Discovering Book Genres

Genres are used to sort books by theme. While some books have elements from more than one genre, there is always one that prevails. A genre lets you know what types of characters, events, time periods, moods, and places you can expect in the story.

We often get excited about a new book before we’ve even read the opening lines. That’s because a book’s cover, dimensions, text size, page count, and illustrations all have important roles to play. They prepare you for the story by sparking your imagination with recognizable images and references.

For example, all crime novels have the following features in common:

• A sombre-coloured cover page
• A specific typeface
• Unsettling imagery
• An ominous title
• Etc.

All of these visual elements create an air of mystery and coax the reader to look for plot elements from the very first page.

When choosing a book for your child, don’t worry about the page count or whether it has illustrations. What matters is that it suits their abilities and interests. If a book is too difficult, it won’t provide any enjoyment and will probably end up gathering dust on a shelf.

Book genres abound! There are some to suit every reader’s taste and personality. Here are some of the most common:

• Adventure fiction :
  The characters are in the thick of the action and deal with unforeseen situations, like in Florence Delaporte’s À quoi rêve Crusoé.
• Crime fiction :
  The protagonist must solve a mystery or crime, like in Maurice Leblanc’s L’aiguille creuse.
• Dark fantasy :
  The story aims to scare the reader and is set in a world that’s both real and imagined, like in Christine Schneider’s À pas de loup…
• Science fiction :
  The story presents an imagined future, like in Christophe Léon’s Le goût de la tomate.
• Psychological fiction : 
  The psychology of the protagonist is at the forefront of the story, like in Myriam Legault’s À grandes gorgées de poussière.
• Historical narrative :
  The story combines elements of fiction and nonfiction, like in Magali Favre’s 21 jours en octobre.
• Love story :
  Romance takes centre stage, like in David Levithan’s A comme aujourd’hui, translated from the English by Simon Baril.
• Fairy tale :
  Magic, miracles, and the supernatural are central to the story, like in Thomas Lavachery’s 2 pouces et demi.