Chapter 10 and Chapter 11

Tunnell, Michael O. and James S. Jacobs. Children's Literature, Briefly. 4e. Upper Sadle River NJ: Pearson/Merrill Prentice Hall, 2008.



Chapter 10 "Modern Fantasy"

I really liked how this chapter explained the six motifs that go into modern fantasy books. I thought a lot about the high fantasy books I enjoy even now as an adult; Harry Potter books and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy. I thought about how difficult and time consuming maintaining the rules of the setting must have been for the authors, even though they had created the settings themselves. Furthermore, I loved the statement on page 121 about how good fantasy "clarifies the human condition and captures the essence of our deepest emotions, dreams, hopes, and fears". Even though I know that my favorites are complete fiction, I can't help but let my imagination run wild sometimes and think "what if there are really hobbits out there", or "what if there really is a secret underground wizarding world". It may sound silly, but I like how modern fantasy can take me from reality like that.

Chapter 11 "Contemporary Realistic Fiction"

I agree with the authors in that this type of fiction is the most popular among children because they can best relate to the "my world" interpretations. Even though characters are fictional, they are people who could exist in the real world.

I wasn't at all surprised by how long it took for problems and issues to be put in print for children. The generations have become less and less sensitive to matters mentioned in the book for a LONG time now!

Lastly, I'd like to comment on the "series books" section. I liked the comfort and the "formula" story lines of the series books I read as a child and teenager. Even though the critics view them unfavorably because of the "predictable plots, relatively flat characters, and a writing style that leans toward the unimaginative" (134), at least they gave me something to do as a kid. I mean, I could have been glued to the TV all day or out doing drugs for all they know if I was told not to read these series books! Anyways, that was just something that bothered me in the reading, and I wanted to share some thoughts about it.