The story has a secret or puzzle to solve using clues.
The characters might be detective or even spies.
The author writes to entertain you.
There will be clues along the way to help you solve the mystery with the characters.
EXAMPLES:
Cam Jansen series
Nate the Great series
The Boxcar Children series
Ballpark Mysteries series
A to Z and Calendar Mysteries series
Nancy Drew and the Clue Crew series
HISTORICAL FICTION
HISTORICAL FICTION
A fiction story that takes place in a real time in history (in the past).
The author wants to entertain you and inform you about the past.
Most of the characters are fictional (imaginary), but some of the characters might be real people from history.
The setting is a real time in history.
Some events in the story are based on real times in history, but some of the events are fictional.
EXAMPLES:
Some Magic Tree House books - like Thanksgiving on Thursday and Tonight on the Titanic
Abe Lincoln's Hat
I Survived and Survivors series
Number the Stars
FAIRY TALES or FOLK TALES
FAIRY TALES
Fairy Tales are classic stories that sometimes have magical creatures.
The author writes to entertain you.
They could begin with works like "Once Upon a Time..." or "Long, long ago..."
Sometimes, the characters are royalty - kings, queens, princes, princesses
There are usually good and evil characters.
In the end of the story, good wins over evil.
FOLK TALES
Folk Tales are stories that are old and from long ago.
The author writes to entertain you.
These stories were once told or spoken aloud by people. Over the years, people have told and retold these stories.
The characters can have magical powers.
The characters have a problem to solve.
These stories usually try to teach you a lesson about good and evil or how to be a good person.
EXAMPLES:
Mufaro's Beautiful Daughters
One Grain of Rice
Tony's Bread
*Find these books in the 398.2 section of the nonfiction books in our library.
SCARY or HORROR FICTION
SCARY or HORROR FICTION
The story is written in a suspenseful and spooky style.
The characters can be realistic or fantasy, like vampires, zombies, and mummies.
The author writes to entertain you, specifically to make you feel scared.
The setting can be realistic or fantasy, as long as it is dark or spooky and helps to makes the story scary.
EXAMPLES:
The Last Kids on Earth series
Eerie Elementary series
Goosebumps series
Books by Mary Downing Hahn
BIOGRAPHY
BIOGRAPHY
A nonfiction book that tells the story of a real person's life.
The author wants to inform you. If the author is the person, the book is called an autobiography.
It gives facts about the person's life.
The setting is when the person was living.
The author has done research to find facts about the person's life.
EXAMPLES:
Who Was and Who Is books
The Story of Ruby Bridges
Find these books in the Biography section of the library.
NONFICTION or INFORMATIONAL
NON-FICTION or INFORMATIONAL
Non-fiction books are written to share facts about a topic.
The author writes to inform you, but could also want to entertain you.
Non-fiction can be:
Narrative - told like a story
Expository - giving facts about a topic
Procedural - a HOW TO book to teach the steps to do something
Non-fiction books have text features:
Table of Contents
Headings
Captions
Diagrams and labels
Maps, tables, illustrations, photos
Bold Words and Glossary
Index
Find these books in the nonfiction section of the library - use the DEWEY DECIMAL SYSTEM.
POETRY, JOKES, and RIDDLES
POETRY
Poetry books have words that make you think about your feelings and make pictures in your mind of the the author's words.
The author writes to entertain you.
Sometimes poetry uses rhyming words.
Poetry usually has a rhythm as you read it.
Find Poetry books in the 811 section of the nonfiction books in our library.
EXAMPLE:
A Light in the Attic
Something Big Has Been Here
It's Raining Pigs and Noodles
JOKES and RIDDLES
Jokes and riddles are written to entertain you.
Find these books in the 818 section of the nonfiction books in our library.
REALISTIC FICTION
REALISTIC FICTION
A story that could really happen in our present times now.
The characters are regular people.
The author wants to entertain you.
The setting is realistic - not magical and not from another time in history.
The events in the story did not really happen, but they COULD really happen.
EXAMPLES:
A Chair for My Mother
Amazing Grace
Wonder
Ramona series
HUMOR or FUNNY FICTION
HUMOR or FUNNY FICTION
The story is written in a comical or amusing style.
The characters act in ways that make the reader laugh.
The author writes to entertain you, specifically to make you laugh.
The setting can be realistic or fantasy, as long as it is funny or helps to make the story funny.
EXAMPLES:
The 13 Story Treehouse series
My Weird School series
Wayside School series
Bink and Gollie series
Destiny Library Catalog - Green Valley
Destiny Library Catalog
Destiny Discover allows you to search for books, DVDs, audiobooks, ebooks, and even digital media that the district provides through all 8 of the Wilson libraries.
FANTASY
FANTASY
A fantasy story uses magic or things that could NOT happen in real life.
The author writes to entertain you.
The setting is an imaginary place where unrealistic things can happen.
The characters may have special powers, like talking animals or people who can fly.
There is usually lots of action.
There is usually a battle between good and evil.
EXAMPLES:
Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs
Many Roald Dahl books
Harry Potter series
ACTION or ADVENTURE
ACTION and ADVENTURE
Action and Adventure stories tell about exciting experiences of the characters.
The author writes to entertain or inform you.
The characters usually are on a trip, journey, or adventure.
There is lots of action.
EXAMPLES:
Race the Wild series
Disaster Strikes series
Key Hunters series
Geronimo Stilton series
Some Magic Tree House books
GRAPHIC NOVELS
GRAPHIC NOVELS
Graphic novels tell a story using the comic book style.
The author writes to entertain you.
Graphic novels use:
speech bubbles or thought bubbles
mostly pictures and illustrations to show the action in the story
panels or squares that hold the pictures and text for each scene
EXAMPLES:
Smile and Sisters
Bone series
Big Nate graphic novels series
Babymouse series
Lunch Lady series
Science Summer Camp Mysteries series
Find these books in the Graphic Novels section of our library.