Traditional Literature
and
Modern Fantasy
Learning Team IV
Power Point Genre Presentation
By Amanda Allen, Erin Gass, Michael Mason, and Joy Warke
-- Amanda Allen
Modern Fantasy
Modern fantasy has developed from traditional literature.
Whereas traditional literature comes from a basis of fact,
modern fantasy is all about out-of-the-box fiction from the
get-go. Some categories of modern fantasy include:
• Articulate Animals
• Toys
• Preposterous Characters and Situations
• Strange and Curious Worlds
• Spirits Friendly and Frightening
• Little People
• Time Warps
• Science Fiction
-- Joy Warke
Modern Fantasy:
Time Warp
The Time Garden by Edward Eager
Time Warp is just one of the categories
in modern fantasy. This category
“encourages children to consider what
might have happened in their own
towns…hundreds of years ago, as well
as what the future might hold in
centuries to come.” (Norton, 2011, p.
287)
Many people think about what they
could have or would have done in the
past, as well as what they will do in the
future. Literature about time warps
lets children escape to where that is
possible. This form of literature
focuses more on how one can change
themselves to better the present.
Time Warp Trio is another good
example of this category.
The Time Garden is a great book by Edward Eager,
that gets children’s interests sparking. This fun filled
book is about four children who get to stay with
Mrs. Whiton, an older great-aunt, while their
parents are away on trips. Eliza and Jack, who are
brother and sister, are cousins with Ann and Roger,
who happen to be brother and sister. Eliza, Jack ,
and Ann venture out on the grounds and find
themselves in a magical time warp. The Natterjack,
a magical toad, and all the thyme allow the children
to wish where they want to be and it happen, while
Roger flirts with the girls in
town. These three have many
action packed ventures in the
past, while staying right in the
back yard, well most of the
thyme.
-Erin Gass
Modern Fantasy:
Little People
The Littles and the Terrible Tiny Kid by
John Peterson
“Contemporary authors of
fantasy satisfy children’s
fascination with people who
are a lot like them, only much
smaller.” (Norton, 2011.
p.284)
This category, little people,
includes all people or people
like creatures that act and
look like people. These people
may live in their own world or
in our world with us.
The Littles and the Terrible
Tiny Kid by John Peterson is
about a family of little people
who live in the Bigg's house.
One day two young little
people, Midge and Chip,
found their way into the Bigg
house and it was up to the
Little family to figure out how
to get these two home. There
is many exciting adventures
that happen along the way to
Midge and Chip’s house. This
fun and excitement will keep
readers of all ages wanting to
get to the end.
-Erin Gass
Modern Fantasy:
Strange and Curious worlds
Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song
The category of strange and
curious worlds is a great way
to get children to fall into the
book. This is a great book type
that can keep children
entranced in what they are
reading. Many children not
only read the book but let
their imaginations run and
can visualize the world
around them.
Jack Sparrow: The Sirens Song by Rob Kidd is a
fun filled action adventure that follows a young
Jack Sparrow and his problems. While on a
journey to find the magical Sword of Cortez and
its holder, infamous pirate Left-Foot-Louis, Jack’s
crew falls under a very powerful spell that
makes them try to keep the ship off course.
Jack is then forced to the
lair of the mermaids and
has to fight his way out
with the help of one,
Sirena, who gives him a
special compass, the
Scabbard, that points him
in the right directions he
needs to find the sword.
-Erin Gass
Modern Fantasy:
Redwall by Brian Jacques
“A fantasy is a story based on
and controlled by an overt
violation of what is generally
accepted as possibility; it is
the narrative result of
transforming the condition
contrary to fact into “fact”
itself (Jackson, 1981, p.14).
One category of modern
fantasy is Articulate Animals.
These animals wear clothes,
think, talk and have many
human characteristics, along
with their normal animal
traits. This is a category many
children’s authors have had a
lot of fun with!
Brian Jacque’s Redwall focuses
on a war between evil rats
and good mice, badgers,
hedgehogs, otters, moles,
squirrels, etc.. Matthias, a
young clumsy mouse, is the
main character in this epic tale full
of quests, riddles, prophesies, war, friendships,
and the development of warriors. “All of
Jacque’s books have strong
characters that reveal the
best or the worst of animalkind” (Norton, 2011, p. 278).
