Stepping Outside Your Favorite Genre

Trying new genres can lead you to books you never expected to love.

Everyone has favorites, and that's great. But readers who only stick to one genre can miss out on books they'd love. Stretching doesn't mean giving up your favorites; it means using them as a bridge. If you love fantasy adventures, try historical fiction with a dangerous journey. If you love funny realistic fiction, try a humorous graphic memoir.

If you love animal facts, try a novel told from an animal's point of view. Here's an example. Leo read only sports books. His librarian suggested a biography of a famous runner. Leo discovered he loved learning about the runner's childhood and training, and soon he was reading biographies of scientists and explorers too. If you try a new genre and it isn't for you, that's okay.

It's also fine to put down a book that isn't working and choose another. You learned something about yourself as a reader.

• 1Use a favorite genre as a bridge to a new one.
• 2Look for shared elements like adventure or humor.
• 3It's okay if a new genre isn't for you.