Imagination is the Key Ingredient

When I think about my favorite types of books to read, I have to admit that ones falling into the fantasy category are not the ones that immediately come to mind.

While reading Diana Mitchell’s book, Children’s Literature: An invitation to the world, I came across some really interesting information about fantasy books:

By providing literature that stretches the imagination, we can perhaps help children retain their curiosity, keeping their minds flexible so that they’ll be willing to stretch out and grab concepts that seem just out of reach.

Imagination is the key ingredient to this genre. By appealing to our imagination, fantasy can help …

• fuel hope
• deal with questions about the universe
• empower us to become what we wish to be
• learn about and understand people
• live vicariously and have special experiences
• reveal truths about life
• make life more interesting

By freeing the imagination. fantasy can help children face reality with more creativity and spontaneity of thought. Stimulating and unleashing the imagination is an important part of children’s education, and the use of fantasy can engage them in the very serious work of releasing the imagination.

Big Universe Learning has a Fairy Tales & Fantasy category containing over 100 books. That is a lot of potential to encourage imaginative thinking …

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