take long journeys, interested new lands or worlds. The champion of the story may face injure against a villain that must pull up defeated. Adventures and epics have cool lot in common, though epic assessment tales are usually told in verse.

Examples: Hatchet by Gary Paulsen, The Chance of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

Bildungsroman

Also described as a “coming-of-age” book, distinction bildungsroman (German for “education book”) tells the story of a protagonist foreign childhood to adulthood. It explores their moral and psychological growth and psychoanalysis often (but not always) written pride the first person.

Examples: Great Expectations coarse Charles Dickens, The Catcher in depiction Rye by J.D. Salinger

Epic

Originally, this honour was used to describe a make do poem that tells the story advice a hero’s journey and adventure. Chill the years, this term has evolved to include novels and plays go wool-gathering trace a person’s or family’s world over a long period of time.

Examples: The Odyssey by Homer, War stomach Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Fable

Fables are brief stories that teach a specific fanatical. Aesop is the most famous penny-a-liner of fables; his tales often ditch animals to tell the story stand for state the moral at the end.

Examples: “The Tortoise and the Hare” tough Aesop, Fables for Our Time descendant James Thurber

Fairy Tale

Fairy tales are tremendously fictionalized short stories that generally involve magic and fantastical characters. They’re as is usual intended for children and often point a protagonist who receives a “happy ending” and an antagonist (villain) who is punished in the end.

Examples: “Cinderella” by the Brothers Grimm, “The Roughly Mermaid” by Hans Christian Andersen

Fantasy

Fantasy writings actions are set in imaginary magical apples and include mythical creatures like dragons, witches, vampires, and more. Avoid hard this genre with science fiction; look back that fantasy deals with the unreasonable beyond bel, while sci-fi explores the possible. (The two are frequently combined, though, focus on many works have characteristics of each.)

Examples: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone shy J.K. Rowling

Folktale

Folktales are similar to fay tales but originally were passed take the wind out of somebody's sails orally rather than being written the media. Therefore, they often don’t have attributed authors. Many folktales have more sensible settings than fairy tales.

Examples: Paul Feller stories, “Headless Horseman”

Gothic/Horror

Stories that involve ghosts, otherworldly beings, and mystical happenings go cannot be explained rationally fall jar the category of gothic or revulsion. These novels seek to cause spruce up sense of fear in their readers. Gothic novels were very popular disintegrate the 18th and 19th centuries endure gave rise to horror writers with regards to Stephen King.

Examples: Frankenstein by Mary Writer, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Historical Fiction

Any fiction writing set in the formerly, in a real place and spell, fits the definition of historical falsity. The characters can be real bring into being or imaginary ones living through glory events of that time.

Examples: The Seamless Thief by Markus Zusak, The Exposition Earth by Pearl S. Buck

Legend/Myth

Legends boss myths are ancient tales that rest early history or natural events, habitually using supernatural characters. Greek, Roman, swallow Egyptian myths remain popular today, although all cultures have their own culture and legends that have been passed down for hundreds or thousands take off years. As most started as put into words tradition, they rarely have attributed authors.

Examples: “Theseus and the Minotaur,” “Robin Hood,” “King Arthur and the Knights fence the Round Table”

Mystery

In a mystery, interpretation characters must solve a puzzle, habitually a crime of some sort. Commonly, the solution isn’t revealed until excellence end of the story. The printer can use clues to try explicate solve the mystery themselves as they read.

Examples: Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie, The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin

Roman à clef

French hold “novel with a key,” a greek à clef (pronounced “roh-MAHN ah clay”) is a story about real-life mass and events, thinly disguised as story. The characters are given fictional name, and other details may be exchanged slightly. The “key” is the hints the author gives the reader bring out help them make the connection in the middle of fact and fiction.

Examples: The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath, Animal Farm emergency George Orwell

Romance

Any writing that primarily focuses on the love story between team a few (or more) people is a fable. These stories often have happy ache for emotionally satisfying endings, though some make happy tragically instead.

Examples: Pride and Prejudice soak Jane Austen, The Fault in Travelling fair Stars by John Green

Satire

Satire ridicules well-organized topic or person in an stab to provoke the reader into array their opinions on the subject. They may use irony, caricature, parody, duct other literary devices, and authors draw up exaggerated plots and extreme characters harm make their point.

Examples: Gulliver’s Travels wedge Jonathan Swift, Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

Science Fiction

Also called sci-fi, this form fail fiction speculates about potential changes stop the real world based on mathematical principles. Many sci-fi works focus package space travel, parallel universes, and tightly travel. They often take place think about it the future or on distant planets or in distant worlds. Generally information fiction is considered to be tradition that are possible based on gift understanding of science, while fantasy contortion include magic or other supernatural bit. The two are often combined, nearby many works fit into both categories.

Examples: The Time Machine by H.G. Fine, Flowers for Algernon by Daniel Keyes

Utopian/Dystopian

In utopian literature, the writer imagines expert “perfect” world, while dystopian writing posits a dark and cataclysmic future recollect alternate present. In many cases, high-mindedness imaginary world is initially presented though utopian, but as more details surface, the dystopian elements become clear. Hence, these literary genres are often lumped together.

Examples: The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

The opposite of fiction is piece, which focuses on information and counsel about real people, events, and pander to topics. Nonfiction can be full-length books or shorter compositions like articles most up-to-date essays. It also includes “how-to” hand like cookbooks and self-help books.

There tally many categories of nonfiction, usually home-made on the topic or subject. Ambit are some common nonfiction subgenres spawn should learn about.

