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.
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100 Cupboards - Paperback Trilogy
by N. D. Wilson
from Random House Books for Young Readers
for 3rd-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$24.62
Abiyoyo
by Pete Seeger
from Scholastic Press
for 1st-3rd grade
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Ace, the Very Important Pig OSI
by Dick King-Smith
from Yearling
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Adventures of Bob White
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #23
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
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Adventures of Chatterer the Red Squirrel
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #13
by Thornton W. Burgess
Revised ed. from Dover Publications
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Adventures of Happy Jack
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Adventures of Pinocchio
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Adventures of Pinocchio
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Adventures of Sir Balin the Ill-Fated
The Knights' Tales Book 4
by Gerald Morris
from HMH Books for Young Readers
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$5.94
Adventures of Sir Gawain the True
The Knights' Tales Book 3
by Gerald Morris
from HMH Books for Young Readers
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Adventures of Sir Givret the Short
The Knights' Tales Book 2
by Gerald Morris
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$7.61
Adventures of Sir Lancelot the Great
The Knights' Tales Book 1
by Gerald Morris
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
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$6.79
Adventures of Unc' Billy Possum
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #8
by Thornton W. Burgess
from Dover Publications
for 1st-4th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$4.25
Aesop's Fables
by Aesop, illustrated by Michael Hague
from Henry Holt and Company
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 1st-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Aesop's Fables for Children
by Aesop, illustrated by Milo Winter
Pap/Com from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$12.74
Airborn
Airborn Trilogy #1
by Kenneth Oppel
from HarperCollins
for 5th-Adult
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$10.19
Alexander and the Wind-Up Mouse
by Leo Lionni
Reissue from Dragonfly Books
for Kindergarten-2nd grade
1970 Caldecott Honor Book
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
Dover Thrift Editions
by Lewis Carroll
from Dover Publications
Fantasy for 5th-8th grade
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$3.40
Alice's Adventures in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by Justin Todd
from Lynx
for 3rd-6th grade
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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland & Through the Looking-Glass
by Lewis Carroll
from Modern Library
for 10th-Adult
in 19th Century Literature (Location: LIT6-19)
$9.35
All My Holy Mountain
The Binding of the Blade Book 5
by L. B. Graham
from P&R Publishing
Fantasy for 7th-10th grade
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Ambush at Sorato
Ranger's Apprentice Royal Ranger #7
by John Flanagan
from Viking Books for Young Readers
for 4th-8th grade
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$8.49
Amos and Boris
by William Steig
from Square Fish Publishing
Animal Fantasy for Kindergarten-3rd grade
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$8.49
Anansi and the Moss-covered Rock
by Eric A. Kimmel
Reprint from Holiday House
for Preschool-1st grade
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Ancient, Strange, and Lovely
Dragon Chronicles #4
by Susan Fletcher
Reprint from Atheneum
for 3rd-7th grade
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$11.04
Andrew and the Firedrake
by Douglas Wilson
from Canonball Books
for 4th-9th grade
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$12.71
Ant and the Elephant
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Arazan's Wolves
Ranger's Apprentice: Royal Ranger #6
by John A. Flanagan
from Viking Press
for 4th-8th grade
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Archer's Cup
Green Ember Archer #3
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.86
Archives of Anthropos series
by John White
from InterVarsity Press
Christian Fantasy for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Armadillo from Amarillo
by Lynne Cherry
Reprint from Sandpiper Books
for Preschool-2nd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$2.00 (1 in stock)
Arrow
by Dawn L. Watkins
from Bob Jones University Press
for 3rd-5th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Arthur's Honey Bear
An I Can Read Book Level 2
by Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$4.24
Ask Mr. Bear
by Marjorie Flack
from Aladdin Paperbacks
for Kindergarten-1st grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Babe the Gallant Pig
by Dick King-Smith
1st edition from Yearling
Animal Stories: Fantasy for 2nd-5th grade
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$6.79
Baby Sister for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Baby Sister for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Bark of the Bog Owl
Wilderking #1
by Jonathan Rogers
2nd edition from Rabbit Room Press
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Battle for Skandia
Ranger's Apprentice #04
by John A. Flanagan
Reprint from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Battle for Skandia
Ranger's Apprentice #04
by John A. Flanagan
Reprint from Philomel Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.20 (2 in stock)
Battle for Wondla
Wondla Trilogy Book 3
by Tony DiTerlizzi
from Simon and Schuster
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.89
Battle of Hackham Heath
Ranger’s Apprentice: The Early Years Book 2
by John A. Flanagan
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49
Battle of the Labyrinth
Percy Jackson & the Olympians #4
by Rick Riordan
from Hyperion/Madison Press
for 4th-8th grade
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$9.34
Bear Called Paddington
by Michael Bond
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 2nd-4th grade
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$8.49
Beatrix Potter 3 Volume Set in Latin
by Beatrix Potter
from Canon Press
in Latin Resources & Reference (Location: FL-LATREF)
$26.88
Bedtime for Frances
