Modern Fantasy Evaluations
Tuck Everlasting
1. Is the plot well-constructed, ingenious, and creative? Are the characters convincing, is it a
worthwhile theme and appropriate style?
a. Plot – yes b/c ending is suspenseful – we don’t know if they’ll drink the water
b. Characters – yes b/c they each have their own stories; all kids want to know what else is
out there
c. Theme – circle of life – life is meant to go on and immortality is real
d. Style – serious, not always happy; evaluating the good and bad of living forever;
bittersweet; pretty straightforward
2. Do any of the characters mirror the disbelief of the reader in story events? Which ones?
 At the beginning, Winnie is slow to believe that its possible to live forever
3. What fantasy elements are in the story?
a. Setting – spring of eternal life
b. Characterization – Tuck family that lives forever
c. Plot – it’s possible to live forever if you drink special water
4. How has the author made the story believable and how is it grounded in reality before the
fantasy elements are introduced?
 Set in a believable community
 Winnie is a normal kid that wants to get away from her parents
5. Is there careful attention given to the presence of detail related to the setting? If so, provide an
example.
 Explaining times they should have died or been hurt
 Escape plan was very detailed
6. How is the story logical and consistent within the framework established by the author?
 The idea that they should have died at different points in time
 Winnie grew to get to know them and at the conclusion, the Tucks come back
to check up on her to see what decision she chose
 Winnie grows up and the Tucks are still alive
7. How does this fantasy speak to our deepest needs, our darkest fears, and our highest hopes?
a. Deepest needs – need to feel change and the pattern of life is ok
b. Darkest fears – fear of dying
c. Highest hopes – making a difference in the world – Jessie and Winnie express this hope
8. Is there a universal truth or truths metaphorically commenting on society today? If so, describe.
 People are afraid of dying today, and this book speaks to the fact that life is a
normal progression. The circle of life happens, and we must die.
Tuck Everlasting by Natalie Barbbitt
Type: Suspense and the Supernatural
1.
a. Yes the plot is well constructed
b. The characters are believable
c. Has the flow of life and death- is a worth while theme because it is a subject that has intrigued many
generations
d. the style is appropriate because it is descriptive and believable. It also makes the story seem more
realistic as well
2. Yes, Winnie shows disbelief as well as the whole Tuck family
3. Same as above
4. The beginning introduction of Winnie and her personality. The characters reactions and interactions
are realistic.
5. The description of the woods and the Tuck’s house
6. The actions of characters are appropriate considering the fantasy elements which are considered to
be true. The factor of disbelief is also consistent throughout the story
7. Deepest Needs- to pro-long life, friends
Darkest Fears- stuck in something you can’t escape, losing others, death itself
Highest Hopes- addresses the fairytale ending of living “happily ever after”
8. Everyone is going to die. Death is inevitable and should be accepted at the appropriate time
James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl
Type of modern fantasy: eccentric characters and preposterous situations
1a. The plot is very creative but is not focused on a goal, so it wanders.
1b. The characters are interesting and unique, holding the reader’s attention
1c. The theme is about individualism, giving power to children, and belonging.
1d. The style is terse.
2. The two aunts mirror the disbelief of the reader when the peach grows. The main character is very
accepting of the strange events in the story.
3.
Fantasy elements of setting: takes place inside a peach
Characters: huge insects, Cloud Men, strange old man
Plot: 502 seagulls are connected to the peach by strings and pull it out of the water; the peach
lands on the Empire State Building
4. The beginning of the story, in which an orphan boy is forced to live with his abusive aunts in complete
isolation, is not very realistic but is still familiar to children.
5. The author describes the peach and the insects in great detail.
6. The author does not establish a framework, other than “anything goes.” The story seems to
constantly develop new unexpected events.
7. The story speaks to our fear of being unloved and our hope/need of friendship and acceptance for
who we are.
8. In society today, everyone wants to be accepted for being themselves, which is what James wants in
the story.
