The Library Adventure’s Quick Guide to Literary Genres

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The most popular way to categorize literature is by genre. Today’s post is a crash course in understanding genres and in recognizing the category to which a given book belongs. As books in each genre are published for both adults and children, each definition below is accompanied by several examples at a variety of levels.

Realistic Fiction

Books in this category are based in reality. Most are set in the present-day and read as though they are happening in real time, or just happened in the very recent past.  The events of realistic fiction stories could conceivably happen in real life, and the characters could plausibly exist.

• Easy Readers: Biscuit, Henry and Mudge
• Chapter Books (series): Clementine, Alvin Ho
• Middle Grade: Bridge to Terabithia, Wonder
• YA: Looking for Alaska, Eleanor & Park
• Adult: My Sister’s Keeper, Bridget Jones’s Diary

Historical Fiction

Realistic fiction set in the past is known as historical fiction. Books in this category incorporate history into fictional narratives in order to comment upon historical events or to bring a past era to life for contemporary readers. Often, but not always, specific historical events figure heavily into the story lines of historical fiction books.

• Chapter Books: Molly’s Pilgrim
• Middle Grade: The Sign of the Beaver, Bud Not Buddy
• YA: Song of the Sparrow, Code Name Verity
• Adult: The Secret Life of Bees, The Kite Runner

Romance

Romance novels follow a predictable formula: a man and woman (or boy and girl) meet, begin to fall in love, are thwarted by various obstacles, and then overcome them to wind up together in the end. Romance has many subgenres, including paranormal, contemporary, historical, inspirational, and romantic suspense, but they all share the common goal of a happy-ever-after ending.

• YA: The Truth About Forever, Anna and the French Kiss
  
• Adult (authors): Nora Roberts, Jennifer Crusie

Mystery

Mysteries can be set in any time period, but they all usually involve a detective-like character gathering and piecing together clues to solve a puzzle and bring a wrong-doer to justice. Like Romance, Mystery has many subgenres including cozies, procedurals, legal, medical, and noir.

• Easy Readers (series): High-Rise Private Eyes, Aunt Eater
• Chapter Books (series): A to Z Mysteries, Cam Jansen
• Middle Grade: The Boxcar Children, The Wig in the Window
• YA:  Thirteen Reasons Why, The Face on the Milk Carton
• Adult: Gone Girl, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie

Fantasy

Fantasy stories contain events, people, worlds, abilities, and/or creatures that could not really exist. This genre includes everything from fairies, witches, and talking animals to magical wardrobes, hobbit holes, and Hogwarts. Fantasy has many sub-genres, including magical realism, high fantasy, urban fantasy, and superhero books, and it relies on an author’s ability to create a whole new world from his or her imagination.

• Easy Readers (series): Frog and Toad,  Fly Guy
• Chapter Books (series): Rainbow Magic, Magic Tree House
• Middle Grade (series): Harry Potter, Percy Jackson
• YA (series): Twilight, Mortal Instruments
• Adult (series): A Game of Thrones, Wheel of Time

Science Fiction

Sometimes science fiction and fantasy are lumped together in one category, but there are actually some important distinctions. Science fiction has its basis in real science. Authors begin with scientific fact or theory and raise questions about the implications of those scientific ideas on society. Dystopian, steampunk, futuristic and time travel books all fit within this category.

• Middle Grade: Trash, The Giver
• YA (series): Hunger Games, Divergent
• Adult: The Time Traveler’s Wife, Jurassic Park

Non-Fiction

Books that convey facts and provide verifiable information fall into the non-fiction category. These include encyclopedias, dictionaries, biographies/autobiographies, field guides, almanacs, travel guides, memoirs, parenting books, and more. Also included in non-fiction are poetry books and folk tales.

• Easy Readers (series): DK Readers, Mathstart
• Chapter Books (series): Magic Tree House Fact Trackers, 26 Fairmount Avenue
• Middle Grade: Bomb, Amelia Lost
• YA: Charles and Emma, Chasing Lincoln’s Killer
• Adult: Wild, Eat Pray Love

Genres are just one way that libraries might classify books. Though some titles intentionally defy categorization and others fit more than one genre, chances are that most things you and your kids read fit somewhere in the list above. Knowing the categories to which your favorite books belong makes it that much easier to locate new similar titles and it gives your librarian a great place to start in suggesting more titles for you to enjoy.

What are your favorite genres? Please share them – along with your favorite titles – in comments!