Fantastic Fantasy Books in Fourth Grade

Fourth grade students have leaped into the genre of fantasy this January. Fantasy books require in the reader a leap of faith as the reader jumps into the world created by the author. The Castle in the Attic by Elizabeth Winthrop and Into the Land of the Unicorns by Bruce Coville are the two books being read in small book groups.

Both books creative a vivid fantasy environment, carefully crafted so that the reader feels that it actually makes sense to be in this world. The main characters in both books have a quest to achieve that will enable a better life for the inhabitants of that particular world. Another aspect that both books share are characters that have distinctive personalities, ages similar to our fourth grade students, and the opportunity to develop and show growth as they progress through the plot of their book.

Our students are becoming adept at detecting the personality trait of each character and how they can tell from the description in the book. The genre of fantasy is also the perfect time for students to practice generating meaningful questions.  The strategy of making connections to the text to their own life, other books, and the world is also another strategy that students are using during discussions. Even though the fantasy world is unlike the student's world, the way characters feel, treat each other and face challenges are universal to all of our students' experiences.