Fourth grade students are discovering the structure of fantasy books as they read, think, write and engage in conversation in book clubs. Ella Enchanted, City of Ember and Into the Land of the Unicorns are the books being read by students in their book clubs. Students are examining the craft of writing as well as reading. They have discovered that setting is very important in a fantasy book and that the author has the ability through their writing to bring the setting to life for the reader.
Fantasy books that are exciting to talk about have well developed characters who change and grow throughout the course of the book. All three of these books have finely drawn characters that the readers care enough to think deeply and share their ideas in their book clubs. A quest is an integral part of a fantasy book as well and this helps mark the difference between fantasy and the realistic fiction genre. Reading and discussing fantasy books helps students to explore a world different from their own and to relate to characters that they might not encounter outside of a book, which also helps to foster empathy in the reader.
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