Fantasy Fiction

The "fantasy=escapism" equation is older than the genre as we know it. People in the old days boycotted the Theater, not just because it was a potential hotbed of wickedness, but because it was something other than Real Life and therefore odious to Sensible People. Some radical Christian sects have prohibited the reading of fiction on grounds that only the Bible has any literary value (....even though Jesus clearly told fictional stories).

In our day, fantasy as a fiction genre is more narrowly defined than simply "that which is not established fact." It encompasses stories of dragons, elves, dark and mysterious woods, magic (or majyck, or whatever the kids are calling it these days), unicorns, gnomes, etc. High fantasy usually takes place in a world or realm other than our own; low fantasy imports fantastic elements into the-world-as-we-know-it.

Certainly, there is plenty of fantasy fiction that can be defended on no grounds. The flood of worthless literary drivel with images of buxom maidens and swarthy sword-wielding savages with pointy ears on their paperback covers began sometime in the 1960s and has only increased as its putrid waters have swelled. But there's plenty of good fantasy, too, some of it among the best fiction ever written.

Because good fantasy, of course, has something to say about the human condition. Sometimes taking characters out of the humdrum of Earth-bound existence allows authors more artistic freedom to create the situations necessary to tell the narrative they have burning a hole in their imagination. Or sometimes they just make the story a bit more fun. Sometimes they make it darker, or scarier, or just plain more weird.

If you're J.R.R. Tolkien, the fantasy element plays a different role (mythmaking) than that of the story it frames (the sinfulness of sin and the cost of redemption). The point is, good fantasy isn't just about the fantastical. In most cases (Ursula K. LeGuin comes to mind), the unfamiliar is used to show how even it is ultimately familiar, and if we can see ourselves in the Edmund Pevensies and Gurney Hallecks we read about, the fantasy has done its job.

