Babbitt, N. (1975).
Tuck everlasting. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. When Winnie becomes friends with the Tuck family, her life is changed forever. The Tuck family has discovered a spring that gives eternal youth. They will never grow old or die. Their desire to keep the spring a secret leads to a murder and a trial. It leads to a discussion about whether or not immortality is a good thing. This book is for upper level readers and can be used to study fantasy genre.
Cooper, S. (1973).
The dark is rising. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Middle and upper level readers love a scary book, and this one is a favorite. Will Stanton finds out on his eleventh birthday that he is not an ordinary boy but the Sign Seeker, who must guard the six great Signs of the Light against the forces of evil. This Newbery Honor Book is thrilling and the first in a series of five suspenseful novels about Will Stanton. Would be a good book to use to illustrate the fantasy genre.
Dahl, R. (1961).
James and the giant peach. New York, NY: Puffin Books. This comical book introduces us to James Henry Trotter, a young boy who is forced to move in with his nasty Aunts Sponge and Spiker when his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros on the streets of London. He meets six giant insects and embarks on an adventure which demonstrates the concepts of teamwork and friendship. A great, fun book to study genre of fantasy. A natural for a read-aloud.
DuPrau, J. (2003).
City of Ember. New York, NY: Random House. Ember, a 241-year-old, ruined domed city surrounded by a dark unknown, was built to ensure that humans would continue to exist on Earth, and the instructions for getting out have been lost and forgotten. Two 12-year-olds, Doon and Lina, work together to find the key to leaving the city so they can find supplies to rescue a city short on power and food. This book was a 2007 Georgia Book Award Winner. It's a good read for middle and upper level readers. A good choice for the study of fantasy genre.
Lewis, C.S. (1950).
The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Four English children go to the country to escape the bombing of London and find an old wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek. The make their way through the back of the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia where they help the messiah-lion, Aslan, to defeat the White Witch. A classic for middle and upper level readers. A classic that would be a good novel study or selection for fantasy genre.
Nimmo, J. (2003).
Charlie Bone and the time twister. New York, NY: Orchard Books. The Time Twister is a ball with the power to transport people through time, and it brings Henry Yewbeam from 1916 to present day Bloor's, an academy much like Hogwart's. His evil, scheming cousin Ezekiel, who sent him to the future, is still alive, and Charlie Bone must protect Henry and find a way to send him back into the past. Although the book is 400+ pages long, it's a suspenseful, thiller for fantasy lovers. For upper level readers. Can be used to compare to Harry Potter in a fantasy genre study.
Norton, M. (1981).
The borrowers. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace. One of my favorites from my childhood, The Borrowers is a story about the Clock family who are tiny people who live in the floorboards under the clock. They live on things they "borrow" from the family that lives in the big house. They live there undetected until a boy and his ferret arrive at the house. Amity, one of the borrowers commits the biggest sin that a borrower can--she allows herself to be seen. This is a classic. Don't miss it. For upper level readers. A classic for the study of fantasy genre.
Babbitt, N. (1975). Tuck everlasting. New York, NY: Farrar, Straus, Giroux. When Winnie becomes friends with the Tuck family, her life is changed forever. The Tuck family has discovered a spring that gives eternal youth. They will never grow old or die. Their desire to keep the spring a secret leads to a murder and a trial. It leads to a discussion about whether or not immortality is a good thing. This book is for upper level readers and can be used to study fantasy genre.
Cooper, S. (1973). The dark is rising. New York, NY: Margaret K. McElderry Books. Middle and upper level readers love a scary book, and this one is a favorite. Will Stanton finds out on his eleventh birthday that he is not an ordinary boy but the Sign Seeker, who must guard the six great Signs of the Light against the forces of evil. This Newbery Honor Book is thrilling and the first in a series of five suspenseful novels about Will Stanton. Would be a good book to use to illustrate the fantasy genre.
Dahl, R. (1961). James and the giant peach. New York, NY: Puffin Books. This comical book introduces us to James Henry Trotter, a young boy who is forced to move in with his nasty Aunts Sponge and Spiker when his parents are eaten by a rhinoceros on the streets of London. He meets six giant insects and embarks on an adventure which demonstrates the concepts of teamwork and friendship. A great, fun book to study genre of fantasy. A natural for a read-aloud.
DuPrau, J. (2003). City of Ember. New York, NY: Random House. Ember, a 241-year-old, ruined domed city surrounded by a dark unknown, was built to ensure that humans would continue to exist on Earth, and the instructions for getting out have been lost and forgotten. Two 12-year-olds, Doon and Lina, work together to find the key to leaving the city so they can find supplies to rescue a city short on power and food. This book was a 2007 Georgia Book Award Winner. It's a good read for middle and upper level readers. A good choice for the study of fantasy genre.
Lewis, C.S. (1950). The lion, the witch, and the wardrobe. New York, NY: HarperCollins. Four English children go to the country to escape the bombing of London and find an old wardrobe during a game of hide-and-seek. The make their way through the back of the wardrobe into the magical land of Narnia where they help the messiah-lion, Aslan, to defeat the White Witch. A classic for middle and upper level readers. A classic that would be a good novel study or selection for fantasy genre.
Nimmo, J. (2003). Charlie Bone and the time twister. New York, NY: Orchard Books. The Time Twister is a ball with the power to transport people through time, and it brings Henry Yewbeam from 1916 to present day Bloor's, an academy much like Hogwart's. His evil, scheming cousin Ezekiel, who sent him to the future, is still alive, and Charlie Bone must protect Henry and find a way to send him back into the past. Although the book is 400+ pages long, it's a suspenseful, thiller for fantasy lovers. For upper level readers. Can be used to compare to Harry Potter in a fantasy genre study.
Norton, M. (1981). The borrowers. New York, NY: Harcourt Brace. One of my favorites from my childhood, The Borrowers is a story about the Clock family who are tiny people who live in the floorboards under the clock. They live on things they "borrow" from the family that lives in the big house. They live there undetected until a boy and his ferret arrive at the house. Amity, one of the borrowers commits the biggest sin that a borrower can--she allows herself to be seen. This is a classic. Don't miss it. For upper level readers. A classic for the study of fantasy genre.
