I have a confession to make. I don't really enjoy reading fantasy fiction. I have issues in "suspending disbelief" and accepting make-believe. And yet…I love science fiction and time travel and dystopian stories. And I do like E.B. White's classic novels and movies based on fantasy books. So, I guess I do like fantasy after all. That's my point; kids who say they "don't like" this book or that genre may not have found the books or stories that speak to them. That's the wonderful thing about any genre of literature for young people, including fantasy—there's such a wide variety of books, trends, authors, styles, and topics to choose from. And, fantasy has some of the deepest roots of all.

There is something especially timeless about fantasy. The magic of fantasy needs no particular historical setting, so the stories often transcend the time and place of their writing. They are grounded in the oral tales that are part of folklore and traditional literature; stories of heroes and magic, dragons and wishes. But even more, fantasy speaks to something deep within the human psyche—the wonder and worry about our place in the universe. Some of the earliest books ever written for children have been fantasy novels including Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published in England in 1865, and The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, published in the United States in 1900, among others. In fact, even before there was "children's literature," children read fantasy novels intended for adult audiences, such as Gulliver's Travels (1726). Plus, some of our most beloved characters in children's literature come from fantasy novels, such as Peter Pan, Winnie the Pooh, Dorothy, and Pinocchio. These and others have also translated well into now-classic films, such as Matilda, Mary Poppins, and Babe (the pig). And consider one of the bestselling books for young people: Harry Potter, the book that launched a reading resurgence and a panoply of new fantasy novels and series. What is it about the Harry Potter stories that so captivated hundreds of thousands of readers of all ages? Is it the "what if" posed by the books? What if this is not my real family? What if I have magical powers and I just don't know it?

Fantasy for young readers may be as simple as having animal characters that talk or as complex as creating whole imaginary worlds such as the Hogwarts school of magic in the Harry Potter books or the land of Middle-earth in Tolkien's Lord of the Rings series. And what an impact these fantasy novels have had in encouraging reading on a gigantic scale, as well as the publication of more fantasy, including longer works previously thought too challenging for children. At the other end of the spectrum, the gentle fantasy Charlotte's Web by E. B. White published in 1952 also holds its place on the bestseller list. Ghost stories, time travel tales, horror stories, science fiction, and even tales of the supernatural are all popular forms of fantasy stories. In a recent article in Booklist, Maggie Reagan wrote, "Fantasy is blossoming lately, we've been seeing stories that draw from a widening variety of mythologies and cultures and stories that breathe new life into old tropes" (2019).

Who reads fantasy? Fantasy novels often hold special appeal to proficient readers who are in middle grades and above for their independent reading. In fact, children who are identified as "gifted and talented" are often especially fond of fantasy. This makes sense, if you think about it. Fantasy novels are often longer and may contain challenging vocabulary—made-up words (like "Quidditch") and scientific concepts (like "tesseract"). This may be difficult to comprehend for a less able reader. In addition, fantasy novels often have a child protagonist who is extremely bright, often misunderstood, possibly a loner. Gifted children often feel that way themselves and thus identify with the character's struggles. But, there are so many different kinds of fantasy that you can surely find one that will appeal to all the different readers you know. You can find hilarious fantasy like the Discworld series by Terry Pratchett and scientific fantasy like the classic Tripods Trilogy by John Christopher, for example. Recent "Top Ten" titles of fantasy highlighted in Booklist included Charlie Hernandez and the League of Shadows by Ryan Calejo, Lalani of the Distant Sea by Erin Entrada Kelly, Sal and Gabi Break the Universe by Carlos Hernandez, and Small Spaces by Katherine Arden, among others. We owe it to our children to present this genre to them in some form since it reflects many of our deepest wishes for the triumph of good in the world.

Work Cited

Reagan, Maggie. "Monster Mash." Booklist 115, no. 22 (2019): 76.