I often tell Dr. Charles French that he will eventually get the children I teach, or that I have prepared his students. You see, while I teach preschool and he teaches college, we actually teach the same thing – that literature is the greatest teacher. We both read to our students with passion, and follow the many trails that books blaze along the way. I know that my students will come to read Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings, because I have read to them Charlotte’s Web and The Story of Doctor Doolittle. Fantasy is imagination, and also inspiration. For me and for Dr. Charles French, it is our greatest teaching tool. We are as excited as our students! Thank you, Charles. Keep reading great literature to your students. I will, too.
I thought I would continue this series on favorite writers by asking specifically about Fantasy today. I have addressed Speculative and Science-fiction writers, but now let us consider those we love reading in Fantasy.
Here is a brief list of some of my favorites:
J. R. R. Tolkien and The Lord Of The Rings
(https://commons.wikimedia.org)
J. K. Rowling The Harry Potter Series
(https://commons.wikimedia.org)
Ray Bradbury Something Wicked This Way Comes
These writers are only a few of many possible whom I might have listed.
A Teacher's Reflections 
Jennie, thank you so much for your kind words and the reblogging!
Charles, I want to shout to the whole world what you do with literature. You make it come alive, and you make students want to read more. Your literature is the best, and your students learn far more than the words they read. I think I do that on a tiny scale with preschoolers. One day they will be lucky enough to have you as their teacher. And they will definitely love reading Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. I mean that sincerely. Thank YOU, Charles!
Jennie, I am humbled–thank you! And you are welcome!
Thank you, Charles. My pleasure!
I don’t read too much fantasy but what I do read I believe started with Pippy Longstocking. Who didn’t wish for parents that were working at sea leaving one to fend for themselves with a pet monkey and wonderful horse and willing and gullible new neighbor children right next door?
I love The Hobbit, but am on the fence with rest of the Ring series. I am not a fan of Frodo. I love Sam and feel he was ever so much more worthy of carrying the ring and getting rid of it.
Without Sam and a whole lot of other characters Frodo would have failed the mission.
I may be missing the point of that, but honestly I spent all the rest of the series passed off and very disappointed in Frodo. He did not even come close to his Uncle Bilbo’s strength , or character en Mon avis. I have the series 3 times at different stages in my life and don’t ever like Frodo any better.
I fear I am on an island alone feeling this way. I feel the alone disliking Withering Heights. I detest Heathcliff and Cathy. They have a sick and very dysfunctional relationship. I have never seen or felt romance reading or viewing it. Y e t so many women swoon for him! Why? He’s brutal and controlling. What about that is remotely romantic?
It’s not for me.
I am too literal for fantasy me thinks. 😀
Actually, I am not a fan of Withering Heights, nor Heathcliff and Cathy, even though the literature is excellent. I think it depends on the fantasy. Pippi Longstocking is delightful. Thank you, Deborah!
Thank goodness that there are people out there like you.
I was in a bad path, parents send me to study in the US, and It was a great change of teaching. In the US the teacher or counselor she worked both told me up straight, you are not good at math, not good at science, but you are good in English literature(I´m Spanish), psychology( we never had that one in Spain), philosophy and history. Basically that is the things she outlined for me to go after, I did.
A great job that profession, you did make me at that time to be able to focus on my things that I got a scholarship to go to a US university (sorry about the grammar but the computer is configured in Spanish) and excell for a bit. The method of teaching there is very different from here in Spain, so thank you and other teacher, specially the one that told me my strenghts and weaknesses and apply the strenght in the material I was good at. It´s obvious for you, but try to implement that in a Spanish scool system.
I just thank you for your profession.
Thank you for your insight, Charly, and for your kind words!
Oh Gosh. I so love all the Harry Potter stories, and I love The Lord of the Rings too. The Chronicles of Narnia is another one I like, not as much as the first two, but I still think it is pretty good. I can’t think of more tonight, but I am exceptionally tired as my significant other, Richard has been in and out of ER three times in as many days. He is finally OK, but it was very scary. Anyway, I did love those books a lot and still do. Thank you kindly.
Fantasy has some outstanding literature. Thank you, Anne. I’m so glad Richard is okay. Very scary!
Thank you, Jennie. Yes, I have been crying a lot, for I don’t know what I would do without him. Thank you kindly again. Anne He has to go back Monday for a check, and he still is not out of the woods.
Fingers crossed 🤞.
Fantasy is not generaly a genre I enjoy. But I loved The Hobbit, even though I didn’t read anything else in the LOTR series. I have never read a Harry Potter book, so my top vote for the ultimate fantasy must go to Lewis Carroll’s Alice in Wonderland, and Through The Looking Glass. They were like nothing I had ever read before.
Best wishes, Pete.
Excellent books, Pete! Best to you.
A couple to add to the list, both of whom appealed mainly to older children (though, frankly, I found them enjoyable as an adult!) Anyway – Susan Cooper (The Dark is Rising series) and Ursula le Guin (the Earthsea novels).
Excellent books!
Does Madeline L’Engles’ ‘A wrinkle in time’ series count? I discovered the ***series*** (already had read the first book earlier) when I was a work-study in the juvenile library (Norlin) of the education school at CU Boulder back in the 70’s. I read many a cool YA novel before they were called YA during my late night work-times (wo)manning the desk!
Yes! YES!! That’s one of the great ones. YA books are my absolute favorites. I started with Kate DiCamillo, and I’ve never looked back. And libraries now have a separate YA section. I’m so glad. 😀
Tolkien – The Lord of the Rings and the Hobbit!! Fantastic! I do like Harry Potter though. So many kids started to read because of those books.
Yes, they did! 🙂
Thank you for sharing Jennie.. Loved these reads myself. 🙂
Glad you enjoyed this, Sue. Great literature! 🙂
David Eddings!
Yes!
I love fantasy books. Love Tolkien, C. S. Lewis, Ursula LeGuin, Juliet Marillier and many others.
Yours are among the best!
I’ve been partial to Terry Goodkind, though not for everyone. The main characters are so real, the writer doing a great job of creating a relationship that lasts.
Thank you!
I loved to read Harry Potter, and Tolkien’s “The Hobbit” too. Now i try to start reading “The Hobbit” in original English.;-) Michael
Excellent, Michael!
Been reading those Jack Reacher novels by Lee Child.
Oooh, I don’t know those books.
Don’t forget George McDonald – especially Phantastes and Lilith – wonderful books with haunting imagery
Thank you!
Terry Brooks! Also agree with you on Tolkien!
Thank you!