This is fun and unexpected...

I was checking one of my gmail accounts--the one that I rarely use; the one that has over five thousand messages--and something caught my attention right away. There's a site called Encountering Enchantment that focuses on speculative fiction (science fiction and fantasy to those unfamiliar with the term) for teens and tweens. Doesn't that sound like fun? Here is their list for 2007/2008. Annotated bibliographies of this list and the previous list, 2006/2007, are available to download.

The website also highlights a new book called ENCOUNTERING ENCHANTMENT: A GUIDE TO SPECULATIVE FICTION FOR TEENS. It's by Susan Fichtelberg. "A bibliography that explores fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal fiction for grades 6-12."

After Harry Potter, then what? This guide organizes by genre, subgenre, and theme some 1,400 titles of fantasy, science fiction, and paranormal titles, most published within the last decade. Chapters cover such subgenres as epic fantasy, wizardry, romance, and mystery. Annotations offer bibliographic information, brief plot summaries, reading levels, alternative media formats (including large print and Braille), and awards information. Author profiles and interviews, programming ideas, lists of "The Finest in the Realm" for each subgenre, and reproducible lists of Harry Potter read-alikes and "Girl Power" titles make this a versatile resource. Grades 6-12.

Maybe teachers and librarians are already aware of this one. Maybe it's already in their collections, but it looks like it would be a good resource to have on hand. Maybe even for those that homeschool and have kids that can't get enough books :) Or even for use on the college level for teaching children's literature classes. The possibilities are endless really.

I haven't seen the book personally. But I have explored the site...and it looks like it could be really good. The publisher of both books are Libraries Unlimited. And I seriously doubt I could get my hands on a review copy. But don't they look worthy of a mention???



Look what else they're advertising...

Fluent in Fantasy: The Next Generation

It's no secret that the fantasy genre has undergone a tremendous renaissance since the publication of the Harry Potter books, and the recent successes of the film versions of Lord of the Rings. Fantasy is one of the hottest genres going today, appealing to readers both young and old. This new guide focuses on titles that have come out of the recent publishing explosion in the fantasy arena. The authors organize and describe approximately 1,000 titles, most new to or newly described in this edition. A revised organization reflects the growth and trends in the genre, and all titles (except individual titles within series) are annotated.

© Becky Laney of Becky's Book Reviews

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