Book Projects
Due Dates
Genre
Tuesday, September 11
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Tuesday, October 16
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Tuesday, November 20
Biography/Autobiography
Tuesday, December 18
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Tuesday, January 29
Non-fiction
Tuesday, February 26
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Tuesday, April 2
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Tuesday, May 7
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Literary Genres
For your book projects, you will read books from a variety of genres. With the exception of the
biography/autobiography and non-fiction selections, you may choose the order in which you read
these books.
Historical Fiction
• Historical fiction includes stories that take place in the past and that are based on historical
fact. Usually the setting and the events in the story are close to the facts, but the characters are
made up. However, historical fiction may include real people as characters.
Examples of Historical Fiction Books:
• Al Capone Does My Shirts by Gennifer Choldenko
• Number the Stars by Lois Lowry
• Fever 1793 by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Blood on the River by Elisa Lynn Carbone
Book Projects
Classic
• Classic literature is of a high quality or standard and stands the test of time. Classics are
popular, or at least well known, throughout the ages.
Examples of Classic Literature:
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
• The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Realistic Fiction
• Realistic fiction includes stories that seem like real life, and stories that could happen in
today’s world. The situations are true to life or could be true, but the characters are made up.
Examples of Realistic Fiction:
• The Diary of a Wimpy Kid Series by Jeff Kinney
• Stargirl by Jerry Spinneli
• Because of Winn Dixie by Kate DiCamillo
• Walk Two Moons by Sharon Creech
Mystery
• Mystery stories are also a type of realistic fiction that include an element of suspense and
secrecy. Something puzzling usually needs solving and a crime is frequently involved. There
are typically good guys and bad guys.
Examples of Mysteries:
• The House of Dies Drear by Virginia Hamilton
• Down the Rabbit Hole by Peter Abrahams
• The Clockwork Three by Mathew J. Kirby
• Chasing Vermeer by Blue Balliett
Science Fiction or Fantasy
• Science fiction includes stories that are based on scientific fact. It can include space fiction and
time travel. In time travel and space fiction, the characters travel back and/or forward in time.
In stories for children, the characters often begin in the real world, go off on their adventure,
and then return to the real world. The author tries to make the facts as realistic as possible so
the reader believes the event could actually take place. Although fantastic, science fiction
contains elements within the realm of possibility because of scientific discovery.
Examples of Science Fiction:
• The Giver, by Lois Lowry
• Running Out of Time, by Margaret Haddix
• A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L’Engle.
• The Angel Experiment by James Patterson
• Fantasy books are make believe stories that are so fantastic that they can't possibly be true.
They often include animals behaving like people.
Book Projects
Examples of Fantasy:
• The Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling
• The Twilight Series by Stephenie Meyer
• The Red Pyramid by Rick Riordan
• The Narnia Series by C.S. Lewis
Adventure
• Adventure stories are a type of realistic fiction that are exciting and usually have an aspect of
peril, threat, or danger.
Examples of adventure books:
• Hatchet by Gary Paulson
• Holes by Luis Sachar
• The Alex Rider Series by Anthony Horowitz
• Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O’Dell
Biography or Autobiography (November)
• A biography is a non-fiction book about a real person written by someone else. An
autobiography is a non-fiction book about a real person written by that person.
Examples of Biographies and Autobiographies:
• Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank
• My LIfe in Dog Years by Gary Paulson
• Knots in My Yo-Yo String by Jerry Spinelli
• The Who Was......? Series by Various Authors
Non-fiction (January)
Non-fiction books are factual. They include information about any place, person, thing, idea or
animal.
Examples of Non-fiction:
• Three Cups of Tea: Young Readers Edition by Greg Mortenson
• With Their Eyes: September 11th--The View from a High School at Ground Zero by Annie
Thoms
• Titanic by Simon Adams
• Top 50 Reasons to Care about Rhinos: Animals in Peril (Top 50 Reasons to Care about
Endangered Animals) by Mary Firestone