How do you classify books w/in the appropriate genre?

marypoppins · Post by **marypoppins** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 12:43 pm

This has probably been asked before, and there is probably an answer on this board somewhere... Could ya'll help me out?

There seems like there is so much overlap within the genres. For example in trying to pick and choose book choices for each of the genres, I'll have a book that I'll want to say a book is "adventure," but then it also could be "historical fiction" and so on. And what exactly would classify as "realistic fiction?" I noticed that [u]Rascal[/u] by Sterling North is classified as realistic fiction, but after reading it, I was wondering why it wasn't a biography since it seems it is an actual memoir?
Sorry. I'm just confused.

water2wine · Post by **water2wine** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 1:05 pm

I sometimes have a problem with this as well. I try to go with Carries recommendations and I have the extra list which helped me see the big picture a little more. I think honestly some books can go either way and you could sneak them one way or the other, but maybe they fit best in one category more. I am sure there is a little wiggle room of you think you want to use something a bit different that you could do that.

So no real advice I guess I am just sympathizing because we are probably talking about my weakest area. I think in the end you just do your best and ask if it will work or not.

Tansy · Post by **Tansy** » Sat Apr 05, 2008 6:47 pm

http://www.bookadventure.com

you can search by catagory and grade lvl but I can't vouch for the quality if the books offered.

Post by **Carrie** » Sun Apr 06, 2008 7:02 pm

marypoppins,

You are right in thinking that books can often slide in several categories. For library cataloguing, books are assigned a genre based on their short two-line defintion on the inside page of the book (near the ISBN number).

But at our house, we often will slide books in and out of genres based on my kiddo's interests and which genres seem most difficult to find truly excellent books to read.

You will find quite a bit of discrepancy as to which books are categorized as what in any guidebook or website. As long as you are matching the definitions given for each genre in "Drawn into the Heart of Reading" with the books you're planning to use in that genre, you will be fine.

Blessings,
Carrie