This book will keep you spellbound until the end!
--Joy Warke
Modern Fantasy
The Velveteen Rabbit by
Margery Williams
“It was not until the twentieth
century…that writing for children
really came into its own, and many
of the best children’s stories are
fantasies” (Rottensteiner, 1978,
p.112).
Another category of modern fantasy
is Toys, where the point of view of a
personified toy, “encourages young
readers to draw on their imaginative
experiences with toys and to
suspend their disbelief” (Norton,
2011, p.280).
Most children grow up personifying
their stuffed animals and toys.
Using toys as main characters,
therefore, is a natural avenue for
authors of children. Some of the
most heart-warming books for kids
are found in this category of
modern fiction.
The Velveteen Rabbit is a
bittersweet tale of a toy
rabbit who longs to be
‘real’, which is described
as what happens when a
toy is deeply loved to the
point of falling apart.
This actually happens to
the toy rabbit, and is a
great delight to him as he
loves and is loved by a
boy. When the boy
becomes sick with scarlet
fever, however, the rabbit
is thrown out with the
trash. Thankfully, he is
not forgotten by the
nursery magic Fairy!
--Joy Warke
Modern Fantasy:
Raising Dragons
by Bryan Davis
“Fantasy in literature
depends on a peculiar,
unexpected mingling of
internal and external
reality”(Apter, 1982, p.25).
Preposterous Characters and
Situations is another
category of modern fantasy.
Authors must enjoy the
freedom to invent and
create anything, attempting
to make it believable. Often
trilogies evolve from these
types of stories, with many
interwoven parts and
adventures.
Raising Dragons is a book centering on two kids
who are half-dragon, half human. A boy that can
breathe fire, a girl that has dragon wings…how
can this be? And yet it seems to work in this
action-packed book. Sinister ‘slayers’ are out to
end the endangered dragon population, Billy and
Bonnie included. The humor from some of the
outlandish situations make one laugh, and fear
from the near-death exploits keep the reader on
the edge of their seats! Bryan Davis weaves in
riddles of Merlin from the
days of King Arthur into this
unusual tale. Davis also
brings struggles of Christian
children into the story as
well. This is a harrowing tale,
put together with so much
imagination, it will make one’s
head spin!
--Joy Warke
Traditional Literature
Traditional Literature is literary work that details
stories from cultures around the world and “today,
folk literature is considered an important part of
every child’s cultural heritage” (Norton p. 205).
Some categories of traditional literature include:
• Folktales
• Fables
• Myths
• Legends
-- Amanda Allen
Traditional Literature:
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: A Worldwide
Cinderella by Paul Fleischman
“Because folktales differ from
other types of literature, they
have characteristics related to
plot, characterization, setting,
theme, and style that may
differ from other types of
children’s stories,” (Norton, p.
213).
One category of traditional
literature is Folktales. Many
folktales each share similar
characteristics within the
story, but they differ in
cultural styles and portray the
customs and traditions from
all over the world as they are
rewritten.
The timeless tale is of a woman left in the care
of her cruel step-mother after the death of her
beloved father. After sneaking in to a ball, she
comes face to face with her prince charming,
but upon the two falling in love after only a
moment she leaves him with nothing but a
shoe. Thus, his search begins to find the
woman whose foot fits the shoe, and fulfills his
heart’s desire. Newberry Award-winning writer
Paul Fleischman pens a new
adaptation of the
traditional story of
Cinderella. “He uses the
ubiquity of the story
across cultures to weave
an enchanting tapestry of
a tale that is familiar and
new at the same time,”
(Brozio-Andrews).
