There has been a recent surge in the popularity of youth fantasy books; this can be partially attributed to the popularity of J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series. Librarians and others who recommend books to youth are having a difficult time suggesting other fantasy books to those who have read the Harry Potter series and want to read other similar…

The purpose of this study was to come to a greater understanding of contemporary high fantasy for children by analyzing in depth the nature and functions of four key motifs of this sub-genre of fantasy. These motifs are created worlds, time displacement, quest, and combat between good and evil. The 47 books chosen for analysis were recommended in…

The purpose of this study was to determine if the use of classroom activities to enhance children's imaginations could improve their creative abilities. Subjects included 25 fifth-grade students in the Grand Forks, North Dakota, school district. Students were given the Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking and were provided with materials designed…

This paper presents a content analysis of 45 high fantasy novels randomly selected from the outstanding contemporary fantasy list in "Fantasy Literature for Children and Young Adults" (Ruth Nadelman Lynn), which divides high fantasy into three subgenres--travel to other worlds, alternate world/history, and myth. A comparison is made between male…