Children's Literature

"Genre is a category used to classify literary works, usually by form, technique, or content." --The Literary Dictionary: Vocabulary of Reading and Writing, 1999

We classify materials by two main genres: fiction and non-fiction. We call non-fiction juvenile books "juvenile literature."

• Fiction includes "imaginary" stories
• Non-fiction materials (juvenile literature) are informational and factual. Within these broad categories, materials are classified by subject. (Note: fairy tales, legends, myths, and poetry as considered "nonfiction"

These genres can be searched as subjects in the Library Catalog:

Fiction: * Adventure * Fantasy * Mystery and detective stories* Science fiction * Supernatural or horror

Non-fiction (we use the term "juvenile literature"): * Biography * Art * History * Mathematics * Music * Science and more!

Literature & Traditional Literature: * poetry * mythology * legends * fairy tales * fables

Other genres:

• Newbery Award winners
• Caldecott Award winners
• Stories without words (use this phrase to find wordless books)

Some genres may not be included as searchable subjects in the Library Catalog. Here are a few examples.

• Contemporary realistic fiction
• Historical fiction
• Multicultural

To locate books at either Holy Family location, use the Library Catalog.

* You can list keywords or search by subject

* Try entering a genre in the search box and choose "subject" from the "search index" pull-down menu on the left

* Be sure to limit to "juvenile" under "audience" 

* You can limit by the library to locate items at Holy Family

Did you know?... In some circles, book format is considered a genre. Here are some formats teachers should be familiar with:​

• Picture books
• Big books
• Chapter books
• Graphic novels or comics

Breitlinks: Children's Genres
See this website by a school media specialist for an overview and definition of various genres.

Genre Study: A Collaborative Approach
This lesson plan from ReadWriteThink provides background information about genres. Check out the resources under "From Theory to Practice" and "Resources and Preparation."