Genre and Subgenre Lesson

The Science of Stink: Why Things Smell and Other Gross Mysteries by Dr. Barnaby P. Sniff
In this hilarious but entirely factual science book, Dr. Barnaby P. Sniff offers a comprehensive look at the biological and chemical processes responsible for body odor. Readers will learn how bacteria eat sweat to create body odor. Featuring detailed diagrams of the olfactory system, this book shows readers how scent molecules travel through the air.

The Backyard Rule by Deshawn Carter
Owen's grandfather has a rule: every answer is in the backyard. Stuck on homework? Go outside and think. Bored? Build something with sticks. Owen has always thought his grandfather was the smartest person alive. The man can fix a truck engine by ear, build a fence without measuring, and name every bird in the county. But staying at Grandpa's farmhouse this summer, Owen starts noticing things that don't add up. Grandpa always lets Owen order for them both at restaurants, avoids paperwork, and laughs off text messages as "too small to read." When Owen discovers a drawer of unopened envelopes — insurance notices, medical forms, a letter from the county — the truth hits suddenly: his grandfather cannot read. Should Owen say something, or would that embarrass the toughest person he knows?

The Lion and the Donkey retold by Brant Miller
As the Lion walked with quiet dignity through the forest, the surrounding animals respectfully cleared a path for him. However, a Donkey, lacking both sense and manners, brayed a rude insult at the Lion as he passed. A sharp flash of anger surged through the Lion, and he turned with lethal intent. Yet, upon recognizing the source of the disrespect, his tension dissolved into pure indifference. He chose to continue his walk in silence, determining that he would not elevate a fool by granting him the honor of a conflict. The moral is that one should not resent the remarks of a fool, but rather dismiss them entirely.

Beyond the Cafeteria Doors by Kylie Barnes
In this essay, Kylie Barnes argues that off-campus lunch will help prepare students for adulthood. She supports her position by outlining the practical benefits, such as relieving an overcrowded cafeteria staff. Barnes also argues that leaving campus provides a crucial mental health break for students. They can decompress and return to afternoon classes with renewed focus. She closes with a direct call to action, urging the student body to sign a petition to demand a policy reform.She believes off-campus lunch will be better for all.

Calamity Jake and the River That Wouldn't Stop retold by Wanda Pike
Frontier folks loved to tell stories about Calamity Jake, a cowboy so oversized that his boots looked like boats and his shadow could cool a whole corral. When spring rains turned the river into a roaring monster that swallowed fences and threatened the town, Jake decided waiting on nature was taking too long. He bent down and drank the flood down as casually as lemonade on a hot day. Legend has it he swallowed so much water that the fish filed a complaint. With one last gulp, he redirected the leftover water into a distant canyon "so it wouldn't go to waste," accidentally creating a lake big enough for steamboats. Folks say he burped so loud it scared away the rainclouds!

The Library of Locked Doors by James R. Allen
After finding a magic key hidden in the spine of a discarded book, Jada unlocks a secret door. She discovers an entrance to a labyrinth threaded through the library's walls. Inside, corridors are lit by hovering candleflames, shelves rearrange themselves like living creatures, and certain books whisper when they think she isn't listening. A shadowy librarian warns Jada to return the key, but something tells Jada not to trust this figure. With each turn of the key, Jada opens new rooms: one where storms are bottled, one where small dragons gnaw at their chains, and one where mirrors show the past. If Jada can't master the rules of this hidden world, the library will choose an ending for her. Can Jada learn to control the key before she gets locked away?

Mic Check: My Year in the Sound Booth by Jalen Rivers
In this true story, I—Jalen Rivers—describe the year I stopped hiding behind silence and stepped into the sound booth. I joined the school's podcast team expecting to stay in the background—writing, editing, doing anything except speaking. Instead, the microphone forced me to confront how fear shapes identity. In the beginning, I sounded uncertain, corrected myself too often, and obsessed over every imperfect sentence. Then I realized communication isn't about flawless delivery; it's about showing up honestly. The story follows my slow transformation from anxious participant to confident host, one episode at a time.

The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
In this play two gentlemen, Jack and Algernon, both adopt the fictional persona of "Ernest" to romance two young women. They navigate absurd misunderstandings and mistaken identities. Despite the chaotic web of lies they have spun, the play finishes with a happy ending where the lies are forgiven and both couples get to be together.

The Sign My Father Carried by Angela Ford
In February 1968, twelve-year-old Marcus helps his father press his uniform before each shift on a Memphis sanitation truck. When two workers are crushed to death by a malfunctioning compressor, the city refuses to take responsibility. Marcus's father joins over 1,300 men who walk off the job. The strikers march daily through downtown carrying signs that read "I Am a Man," but the mayor won't budge. Tensions rise when police use mace and clubs on the marchers. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. arrives in Memphis to lend his voice to the cause, Marcus begins sneaking out to join the picket line to be part of something bigger than himself.

Why the Sea Tastes of Salt adapted by Rena Malu
Long ago, the ocean was as fresh and drinkable as any mountain spring. The Sea Goddess Talua spent her days filtering impurities through a throne of living coral. Her brother, Mako, God of Storms, resented the fishermen's devotion to Talua. They left her offerings of shells and flowers while cursing his name every time the wind rose. Determined to prove his power, Mako began unleashing squalls at random, capsizing boats and scattering schools of fish into the abyss. Talua negotiated, raged, and even hid the tides in a sealed cave, but Mako would not relent. Eventually, Talua's grief overwhelmed her divine restraint. She wept into the deepest trench. Her tears were concentrated with sorrow no mortal could carry. They dissolved into every current. The bitterness spread until no corner of the ocean remained untouched. And that is why the sea tastes of salt.