Fantasy

The Fantasy Genre

Fast Facts

1. Events occur outside the ordinary laws that operate within the universe.
2. Magic is central to the fantasy genre.
3. Fantasy stories often involve journeys and quests

Types of Fantasy

There are three different ways that writers set up their worlds.

1. Some novels begin and end in a fantasy world.  An example would be the book The Hobbit.
2. Others start in the real world and move into a fantasy world.  An example of this type would be Alice in Wonderland.
3. A third type of fantasy is set in the real world, but elements of magic intrude upon it like in Mary Poppins.

A few of my favorite fantasy books that I like to read aloud to my fourth graders are:

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

The moment when Lucy Pevensie pushes her way past those old fur coats and through the wardrobe into Narnia is ground zero for modern fantasy: instead of splitting the atom Lewis splits the world, into dreary ration-book wartime England and the fresh, exciting, enchanted world of Narnia. Lewis’s books teem with psychological insight and writerly craft: he wrote fantasy using the tools of realism, concretely and precisely, and with a kind of frank honesty barely ever seen in books for children. His blind spots were many—his treatment of women characters is, in places, beyond unfortunate—but what he saw, he saw with the power and clarity of a true visionary.

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

In this timeless classic, Willy Wonka, a crazy chocolatier, opens his chocolate factory doors for the first time to five lucky children who have randomly purchased the coveted chocolate bars containing the golden ticket. Besides a lifetime supply of chocolate, the children get a chance to tour the mysterious factory with their guide, Willy Wonka. Throughout their journey in Wonka's factory the children encounter all sorts of silliness, as well as ethical dilemmas.

The Mouse and the Motorcycle by Beverly Cleary    

The Mouse and the Motorcycle is about a mouse named Ralph who lives in a hotel in California with his family. They enjoy messy people because they leave crumbs and food for him and his family to eat. Ralph is an adventurous mouse who wants to go out and see his world, the hotel, but he can’t because he is kept in check by the housekeepers who want to keep the place clean and mice free. Then Keith and his family arrive. Keith has many fun toys but most importantly he has a motorcycle, beautiful shiny and red.   Soon, the headstrong mouse finds himself in a pickle, when all he wanted was to ride a motorcycle. Lucky for him, the boy understands how it is. When he discovers Ralph in his thwarted attempt to abscond with the toy bike, Keith generously encourages the rodent to ride. He even teaches him the simple trick of starting the motorcycle: "You have to make a noise... pb-pb-b-b-b." The subsequent situations Ralph motors into require quick thinking and grownup-sized courage.(less)