by Russell Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Bellmaker
Redwall #7
by Brian Jacques
from Firebird Press
Fantasy for 4th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.34
Beneath the Swirling Sky
The Restorationists #01
by Carolyn Leiloglou, illustrated by Vivienne To
from WaterBrook Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49
Beowulf the Warrior
by Ian Serraillier
from Bethlehem Books
Fairy Tales, Fables, and Legends for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$10.16 $5.60 (1 in stock)
Beren & Luthien
by J.R.R. Tolkien
from William Morrow & Company
in 20th & 21st Century Literature (Location: LIT7-20)
$16.14
Best Friends for Frances
I Can Read Level 2
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperTrophy
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in I Can Read Books (Location: EAR-ICR)
$5.09
Between Flowers and Bones
The Restorationists #02
by Carolyn Leiloglou, illustrated by Vivienne To
from WaterBrook Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49
Between the Forest and the Hills
Bethlehem Books Adventure Library
by Ann Lawrence
from Bethlehem Books
Humorous Fantasy for 7th-10th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$11.01
Beyond the Edge of the Map (The Mapmaker Chronicles)
The Mapmaker Chronicles #4
by A. L. Tait
from Lothian Children's Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.89
Beyond the Far Horizon
The Restorationists #03
by Carolyn Leiloglou, illustrated by Vivienne To
from WaterBrook Press
for 5th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49
Beyond the Summerland
The Binding of the Blade Book 1
by L. B. Graham
from P&R Publishing
Fantasy for 7th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
BFG
by Roald Dahl
from Puffin Books
for 2nd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Big Bad Bruce
by Bill Peet
from Sandpiper Books
Animal Fantasy for Preschool-4th grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Billy Mink
Thornton Burgess Peter Cottontail Books #33
by Thornton W. Burgess
Illustrated from Dover Publications
for 2nd-5th grade
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.10
Billy the Bird
by Dick King-Smith
from Scholastic Inc.
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Birthday for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from HarperCollins
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$8.49
Birthday for Frances
by Russell & Lillian Hoban
from Scholastic Inc.
Animal Fantasy for 1st-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
$1.60 (1 in stock)
Black Cauldron
Prydain Chronicles #2
by Lloyd Alexander
from Henry Holt and Company
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
1966 Newbery Honor Book
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Black Hearts in Battersea
Wolves Chronicles #2
by Joan Aiken
from HMH Books for Young Readers
for 5th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Black Hearts in Battersea
Wolves Chronicles #2
by Joan Aiken
from Dell Yearling
for 5th-9th grade
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
Black Horse
by Marianna Mayer
from Dial Books for Young Readers
for Preschool-3rd grade
in Picture Books (Location: PICTURE)
Black Horses for the King
by Anne McCaffrey
from Ballantine Books
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.60 (1 in stock)
Black Horses for the King
by Anne McCaffrey
from Magic Carpey Books
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$11.99
Black Horses for the King
by Anne McCaffrey
from Del Rey
for 5th-9th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$3.20 (1 in stock)
Black Star of Kingston
Green Ember Old Natalia #1
by S. D. Smith
from Story Warren Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$9.31
Blue Cat of Castle Town
by Catherine Coblentz, illustrated by Janice Holland
Dover 2017 from Dover Publications
for 3rd-6th grade
1950 Newbery Honor Book
in Animal Stories (Location: FIC-ANI)
$5.91
Blue Sword
by Robin McKinley
from Puffin Books
for 8th-10th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Bone #1: Out from Boneville
Bone #1
by Jeff Smith
1st edition from Scholastic Reference
for 6th-9th grade
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Bone #2: The Great Cow Race
by Jeff Smith
from Graphix
for 6th-9th grade
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Bone #3: Eyes of the Storm
Bone #3
by Jeff Smith
from Graphix
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Bone #4: Dragonslayer
Bone #4
by Jeff Smith
from Graphix
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Bone #5
by Jeff Smith
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Bone #6: Old Man's Cave
Bone #6
by Jeff Smith
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Bone #7: Ghost Circles
Bone #7
by Jeff Smith
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Bone #8: Treasure Hunters
Bone #1
by Jeff Smith
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Bone #9
by Jeff Smith
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Book of Boy
by Catherine Gilbert Murdock, illustrated by Ian Schoenherr
from Greenwillow Books
for 3rd-7th grade
2019 Newbery Honor Book
in Action & Adventure Stories (Location: FIC-ADV)
$7.64 $3.60 (1 in stock)
Book of Dragons
by Edith Nesbit
from Dover Publications
for 2nd-4th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.95
Book of Three
Prydain Chronicles #1
by Lloyd Alexander
from Henry Holt and Company
Fantasy for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Book Smugglers
Pages & Co. #04
by Anna James
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Book Thief
by Markus Zusak
from Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
for 8th-12th grade
in Historical Fiction (Location: FIC-HIF)
$12.74
Bookwanderers
Pages & Co. #01
by Anna James
from Puffin Books
for 4th-8th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
Bootlace Magician
by Cassie Beasley
from Puffin Books
for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$7.64
Borrowers
Borrowers Series #1
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
1952 Carnegie Medal
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$8.49 $4.00 (1 in stock)
Borrowers Afield
Borrowers Series #2
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.79
Borrowers Afloat
Borrowers Series #3
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.79
Borrowers Aloft
Borrowers Series #4
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.79
Borrowers Avenged
Borrowers Series #5
by Mary Norton
from Harcourt
Fantasy for 3rd-6th grade
in Fantasy Fiction (Location: FIC-FAN)
$6.79 $3.60 (1 in stock)
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