Genre Challenge:
Step One: Teacher selects books that fit into certain genres: Realistic, Historical, Mystery,
etc.
Step Two: Teacher wraps books in newspaper or wrapping paper to hide cover of
book. Write genre of book and one sentence description or phrases on cover
describing book.
Step Three: Share with students “Genre Challenge”:
1. Select a book by the description and genre given only.
2. Read at least first 30 pages.
3. Share about challenge on Edmodo and/or presentation to class
Step Four: Pass out blank book cover templates for bulletin board. Students joining
challenge will write their name on their book cover and the genre they will choose a
book from.
Step Five: Students make their selection
Step Six: Students unwrap the cover to discover their selected book. He/she then adds
the book title to their book cover template and places it on a bulletin board.
Incentive Ideas:
 Give small piece of candy to students who participate.
 Randomly draw student name from those who participated. He/she gets coke
or large piece of candy.
 Hang up sign in hall for those who complete the challenge to sign.
Students will discuss what it was like to choose a book only by the book’s genre and
description, not cover. He/she will also discuss how it fit into the genre and if there are
any other genres the book delved into.
Books in South Park Library that fit in certain genre:
Realistic Fiction:
1. Liar and Spy, Rebecca Stead
2. Maniac McGee, Spinelli
3. Walk Two Moons, Creech
4. Because of Winn Dixie, DiCamillo
5. Pictures of Hollis Woods, Giff
6. The Higher Power of Lucky, Patron
7. Three Times Lucky, Turnage
8. Inside Out and Back Again, Lai
9. Rules, Lord
10. Shipwreck, Korman
11. Criss Cross, Perkins
Melissa Thibault
12. Joey Pigzq Swallowed the Key, Gantos
13. Alvin Ho, Look
14. Bud Not Buddy, Curtis
15. Crush, Paulsen
16. The Wednesday Wars, Scmidt
Historical Fiction:
1. Little House on the Prairie, Wilder
2. Number the Stars, Lowry
3. Bud Not Buddy, Curtis
4. Esperanza Rising, Ryan
5. A Year Down Yonder, Peck
6. Any American Girl book
7. Laurie Halse Anderson
8. The Sign of the Beaver, Speare
9. The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate, Kelly
10. Elijah of Buxton, Curtis
11. The Whipping Boy, Fleischmann
12. Henry’s Freedom Box, Levine
13. Old Yeller, Gipson
14. Code Talker, Bruchac
15. Dear America series
16. Dead End in Norvelt, Gantos
Humor:
1. What Would Joey Pigza Do?, Gantos
2. The Bad Beginning, Snicket
3. Alvin Ho, Look
4. Bad Kitty, Bruel
5. The Chameleon Wore Chartreuse, Hale
6. How to train Your Dragon, Crowell
7. Ivy and Bean, Barrows
8. Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing, Blume
9. Frindle, Clements
10. How to Eat Fried Worms, Rockwell
11. The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, Robinson
12. My Life as a Fifth Grade Comedian, Levy
13. Clementine, Pennypacker
14. Chocolate Fever, Smith
15. Hank Zipzer series
Fantasy:
1. The Lightning Thief, Riordan
2. Gregor the Overlander, Collins
3. The Graveyard Book, Gaiman
4. The Tale of Desperaux, DiCamillo
5. Charlotte’s Web, White
6. Ella Enchanted, Levine
Melissa Thibault
7. James and the Giant Peach, Dahl
8. Pippi Longstocking, Lingdren
9. Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, MacDonald
10. The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, Lewis
11. The Borrowers, Norton
12. Poppy, Avi
13. Magic Tree House series
14. The Mouse and the Motorcycle, Cleary
15. Spiderwick series
16. Savvy, Law
17. Inkheart,
18. Alice in Wonderland
Science Fiction:
1. Ender’s Game, Card
2. The City of Ember, DuPrau
3. The Giver, Lowry
4. Artemis Fowl, Colfer
5. Animorphs
6. My Teacher is an Alien, Coville
7. The Ear, the Eye, and the Arm, Farmer
8. Go Big or Go Home, Hobbs
9. How to Train Your Dragon, Cowell
10. A Wrinkle in Time, L’Engle
11. Found, Haddix
12. Among the Hidden, Haddix
Horror:
1. American Chillers series
2. A Tale Dark and Grimm, Gidwitz
3. Awfully Beastly Business series
4. The Graveyard Book, Gaiman
5. Coraline, Gaiman
6. Bunnicula, Howe
7. All the Lovely Bad Ones, Hahn
8. The Ghost of Fossil Glen, DeFelice
Mystery:
1. The Westing Game, Raskin
2. From the Mixed up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Konisgburb
3. Harriet the Spy, Fitzhugh
4. Chasing Vermeer, Balliett
5. Nancy Drew series
6. Hardy Boys series
7. The Lost Hero, Riordan
8. Boxcar Children series
9. Cam Jansen series
10. Bones series
Melissa Thibault
11. A to Z Mysteries series
12. The Invention of Hugo Cabert, Selznick
Melissa Thibault