--Amanda Allen
Traditional Literature:
The story of the
mighty Lion and a
Aesop’s Fables: The Lion and
simple mouse is a
the Mouse
quaint lesson in being
Another category of
humble despite your
traditional literature is
greatness, and to
Fables, or stories “in which
animal characters that talk
appreciate everyone,
and act like humans teach a despite their seeming
moral lesson or satirize
insignificance. This
human conduct” (Norton,
2011, p.207). These types of Lion allows a mouse,
tales are simple yet effective whom he deemed a
analogies of life that remind nuisance, to go free after being assured by the
us all that we should be
mouse that his kindness would be repaid. The
aware of how we treat
Lion laughs off this mere mouse’s offer, only to be
others, and to affect all
grateful of his assistance a short time later when
people with humility and
the mouse frees him from the traps of hunters.
kindness.
-- Amanda Allen
Traditional Literature:
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Another category of
traditional literature is
Legends. These writers
create a believable
world loosely based on
historical facts
intermingled with
fictitious circumstances
and characters that
often leave the audience
inspired and
empowered.
This first book of a four part series is the epic tale
of Eragon, a poor farm boy, who finds what he
thinks is a blue stone that may save his family from
starvation. His life is upended when then stone
produces a dragon named Saphira who has been
waiting to hatch until she encounters her fated
rider. Eragon soon realizes that he is now a part of
a legacy as “he is thrust into a perilous new world
of destiny, magic, and power” (aleglaesia.com).
The young Paolini continues
his story that allows Eragon
and Saphira to “embark on a
journey of escape and
revenge, and along the way
meet up with a wise
magician, elves, dwarves, and
several beautiful maidens”
(notablebiographies.com).
--Amanda Allen
Traditional Literature Overview
Traditional literature is the term used to describe various
forms of folklore stories that come from the oral
tradition. They do not have a known originating author, but
have been collected and retold by people like the Grimm
Brothers. Traditional literature includes folktales,
mythology, legends, tall tales, folk songs, nursery rhymes,
and fairy tales. Fairy tales by known originating authors,
such as those by Hans Christian Andersen, are not
traditional literature. Folklore may appear as a single
illustrated story in a picture book format or a number of
stories may be accumulated into a collection.
Michael Mason
Traditional Literature
Books
* Felton, Harold W. (1989). Pecos Bill: The Cyclone. Englewood
Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-698523-8
* Sandburg, Carl (1989). Paul Bunyan of the North Woods.
Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13698523-8
* Stoutenburg, Adrien (1989). Hammerman. Englewood Cliffs,
New Jersey: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13-698523-8
Michael Mason
Interesting Facts of Traditional
Literature
Paul Bunyan of the North Woods is about a legendary frontiersman, a gigantic
lumberjack, known for his tremendous strength and fantastic logging
adventures. According to folklore, Paul Bunyan invented the idea of
logging in the Pacific Northwest, and he created the Great Lakes to
provide drinking water for his blue ox, Babe.
Pecos Bill: The Cyclone is about a legendary American cowboy. The tales tell
that Pecos Bill was born in Texas in the 1830’s. He is credited with the
invention of branding, roping, and the six-shooter. It is also said that he
taught broncos how to buck. One of the most famous tales about Pecos
Bill tells of the time he rode a cyclone in Oklahoma.
Hammerman was the nickname for a black laborer named John Henry who in
the early 1870’s helped construct the Big Bend Tunnel along the
Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad in West Virginia. At the time, the workers
used long-handled hammers to pound steel drills into rocks. One day a
man arrived with a steam-powered drill, which he claimed could drill holes
faster that twenty men using hammers.
Michael Mason
Relevant Information of Traditional
Literature
There are sub-genres that make up traditional literature. These sub genres are:
* Animal Stories: Deals with anthropomorphism – ex. The Three bears.
* Trickster Tales: The story involves someone who gets others in trouble – ex. Brer Rabbit .
* Pourquoi Tales: The story explains why something happens – ex. Why Mosquitoes Buzz in
People’s Ears.
* Tall Tales: Highly exaggerated stories, typical American tales – ex. Paul Bunyan and Babe.
* Cumulative Tales: Composed of repeated lines and additional lines – ex. There was an Old Lady
Who Swallowed a Fly.
* Fairytales: Magical stories – ex. Cinderella.
* Numbskull or Droll Tales: Stories of fools and idiots – ex. The Three Sillies.