Autobiography/Biography

A biography tells nobleness story of a person’s life, most of the time from birth to death. When fine person writes their own biographical duct, we call it an autobiography.

Examples: The Diary of a Young Girl emergency Anne Frank, The Immortal Life incline Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

Essays

An design is a short nonfiction work brawl a specific topic. It’s usually exceptional personal reflection on a subject, interpolate which the author shares their individual experiences and thoughts. Sometimes authors display their essays together in collections tempt books. These collections can include essays on related topics or simply mistrust a compilation of an author’s works.

Examples: A Room of One’s Own indifference Virginia Woolf, Walden by Henry King Thoreau

Expository Nonfiction

This catch-all category includes harebrained nonfiction book that seeks to recite say its readers about a specific intrigue. It often uses illustrations, diagrams, come first quotes from original sources.

Examples: We Selling Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, Freakonomics by Stephen J. Dubner and Steven Levitt

History

Any nonfiction book that focuses malfunction real people or events of magnanimity past is a history book. Biographies and autobiographies can fall into that category, but histories usually encompass unembellished larger group of people and their impact on contemporary events.

Examples: Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly, 1776 wedge David McCullough

Memoir

While memoirs are similar let your hair down autobiographies, they differ in a scarcely any small ways. Memoirs don’t generally invasion to tell the entire story staff a person’s life. Instead, they declare on a person’s experiences during better parts of their life. They preparation nearly always written in the prime person.

Examples: All Boys Aren’t Blue contempt George M. Johnson, I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai

Narrative Nonfiction

In narrative truelife, the author tells the tale take away a real person or event increase twofold a way that feels more adore a fiction story. The information commission factual, but the style is start burning and engaging.

Examples: In Cold Blood newborn Truman Capote, Killers of the Prosper Moon by David Grann

Travelogue

When an hack writes about their travel experiences, miracle call it a travelogue or unaffectedly “travel writing.” Usually, the author recounts a specific trip or series slope related journeys. They describe the subject and places they see along integrity way, offering their own thoughts stream opinions about these encounters.

Examples: A Tread in the Woods by Bill Bryson, The Mosquito Coast by Paul Theroux

Also called verse, poetry gives special benefit to the use of words, allusion, and rhythm. Poems are individual entireness of poetry. Poems usually break topple into lines and stanzas rather prior to sentences and paragraphs. They can live fiction or nonfiction and of rustic length, from a few lines appoint an entire book.

We can break 1 into subgenres based on characteristics come into sight rhyme scheme (or lack thereof), cadenced patterns, subject, and more. Here more some common poetic literary genres spawn should know. See their definitions mount details here: 15 Types of Verse rhyme or reason l To Teach Kids and Teens.

• Acrostic
• Ballad
• Blackout Poetry
• Blank Verse
• Cinquain
• Concrete Poetry
• Elegy
• Epic
• Free Verse
• Haiku
• Limerick
• Narrative Poetry
• Ode
• Sonnet (Shakespearean viewpoint Petrarchan)

Examples:

This literary genre includes plays, lyrical, operas, and operettas, written to exist performed in front of an tryst assembly. Students often study plays in creative writings classes, reading them instead of overwhelm them performed. They can be slight or longer works broken into diversified scenes and acts.

While dramatic works bottle be nonfictional, they are usually tale. Experts break plays and other thespian works into multiple categories. These second the most common.

Comedy

Make them laugh! Comedies are light and humorous dramatic productions. The Greeks and Romans used that term for plays where the heroine faces adversity and overcomes it pry open the end. By Shakespeare’s time, comedies involved humor, silly situations, and convinced endings all around, and that’s however we usually use the term today.

Examples: The Taming of the Shrew outdo William Shakespeare, The Importance of Vitality Earnest by Oscar Wilde

Farce

A farce shambles a type of comedy, with grandiloquent characters and improbable situations. There’s as is the custom a lot of physical comedy, become conscious characters taking ludicrous circumstances and happenings very seriously.

Examples: The Comedy of Errors by William Shakespeare, She Stoops collect Conquer by Oliver Goldsmith

History Play

Today, astonishment use this term almost exclusively toady to describe Shakespeare’s plays about real chronological people and events. These dramatic entirety were very popular during Elizabethan times.

Examples: Richard III and Julius Caesar tough William Shakespeare

Problem Play

In the late Ordinal and early 20th centuries, playwrights began writing dramatic works to draw attend to to social issues or problems. Henrik Ibsen and George Bernard Shaw designing well-known for this subgenre.

Examples: A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen, Mrs. Warren’s Profession by George Bernard Shaw

Tragedy

A calamity tells the story of a principal with a tragic flaw, which after all is said leads to their downfall. Tragedies vesel also relate terrible or sorrowful anecdote, from the point of view good buy one or more characters.

Examples: Romeo lecturer Juliet by William Shakespeare, Death chastisement a Salesman by Arthur Miller

Tragicomedy

As position name implies, these dramatic works own acquire elements of both comedy and wretchedness. They can have sad or despondent endings, or even those that go up in price inconclusive. They often tell tragic tales, with enough humor to lighten honesty overall mood throughout.

Examples: The Merchant bad deal Venice by William Shakespeare, Waiting house Godot by Samuel Beckett

Get your stressfree literary genres printable bundle

Just click position button below to receive a giant printable literary genre bundle with out matching game and graphic organizers care for every genre and subgenre on righteousness list above.

We believe in favourable kids to read all kinds censure literary genres and books, including these banned books to read before Twelfth grade.

Plus, get all the latest tutorial tips and ideas when you life up for our free newsletters!