Modern Fantasy

Modern fantasy is taking elements from the real world, but having magical elements that make things possible such as talking animals, toys, or going to a different realm. There are two categories in modern fantasy- low and high fantasy.

Low Fantasy
Stories to be considered fantasy take place in the real world but magical elements of fantasy make them impossible. Some examples of low fantasy would be Toy Story, Charlotte's Web, and The Velveteen Rabbit. 

High fantasy would be when information and experiences from he real world are taken into another world. High fantasy involves difficult journeys and supernatural characters.  Some examples of these would be The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe The Wonderful Wizard of OZ, and The Lord of the Rings. 


No matter if a story is considered low or high fantasy, this does not determine if a child has a low or high level of imagination. It is just simply how these modern fantasy are categorized. However I find it important that children learn the different between the two. I say this because they need to know the different elements, not just to be able to identify them but to be able to put them in use and write their own modern fantasy. Knowing the different parts of a high and low fantasy lets students know what to include when writing their own.

 Categories in Modern Fantasy

• Animals 
• Toys and objects
• Miniature Worlds
• Time Wraps 
• Unreal Worlds
• Ghost Stories
• Magic Powers 
• Preposterous Characters/Situations 
• Quest Tales  

Thinking back to all the different stories I have heard through my years and especially childhood years, majority of them all had to do something with one of the categories listed above. This is huge to me for these are the elements that make up a child's story imagination. These categories are a lot of what modern fantasy has in them but what a lot of people forget is that is it also what children base their play around. Ever pretend with a childhood friend you guys had special powers, or you played pretend with your toys talking to one another. How about Barbie, with her miniature world? These categories share with modern fantasy and child's play. 

 

Motifs in Modern Fantasy 

• Magic 
• Other Worlds 
• Good vs. Evil
• Heroism
• Special Character Types 
• Fantastic Objects 

It is important that children of all ages understand that at heart all fantasy lies the truth about ourselves and the world around us. In the younger ages it may be appropriate to have a discussion with the students as far as what was real and what not, and why it was not real, nor could be.

Top Ten Real Alouds: Fantasy

1. Gossamer by Lois Lowry (2006, Thorndike)
2. The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman ( 2008, HarperCollins)
3. I, Coriander by Sally Gardner (2005, Dial)
4.  The Invention of Hugo Carbet by Brian Selznick (2007, Scholastic)
5. Savvy by Ingrid Law (2008, Dial)
6. The Tale of Despereaux: Being the Story of a Mouse, a Princess, Some Soup and a Spool of Thread by Kate DiCamillio (2003, Candlewick)
7. Toys Go Out by Emily Jenkins ( 2006, Schwatz & Wade)
8. Tuck Everywhere by Natilie Babbiee (1975, Farrar)
9. Wait Till Helen Comes by Mary Downing ( 1986, Houghton Mifflin)
10. Where the Mountain Meets the Moon by Grace Lin (2009, Little, Brown)