Title: The Whipping Boy
Author: Sid Fleischman
1a. The plot is predictable but well constructed and easy to follow.
b. Jemmy, Prince Brat, Cutwater are convincing characters but Hold-Your-Nose-Billy is a little too
fantastical.
c. Never doing anything yourself is unsatisfying. Prince Brat was not able to do anything himself and he
hated it.
d. Suspenseful – they are always running away from something. Concise – it is a relatively short book
full of action packed in, not too much detail.
2. Jemmy’s desire to escape and his frustrations with the way things are, and disbelief that Prince Brat
will be trustworthy all mirror what the reader questions and wonders.
3. is #2
4. They are normal boys who do not have magical powers and the setting at the beginning is that of a
pretty realistic castle.
5. Description of the sewer with all of the rats and also the scene with the heavy fog.
6. There is a lot of dialogue and Jemmy and Prince Brat’s relationship changes into eventual mutual
respect as seen through them sharing adventures together.
7. Deepest needs: friendship, equality
Darkest fears: to be mistreated, being punished for other’s wrongs, to be treated as an object rather
than a person
Highest hopes: anyone can change, you can take control of your future, to find the good in someone
8. The issue of equality, judging people based on appearances, and the worth of every human being are
all a part of society today.
Evaluating Modern Fantasy: The Indian in the Cupboard
Martina Shearer and Lia Quatrini
1. Is the plot well contructed, ingenious, and creative? Are the characters convincing, is it a worthwhile
theme and appropriate style?
a) Plot – everything fits together (all of the gifts have specific importance in the story)
b) Characters – the friendship between Omri & Patrick is very believable and the relatiojnship
between his family mirrors an everyday family
c) Theme – sacrifice for friendship/ dealing with death and loss (the cowboy)
d) Style – explicit
2. Do any of the characters mirror the dibelief of the reader in story events? Which ones?
Omri – by finally sending Little Bear back home.
3. What fantasy elements are in the story?
a) Setting: nothing
b) Characterization: the possibility of toys coming to life
c) Plot: the concept of the box bringing things to life
4. How has the author made it believable?
The basic interaction of the characters is set up just like any normal life
5. Careful attention given to the presence of detail related to the setting”
The contrast between the setting of the boy and his family and the world of the Indian
6. Logical and consistent within the framework?
The dialogue in the story is consistent and accurately portrays the feelings/interaction between
the characters. It especially portrays the growth of friendship between the boy and the Indian as
the book progresses.
7. How does this peek to our deepest needs, darkest fears, and highest hopes?
a) Needs: we all need a bet friend
b) Fears: we are all scared of losing our best friend
c) Hope: we all hope that something magical and life changing will happen to us
8. Universal truth:
Self sacrifice for friendship.
Evaluating Modern Fantasy
EDUC 328
Children’s Literature
Text Title: The Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe
Author: CS Lewis
Type of Modern Fantasy:
1. Elements
a. The plot is well constructed, ingenious and creative. They find the country of Narnia
and end up having to save it. They meet many different characters in Narnia.
b. The characters are Lucy, Edmond, Susan, and Peter. They are believable. A lion is a
good character to pick to represent Christ. The children are real and able to be
believed. The talking animals are also easy to believe in.
c. The theme is self sacrifice which is a mirror of Christianity. It is a very worthwhile
theme.
d. The style is imaginative because of how the animals interact with the children.
2. When the other children do not believe that Lucy has found another world we understand that
this kind of thing should not happen.
3. Fantasy elements
a. Setting – another imaginary world
b. Characterization – the different creatures and talking animals
c. Plot – coming back to life, going into a fantasy world, difference in the passing of time
4. They are real children in a real situation until they find Narnia and the fantasy elements are
introduced. It seems to be believable.
5. Yes, when the Witch comes to Aslan’s camp, each character is reacting to it and there is lots of
detail in the action and waiting of the scene.
6. It starts out in reality and it finishes with reality. Only in the middle do the children visit Narnia,
the imaginary land. But the imaginary is founded in the real world of the children.
7. We all hope to be important in some way and the children become rulers. We also want to be
loved enough that someone would die for us as Aslan dies for Edmond.
8. The universal truth is that Christ was the ultimate sacrifice for our sins.