Christian Message Boards: Children's Fantasy Stories?

This is topic Children's Fantasy Stories? in forum Polls Only at Christian Message Boards.

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Posted by Robby (Member # 448) on :

Which fantasy books would you encourage your child to read?

*Note--I tried to pick out stories which would be most recognizable and which were otherworldly, contained diverse characters, and had a magical element. I left one slot open for "other", if you feel there is a book that I left out. But don't think I didn't think about stories such as "Pinocchio", "Raggedy Ann and Andy", "Wind in the Willows", "Dr. Doolittle", "Winnie the Pooh", "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory", or even "The Pilgrim's Progress". You can pick up to 5 choices.

Posted by Shala (Member # 1675) on :

I chose Peter Pan, I do let my children watch it now. They love it..

Alice in Wonderland and Wizard of Oz but only when they are older and we can discuss it...I think they are kinda scary myself.

Most of them I havent read or know because I dont like much fantasy stuff [Big Grin]

The Never Ending Story is scary though LOL

Posted by Rach (Member # 1386) on :

Fantasy is important for the imagination to grow. The most important part is distinguishing between what is real and what isn't.

Posted by Waterdog (Member # 24) on :

No fair! I wanna pick more than 5! Lol [biglaugha]

Posted by phaze (Member # 1688) on :

The Bible has enough true stories that no fantasy books should be needed. And you don't have to question the moral of the Bible stories.

Posted by Rach (Member # 1386) on :

Books are a gateway to learning. Yes, there are plenty of stories in the Bible to learn from, but there are a few essentials we are missing here. First of all, most adolescents don’t find them very interesting, and don’t find they relate to their lives at all. The world has changed a lot, and kids are looking for something to relate to. They need reading material that helps them deal with today’s issues- i.e. peer pressure, drugs, making choices that did not exist in Christ’s time. The fundamentals may be the same, but transferring these ideals is too hard for kids. They are not mini- adults who can transfer lessons in their heads that easily. Most adults have trouble with that.

Whether you believe in reading fantasy books or not, they are a portal to a wealth of information, that most kids can relate to- and if monitored does send out a positive message in dealing with moral issues. If kids are taught from the beginning the difference between truth and fantasy, they should know the difference.

Kids are going to read what kids want to read, the real question is, what will they be truly prepared for?

Posted by digory (Member # 1711) on :

Personally, I think the Chronicles of Narnia are absolutely awesome! The same people that made Lord of the Rings movies are making Narnia movies as well. Promises to be cool.
Lots of folks have an issue with the harry potter vs. Narnia thing (fantasy).
One issue to look at is...who's under who's authority?
In the narnia series everything..EVERYTHING is under the authority of the good and terrible Lion, Aslan, son of the emperor from acoss the sea.
Who was Harry Potter's authority? Harry Potter.
There is a huge difference in the books. Trying to explain "authority" to an unsaved person is like trying to explain air to a fish. But all we can do is pray for them and share.

Posted by Daniel S (Member # 1714) on :

The Princess Bride (yes, the book) is a good one.
The book of Ruth is especially good for teenagers, too.