Maybe you’re looking for some historical fiction, where authors use real people and events from history to tell imagined stories. But how can you tell the genre or subgenre of a book? First, you can look at the cover. Is there a picture of a Revolutionary War soldier? That’s a good clue the book is historical fiction. You can also read the title. There is usually a summary of the book on the cover, back cover or inside flap. The information in the summary can help you figure out the genre of the book, and can tell you if it is fiction or nonfiction. Nonfiction is completely based on fact. You can read the table of contents, which tells you what kind of information is in the book or how the story will go. You can even open to the first chapter and read the first few lines. All these techniques can help you identify the genre and pick the right book for you.

Which of the following gives you the first clue about the genre or subgenre of a book?

A
the first chapter

B
the title and cover

C
the first few lines

D
the table of contents