We read a story as a class called Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse. It is considered fantasy because it involves the use of personified animals. What made this novel believable, was the relatability of the main character, Lily, a mouse who loves school and her teacher, but lacks the patience to wait until the appropriate time to show off her new possessions. I think everyone can relate to the feeling of not wanting to wait to share something.
Later in the class, we had to get into groups and analyze a children's book, and then make a language chart, based on the standards of fantasy literature. The book my group chose was titled The Adventures of Beekle, The Unimaginary Friend.
I really loved this story. I thought it was the cutest thing. We determined that the book could be classified as "low fantasy." This means that it has "nontraditional events that occur without explanation in the real world." I think what made this book believable was Beekle's feelings, as well as the fact that many of us as children actually had an imaginary friend.
We also had a literature circle today on The True Blue Scouts of Sugarland Swamp. My group and I discussed our wonderings about the novel. My wondering was if the ivory billed woodpecker mentioned in the book was a real bird. I researched and found out that it was indeed. I really liked our discussion because it gave me other perspectives on the book. For instance, one person in my group wondered if the author of the book got her inspiration for the Sugar Man from a real life legend of the Honey Island Swamp Monster. Overall, I enjoy our group discussions as they allow me to see different aspects of the novel in different points of view.