This document provides definitions and descriptions of different genres of fiction and non-fiction literature for 3rd grade reading levels. It outlines the key characteristics of realistic fiction, biography, mystery, poetry, informational texts, science fiction, fantasy, and historical fiction. It also provides guidance on how students can choose books using a "five finger test" where they put a finger down for every unfamiliar word to assess readability.

2. Accurately reflects life as it could be lived today

3. Everything in the story could happen to real people

4. The characters have normal human powers

5. May be set in real places, but NOT based on history and there are no elements of science fictionREALISTIC FICTION

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8. Biographies: stories of a real person's life, written or told by someone else

9. Autobiographies stories of a real person’s life, written or told by that person. BIOGRAPHY

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12. solving a puzzling event or situation

13. something unknown

14. solving a crime

15. a person who investigates wrongdoing

16. a person whose job is to obtain secret information MYSTERY

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19. Sometimes has patterns and rhythm, sometimes it does not

20. Written to create thought and feeling in the readerPOETRY

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23. Information is based on known, true facts

24. Nothing can be “made up” or “pretend”

25. Includes how-to books, science books, history books

26. Can be about any subject – games, castles, sports, hobbies, etc.INFORMATIONAL

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29. Involve partially true laws or theories of science

30. Setting can be: in space, on a different world, in a different universe SCIENCE FICTION

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33. magical powers

34. often set in a medieval universe

35. possibly involving mythical beings FANTASY

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38. Based on history with fictional main characters

39. Sometimes include real people from history

40. Good way to understand a period of the pastHISTORICAL FICTION

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42. How do you choose? Five finger test Hold up five fingers Read one page in the middle of the book Put one finger down for every word you don’t know If any fingers are left up once you reach the end… It might be a good book for you?

43. How do you choose? Book length? Ordinary language? Chapters (How many? How long?) Do you like the genre? Do you like the topic? Does is sound interesting to you? Does it pass the five finger test?