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Page Title

Literary Genre
 
Informational

Informational books are nonfiction, and present current and accurate knowledge about some parts of the universe.

“Fiction writers create their world; nonfiction authors report on the real one.”  

Traditionally the informational books in the library have only been visited when students were given the assignment to do research.  They were not designed or used for pleasure reading, they have had the reputation of being boring.  But within the last 20 years or so informational books have gone through a transformation and are quite often read for pleasure as well as for research. Color has been introduced, and there are interesting designs, and compelling details.  Authors present the information with unusual viewpoints and subjects and the content is personalized.

There are several categories of informational books; they may be either chapter books or picture books:

·         Activity books (craft, how-to, experiment)

·         Concept books (small children, one topic, “do something,” point and identify)

·         Journals and interview (books based on primary sources)

·         Photo essays (photos and journal, captures emotion)

·         Pop-ups (fold out 3 dimensional)

·         Reference books (not necessarily to be read from beginning to end)

·         Series (one book for each state, or one book for each subject in a topic)

·         Social histories (a collection of primary sources to look at the attitudes or thoughts of the era)

·         Survey books (encyclopedia, presents an overview of broad subjects)

  

Literary Terms
 

Tone

Tone is the author’s attitude toward the subject or audience in a particular book.  Tone can reflect the range of human emotions; reverential, sarcastic, condescending, enthusiastic and so on.

To identify tone you might read the work aloud, for instance the highlighted parts of this poem suggest the attitude of the author towards hockey.

There is this that I like about hockey, my lad by John Kleron

“There is this that I like about hockey, my lad:

It’s a clattering, battering sport.

As a popular pastime it isn’t half bad

For chaps of the sturdier sort.

You step on the gas and you let in the clutch;

You start on a skate and come back on a crutch;

Your chance of surviving is really not much;

It’s something like storming a fort.

“There’s this that I like about hockey, my boy;

There’s nothing about it that’s tame.

The whistle is blown and the players deploy;

They start in to maul and to maim.

There’s a dash at the goal and a crash on the ice;

The left wing goes down when you’ve swatted him twice.

And your teeth by a stick are removed in a trice;

It’s really a rollicking game.

“There’s this that I like about hockey, old chap;

I think you’ll agree that I’m right;

Although you may get an occasional rap,

There’s always good fun in the fight.

So toss in the puck, for the players are set;

Sing ho! For the dash on the enemy net;

And ho! For the smash as the challenge is met;

And hey! for a glorious night!

 

Mood

The atmosphere evoked in the writing, whether it is spooky, hilarious, innocent, understated, exaggerated, caustic, and the like.

Descriptive words, the setting, and figurative language contribute to the mood of the work, as do the sound and rhythm of the language used.

When you say to a friend “That movie was creepy,” you are talking about mood.

Consider this passage, what mood is depicted?

“We passed through a range of low arches, descended, passed on, and descending again, arrived at a deep crypt, in which the foulness of the air caused our flambeaux rather to glow than flame.”

Resources:

The Language of Literature. (2000) McDougall Littell.  Evarston, Illinois.

Tunnel, Michael O., James S. Jacobs. Children’s Literature, Briefly. (2000) Merrill. Columbus,  Ohio.

  Reader’s Handbook. (2002). Great Source Education Group. Wilmington, Massachusetts   

Jeopardy

     A.       Author’s attitude Q. what is tone?

A.       “That was a sad story.” Q. what is mood?

A.       “The lifespan of a housefly is 20-30 days.” Q. what is informational genre?

 

Stories are vehicles that transport life lessons