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Understanding Genres in Children's Literature: Modern Fantasy

This guide is intended to help users understand the different genres in children's literature

What is Modern Fantasy?

Modern Fantasy Read Aloud

Dragons Love Tacos   Click on the image to view this title in the ECU catalog

 

Author: Adam Rubin

Grade Level: K - 2

Call Number: E R8241DR01

 Description: Dragons love tacos. They love chicken tacos, beef tacos, great big tacos, and teeny tiny tacos. So if you want to lure a bunch of dragons to your party, you should definitely serve tacos. Buckets and buckets of tacos. Unfortunately, where there are tacos, there is also salsa. And if a dragon accidentally eats spicy salsa ... oh, boy. You're in red-hot trouble.

Example Modern Fantasy Titles in the TRC Collection

Knight Owl

Knight Owl

Call Number: E D41654K

Description:  "A determined Owl builds strength and confidence in this medieval picture book about the real mettle of a hero: wits, humor, and heart. Since the day he hatched, Owl dreamed of becoming a real knight. He may not be the biggest or the strongest, but his sharp nocturnal instincts can help protect the castle, especially since many knights have recently gone missing. While holding guard during Knight Night Watch, Owl is faced with the ultimate trial -- a frightening intruder. It's a daunting duel by any measure. But what Owl lacks in size, he makes up for in good ideas. Full of wordplay and optimism, this surprising display of bravery proves that cleverness (and friendship) can rule over brawn." -- Provided by publisher.

Field Trip to the Moon

Field Trip to the Moon

Call Number: E H2228F

Description: In this wordless picture book, a student is accidentally left behind on a class trip to the moon.

I Need My Monster

I Need My Monster

Call Number: E N72I

Description:  When Ethan checks under the bed for his monster, he finds a note saying that Gabe has gone fishing and will be back in a week. He tries out several substitute monsters, but finds that none are as perfect as Gabe.

Creepy Carrots

Creepy Carrots

Call Number: E R333C

Description: The carrots that grow in Crackenhopper Field are the fattest and crispiest around and Jasper Rabbit cannot resist pulling some to eat each time he passes by, until he begins hearing and seeing creepy carrots wherever he goes.

The Adventures of Beekle: the unimaginary friend

The Adventures of Beekle: the unimaginary friend

Call Number: E SA593A.A

Description: An imaginary friend waits a long time to be imagined by a child and given a special name, and finally does the unimaginable--he sets out on a quest to find his perfect match in the real world.

Children of Blood and Bone

Children of Blood and Bone

Call Number: F AD37L01

Description: Seventeen-year-old Zélie, her older brother Tzain, and rogue princess Amari fight to restore magic to the land and activate a new generation of magi, but they are ruthlessly pursued by the crown prince, who believes the return of magic will mean the end of the monarchy.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

The Girl Who Drank the Moon

Call Number: F B2659G

Description: Every year, the people of the Protectorate leave a baby as an offering to the witch who lives in the forest. They hope this sacrifice will keep her from terrorizing their town. But the witch in the Forest, Xan, is kind. She shares her home with a wise Swamp Monster and a Perfectly Tiny Dragon. Xan rescues the children and delivers them to welcoming families on the other side of the forest, nourishing the babies with starlight on the journey. One year, Xan accidentally feeds a baby moonlight instead of starlight, filling the ordinary child with extraordinary magic. Xan decides she must raise this girl, whom she calls Luna, as her own. As Luna's thirteenth birthday approaches, her magic begins to emerge - with dangerous consequences. Meanwhile, a young man from the Protectorate is determined to free his people by killing the witch. Deadly birds with uncertain intentions flock nearby. A volcano, quiet for centuries, rumbles just beneath the earth's surface. And the woman with the Tiger's heart is on the prowl ... The author of the highly acclaimed, award-winning novel The Witch's Boy has written an epic coming-of-age fairy tale destined to be a modern classic. -- From dust jacket.

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky

Call Number: F M4595T

Description:  Seventh-grader Tristan Strong feels anything but strong ever since he failed to save his best friend when they were in a bus accident together. All he has left of Eddie is the journal his friend wrote stories in. Tristan is dreading the month he's going to spend on his grandparents' farm. But on his first night there, a sticky creature shows up and steals Eddie's notebook. Tristan chases after it, and a tug-of-war ensues between them underneath a Bottle Tree. In a last attempt to get it away from the creature, Tristan punches the tree, accidentally ripping open a chasm into the MidPass, a volatile place with a burning sea, haunted bone ships, and iron monsters. Tristan finds himself in the middle of a battle that has left black American folk heroes John Henry and Brer Rabbit exhausted. In order to get back home, Tristan and these new allies will need to entice the god Anansi, the Weaver, to come out of hiding. Can Tristan save this world before he loses more of the things he loves?

Eragon

Eragon

Call Number: F P1969ER

Description:  In Aagaesia, a fifteen-year-old boy of unknown lineage called Eragon finds a mysterious stone that weaves his life into an intricate tapestry of destiny, magic, and power, peopled with dragons, elves, and monsters.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone

Call Number: F R797H1.A

Description:  Rescued from the outrageous neglect of his aunt and uncle, a young boy with a great destiny proves his worth while attending Hogwarts School for Wizards and Witches.

 

 

Why Fantasy Matters