Review by C. Hollis Crossman
C. Hollis Crossman used to be a child. Now he's a husband and father who loves church, good food, and weird stuff. He might be a mythical creature, but he's definitely not a centaur. Read more of his reviews here.
Did you find this review helpful?
Parent Categories
Subcategories
Related Links
Doug Wilson: Magic in Literature
Should Christians read books with "magic"?
85 Items found Print
Active Filters: 5th grade (Ages 10-11), Hardcover, New Books & Materials
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Arthur Rackham
from Macmillan
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-Adult
in Ancient Literature (Location: LIT1-ANC)
$14.99
Arazan's Wolves
Royal Ranger #6
by John A. Flanagan
from Viking Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$18.99
Bilbo's Last Song
by J.R.R. Tolkien, Illustrated by Pauline Baynes
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 3rd-Adult
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$16.99
Burgess Animal Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$24.64
Burgess Bird Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$24.64
Burgess Flower Book for Children
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Living Book Press
in Living Science (Location: SCI-CMLS)
$24.64
Candymakers and the Great Chocolate Chase
by Wendy Mass
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.99
Charlotte's Web
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Chronicles of Harris Burdick
by Chris Van Allsburg
1st edition from Houghton Mifflin
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
D'Aulaires' Book of Trolls
by Edgar & Ingri D'Aulaire
from New York Review of Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$22.95
Door Before
by N. D. Wilson
from Random House Books for Young Readers
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Dragon Used to Live Here
by Annette LeBlanc Cate
from Candlewick Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$17.99
Farmer Giles of Ham
by J. R. R. Tolkien, Pauline D. Baynes
50 Anv from Houghton Mifflin
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$20.00
Girl Who Drank the Moon
by Kelly Barnhill
from Algonquin Books of Chapel Hill
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.95
Handbook for Dragon Slayers
by Merrie Haskell
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter Book 2
by J. K. Rowling
First American Edition from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$26.99
Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
Harry Potter Book 2
by J. K. Rowling
Illustrated from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$39.99
Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire
Harry Potter Book 4
by J. K. Rowling
1st American Edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$29.99 $15.00 (1 in stock)
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Harry Potter Book 5
by J. K. Rowling
1st American Edition from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$29.99
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
by J. K. Rowling; illustrated by Jim Kay
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$54.99
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
Harry Potter Book 3
by J.K. Rowling
1st edition from Scholastic Inc.
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$29.99 $15.00 (2 in stock)
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$39.99
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter Book 1
by J. K. Rowling
from Scholastic Press
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$29.99
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
Harry Potter Book 1
by J. K. Rowling
from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$39.99
Hobbit
by J. R. R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
Fantasy for 5th-9th grade
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$19.99
Hobbit, The
by J.R.R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
for 5th-Adult
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$35.00
Hobbit, The
by J.R.R. Tolkien
from Houghton Mifflin
for 5th-Adult
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$40.00
House of Arden
by E. Nesbit
from New York Review of Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$12.99
Hush Hush
by Remy Wilkins
from Canon Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Into the Jungle
by Katherine Rundell, Illustrated by Kristjana S. Williams
from Walker Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$24.99
Kingdom Tales
by David & Karen Mains
from My Father's World
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$34.95 $21.00 (1 in stock)
Lindbergh
Classic Starts
by Torben Kuhlmann, Translated by David Henry Wilson
from NorthSouth
for 2nd-6th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$19.95 $10.00 (1 in stock)
Little Prince
by Antoine De Saint-Exupery, translated by Richard Howard
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fantasy for 3rd-Adult
$18.00
Little Wizard Stories of Oz
by L. Frank Baum
1st edition from Dover Publications
for 4th-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
Love from Paddington
from HarperCollins
for Preschool-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Mary Poppins
by P. L. Travers
from Harcourt Children's Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Mary Poppins Comes Back
by P. L. Travers
from Harcourt Children's Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Mary Poppins from A to Z
by P. L. Travers
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 4th-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Mary Poppins in the Park
Marry Poppins Series #4
by P. L. Travers
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Mary Poppins Opens the Door
by P. L. Travers
from Harcourt Children's Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Monster in the Hollows
Wingfeather Saga Book 3
by Andrew Peterson, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from WaterBrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
Mouse and His Child
by Russell Hoban, illustrated by David Small
from Arthur A. Levine Books
for 4th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
Mr. Lemoncello's All-Star Breakout Game
Mr. Lemoncello's Library #4
by Chris Grabenstein
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
North! Or Be Eaten
Wingfeather Saga Book 2
by Andrew Peterson, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
Original from WaterBrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Ola
by Edgar Parin d'Aulaire, Ingri d'Aulaire
Reprint from University of Minnesota
for 3rd-6th grade
in Oversized Picture Books (Location: PIC-OVER)
$16.95
On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness
Wingfeather Saga Book 1
by Andrew Peterson, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from WaterBrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99 $8.50 (1 in stock)
Outlaws of Time
by N. D. Wilson
from Katherine Tegen Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Outlaws of Time 2
by N. D. Wilson
from Katherine Tegen Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Outlaws of Time 3
by N. D. Wilson
from Katherine Tegen Books
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Paddington At Large RUC
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Helps Out
by Michael Bond
Revised from HarperCollins
for 2nd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Here and Now
Paddington Bear #12
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Races Ahead
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Takes the Test
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
for 3rd-7th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Paddington Treasury
by Michael Bond, illustrated by R. W. Alley
1st edition from HarperCollins
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$27.99
Pembrick's Creaturepedia
by Andrew Peterson
from WaterBrook Press
for 1st-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
Peter Pan
by J. M. Barrie, illustrated by Trina Schart Hyman
Reissue from Atheneum
for 4th-8th grade
in Scribner Illustrated Classics (Location: FIC-SCRIB)
$19.99
Peter Pan
Dover Evergreen Classics
by J. M. Barrie
from Dover Publications
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$4.79 $2.40 (1 in stock)
Peter Pan in Scarlet
by Geraldine McCaughrean
from Margaret K. McElderry Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Pilgrim's Progress (retold)
by John Bunyan (retold by Gary D. Schmidt)
from Eerdmans
Christian Prose Epic/Allegory for 5th-8th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$17.50
Pinocchio
by Carlo Collodi, illustrated by Alice Carsey
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fantasy for 3rd-8th grade
$16.95
Poppy and Rye
Poppy Stories #3
by Avi
1st edition from HarperCollins
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 3rd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
Princess and the Goblin
Everyman Library
by George MacDonald
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
Fantasy for 5th-8th grade
$18.00
Puppets of Spelhorst
by Kate DiCamillo, illustrated by Julie Morstad
from Candlewick Press
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$17.99
Quest
Journey Trilogy #2
by Aaron Becker
from Candlewick Press
for PRes
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$17.99
Racketty-Packetty House
by Frances Hodgson Burnett, illustrated by Wendy Anderson Halperin
100th Anniversary Edition from Simon and Schuster
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$21.99
Ranger's Guide to Glipwood Forest
from WaterBrook Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
Saturdays at Sea
Tuesdays at the Tower #5
by Jessica Day George
Reprint from Bloomsbury Publishing
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.99
Scary Stories for Young Foxes
by Christian McKay Heidicker, illustrated by Junyi Wu
First Ed from Henry Holt and Company
for 4th-8th grade
2020 Newbery Honor Book
$16.99
Ship of Stolen Words
by Fran Wilde
from Amulet Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$17.99
Sinking City
by Christine Cohen
from Canon Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Tales of the Resistance
by David & Karen Mains
from Lamplighter Publishing
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$30.00
Thirteen Clocks
by James Thurber
from Penguin Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$15.00
Time Sight
by Lynne Jonell
from Henry Holt and Company
Time Travel Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Trumpet of the Swan
by E. B. White
from HarperCollins
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Voyages of Doctor Dolittle
by Hugh Lofting
from Dover Publications
for 3rd-7th grade
1923 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.95
Warden and the Wolf King
by Andrew Peterson, illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from WaterBrook Press
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
When the Sea Turned to Silver
by Grace Lin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.99
When You Trap a Tiger
by Tae Keller
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 4th-7th grade
2021 Newbery Medal winner
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$16.99
Wind in the Willows
by Kenneth Grahame, illustrated by Robert Ingpen
from Sterling Publishing Co.
Humorous Animal Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$24.95
Wingfeather Tales
by Andrew Peterson, et al.
from Rabbit Room Press
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$14.99
Winnie-the-Pooh
by A. A. Milne. illustrated by Ernest H. Shepard
from Dutton Children's Books
for 4th-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$19.99
Winter of Enchantment
by Victoria Walker
from Purple House Press
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$18.95
Wish in the Dark
by Christina Soontornvat
1st edition from Candlewick Press
for 5th-9th grade
2021 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$17.99
Word of Mouse
by James Patterson and Chris Grabenstein, Illustrated by Joe Sutphin
from Little, Brown & Company
for 3rd-6th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$13.99