* Folktales: Folktales are tied to and reflect a particular culture- ex. The Little Mermaid
(Scandinavian).
* Fables: A form of animal tale in which animals portray human virtues and vices to convey a
moral message – ex. Aesop.
* Ghost Stories: An example of a living folktale, told from person to person with each telling
adapted to the occasion- ex. Urban Legends.
* Myths: Stories of gods, goddesses, and heroes of a given culture- ex. Greek myths.
* Epics and Heroic Legends: Grew out of mythology, but humans became the heroes – ex.
Odyssey.
* Saint’s Lives and Local Legends: Recounting of apocryphal tales of the lives and miracles of
saints – ex. George Washington’s Cherry Tree.
Michael Mason
Traditional Literature
and
Modern Fantasy
These stories are used throughout the
education of students for invaluable lessons
of the English language, grammar, and
reading skills, as well as introducing culture,
morals and ethics to children.
-- Amanda Allen
Our Book List
Amanda:
Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: The Worldwide Cinderella by Paul Fleischman
Aesop’s Fables: The Lion and the Mouse
Eragon by Christopher Paolini
Erin:
The Littles and the Terrible Tiny Kid
by John Peterson
The Time Garden by Edward Eager
Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song by Rob Kidd
Joy:
The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams
Redwall by Brian Jacques
Raising Dragons by Bryan Davis
Michael:
Paul Bunyan and the North Woods by Carl Sandburg
Pecos Bill: The Cyclone by Harold W. Felton
Hammerman by Adrien Stoutenburg
Joy Warke
Reference:
Michael Mason’s
• Felton, Harold W. (1989). Pecos Bill: The Cyclone. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13698523-8
• Norton, Donna & Norton, Saundra (2011). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children's
literature (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-137-02875X
• Sandburg, Carl (1989). Paul Bunyan of the North Woods. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall,
ISBN 0-13-698523-8
• Stoutenburg, Adrien (1989). Hammerman. Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey: Prentice Hall, ISBN 0-13698523-8
• http://web.gccaz.edu/~rbarstac/291Fall08/TradLit/TradLit1a.htm
Joy Warke's
•Apter, T.E. (1982). Fantasy literature: An approach to reality. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Press.
•Norton, Donna & Norton, Saundra (2011). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children's
literature (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
•Jackson, Rosemary (1981). Fantasy: The literature of subversion. NewYork, NY: Mehuen & Co.
•Rottensteiner, Franz (1978). The fantasy book: An illustrated history from dracula to tolkein. New York,
NY: Macmillian Publishing Co., Inc.
-Erin Gass
Reference:
•
Erin Gass’s
Eager, E., 1958. The Time Garden. New York, NY: Harcourt Children's Books.
•
Kidd, R., 2006. Jack Sparrow: The Siren Song. New York, NY: Disney Press.
•
Norton, Donna & Norton, Saundra (2011). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children's
literature (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall
•
Peterson, J., 1993. The Littles and the Terrible Tiny Kid. New York, NY. Scholastic Inc.
•
Amanda Allen’s
Norton, Donna & Norton, Saundra (2011). Through the eyes of a child: An introduction to children's
literature (8th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill Prentice Hall.
•
Brozio-Andrews, Amy (2011). Book Review of Glass Slipper, Gold Sandal: The Worldwide Cinderella. In The
Imperfect Parent. Retrieved April 13, 2011. http://www.imperfectparent.com/books/articles550_1.php
•
Long, John (1997-2011). The Lion and The Mouse. Aesop’s Fables Online Collection. Retrieved April 12,
2011. http://aesopfables.com/cgi/aesop1.cgi?3&TheLionandtheMouse&lionmouse.jpg
•
Unkown (nd). Review of Eragon. Alegaesia.com. Retrieved April 12, 2011.
http://www.alagaesia.com/eragon.htm
•
Unknown (2011). Biography of Christopher Paolini. Encyclopedia of World Biography. Retrieved April 12,
2011. http://www.notablebiographies.com/news/Ow-Sh/Paolini-Christopher.html
-Erin Gass