1. Fantasy

2. Suspends scientific explanations and natural laws Contains some element of character, setting or plot that is not found in the real world

3. Fantasy Devices such as time slips magic developed fantasy settings supernatural characters

4. Fantasy Rooted in folklore Themes, stock plots, stock characters are pulled from folklore May reference ancient myths and legends  Harry Potter  Troy  Dark is Rising (Celtic myths)

5. The Dark is Rising Begins on the eve of the winter solstice On that night time shifts Ancients believed that the world was most vulnerable to dark forces at that time

6. The Dark is Rising Children born on the solstice were often thought of as having magical powers. Children born on Christmas Eve in France were thought to be werewolves and were killed at birth. Will Staunton is the 7th son of the 7th son In Celtic folklore that gives him special powers

7. The Dark is Rising The book begins on the eve of his 11th birthday, when he will discover he is the last of the Old Ones and must save the world. Sound familiar?

8. Fantasy Because it is written down, it differs from folklore. It is longer – so the author can structure the story, characters and events in a more complex way. It explores the psychological realities of life.

9. Fantasy vs. Folklore Folklore is black and white  good guys vs. bad guys  we know who is good and who is bad Fantasy is varying shades of grey  it explores the ambiguities in life

10. Fantasy Fantasy is the first literature that most children experience. Animal stories  Winnie the Pooh  Max and Ruby  Frog and Toad

11. Fantasy Boys who are good readers often prefer fantasy and science fiction. Girls tend to prefer contemporary realistic fiction or historical fiction. This is changing because of Harry Potter. Most teachers are women so they don’t usually push fantasy or science fiction.

12. Fantasy Serious fantasy really starts to catch on when kids are 10-12  end of childhood - entering adolescence It is the end of Piaget’s concrete operational phase  kids can entertain different possibilities other than their own experience

13. Fantasy They can understand that some people may think differently Entering the formal reasoning stage  they can tolerate ambiguity and abstract concepts

14. Fantasy Deals with the complexities of existence Grand themes  good vs. evil  life and death  courage vs. fear  love and hate  what it means to be human  consequences of pride

15. Susan Cooper (author of The Dark is Rising)  fantasy is “the metaphor through which we discover ourselves”  fantasy pushes readers to consider who they are and what the world is  “Serious fantasy is the most complex form of fiction”

16. Fantasy The metaphorical nature of fantasy allows children to consider death, prejudice, war, and other serious issues in a manageable way.  It is less threatening because it is fantasy  It raises questions about society, tackles moral issues, and considers ethical dilemmas

17. Fantasy Because fantasy can explore the big issues of the world, it can be a vital force for moral and spiritual growth.

18. Evaluating Fantasy The fantasy world is detailed and believable within the context of the story The story events are imaginative, yet logically consistent within the story world

19. Evaluating Fantasy The characters are multidimensional, with consistent, logical behavior There are vivid images and solid, understandable structures The themes are meaningful, causing readers to think about life

20. Setting Rich details that enable the reader to envision the setting  may include maps  Eragon by Christopher Paolini  The Hobbit by J.R.R.Tolkein Place names that are consistent with the fantasy

21. Setting The setting can act as an antagonist, a symbol, or it may illuminate the character.

22. Setting Readers may be led into the fantasy world through some device  a door Coraline  a magic object The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe  the belief of realistic characters in the fantasy setting Inkheart

23. Plot Even though events may not be realistic, what happens must be logically consistent within the story world.  If characters move through time they do so for a reason.  If the fantastic operates in the real world, there must be consistency in how real people are affected by the fantastic events.

24. Characters Both human and nonhuman characters should be recognizable beings, with strong emotions.  Dobby – the house elf in the Chamber of Secrets

25. Characters Main characters are multidimensional personalities  behave consistently  respond to events in a believable fashion  grow and change across the course of the story

26. Characters Who they are both influences and is influenced by the plot. If a character that lives in a realistic story world enters a fantasy situation, the character remains consistent across both worlds.

27. Types of Fantasy It is the seriousness of the questions that are raised in the story that determines whether the fantasy is “light” or “high”

28. High Fantasy (a.k.a Epic Fantasy) One of the most popular subgenres of fantasy fiction Serious, like ancient folklore  archetypal themes Struggle between good and evil Quest for personal identity

29. High Fantasy (a.k.a Epic Fantasy) Includes elements such as magic, wizards, elves, invented languages, and quests May span more than one volume  J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Rings  Susan Cooper The Dark is Rising

30. Light Fantasy Uses a veil of unreality to disguise the real world in some way Set in the primary world we live in, but non-rational events occur and are never explained Not epic or overtly magical

31. Light Fantasy The fantastic element may be as simple as animals that act like humans or As complex as miniature worlds that reflect real life with a small twist E.B. White  Charlotte’s Web

32. Animal Fantasy Attributes human thought, feeling, and language to animals.  Redwall  Watership Down

33. Miniature Worlds Every cultural group has its folkloric sprites, boggarts, elves, trolls, brownies, or leprechauns who go about houses and villages unseen. Miniature worlds, like animal fantasy, fascinate readers interested in the details  what do they eat, wear, how do they move about?

34. Miniature Worlds Terry Pratchett’s Discworld series  Wee Free Men 6 inch people battle the forces of evil The Borrowers The Littles

35. Time Slips and Magic Characters traveling through time, or the author may challenge our understanding of time as sequential  His Dark Materials series by Philip Pullman

36. Time Slips and Magic Use of magic to propel the action  The magic is carefully placed and the actions within the fantasy world are ultimately logical

37. Enchanted or Magical Realism It is difficult to tell where the fantasy begins  Skellig  Thief Lord

38. Literary Lore The writer intentionally imitates the qualities of ancient folklore, or retells folklore. Robin McKinley  Beauty (Beauty and the Beast)  Spindle’s End (Sleeping Beauty)

39. Literary Lore Donna Jo Napoli  Beast (Beauty and the Beast)  Spinners (Rumpelstiltskin)  Zel (Rapunsel) Gail Carson Levine  Ella Enchanted (Cinderella) Margaret Peterson Haddix  Just Ella (Cinderella) Kevin Crossley-Holland  King Arthur trilogy The Seeing Stone At the Crossing Places King of the Middle March

40. Quest Tales Literary lore also includes quest tales Quests, often to save the world The hero often must complete a series of tasks Quests often become a search for an inner, rather than outer enemy

41. Quest Tales Quest stories that are most memorable describe the character’s inner and outer struggles may involve Herculean journeys during which they overcome obstacles and vanquish enemies