Pure Fantasy

Finding What Fits
Current trends show that fantasy is a "hot" genre.  Buzz words like Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, Percy Jackson, and Twilight are popular among conversations and media productions. The hype about these books is a great indicator of the enjoyment, associated by many, with this genre. Therefore, it is important to incorporate fantasy and pure fantasy in the classroom. Many students will be swept away with the captivating experiences the characters partake in. However, it is important to set criteria for incorporating these books into the classroom. Guidelines need to be set to make sure the books selected are quality and not "too much." Questions to consider when selecting these texts are as follows:

• Will my students be able to relate to the characters?
• Are the experiences/language in the book school appropriate? Age appropriate?
• Do the themes connect to realities?
• What will/could my students learn from reading this book?
• Is there a balance between reality and fiction?
• Will students be able to follow the story line?
• Does the information conflict with religious beliefs? Cultural beliefs?
• Has this book won any awards?

Overall, if these questions are answered in a positive manner, these books can be used as great learning tools. It is important to understand that some students will connect with this type of literature better than others will. Also, although these books may be brought into the classroom with more reservation, it is important to have these types of books available and in the classroom library.

Example of Quality
The Lightning Thief (2005) by Rick Riordan
According to the CCSS text complexity band, this book seems to range between 3rd and 4th grade. However, with consideration of the length, knowledge experience required, and language features, I would consider this book much more appropriate for 4th and 5th graders. The repetitive nature of fighting and gore might be more suitable for an older reader as an independent read. However, if I were to choose this book to be read aloud to student, I definitely believe that 3rd and 4th graders could comprehend what was going on. As previously mentioned, a reoccurring theme in this book is war and the fight between good and evil. Other themes which may be pulled from this book include: courage and honor, leadership and responsibility, and school life. Overall this book is very intriguing. The descriptive language and continual action keeps you on your toes. The characters in this story are also well developed and easy to relate too. With the reoccurring theme of war, this text could be easily connected to tension situation in local, national, and global happenings.  Discussions involving conflicts between friends and families, in cities and in states, and even between countries could easily incorporated into lessons with the book. Due to the fact that this book is based around Greek Mythology, students may need to build up some background knowledge on the gods before or while reading this text. Much of the humor and happenings will not make sense if students do not have a base understanding of Greek Mythology. Overall however, I believe that many readers will find enjoyment and thrill in reading along and fight battles with Percy Jackson.