Before I sat down to write this essay I had a short argument with myself. Part of me wanted to be diplomatic and consider the opinions of people who would be radically opposed to my own, to possibly soften my opinions in an effort not to offend their sensibilities. Then I realized I hated that part of me, squashed it, and here I am. Quite simply: fantasy books are the best type for children.
The first book I ever read as a child was a fantasy book. Before I started reading I would just have my relatives buy me books based on the covers. The covers I found most appealing would show a tall hooded man leading elven looking people across mountains or otherwise dangerous terrain. Adventure leapt out from those covers and so they were the ones I chose.
One day I was grounded with no reprieve. After exhausting all other possibilities my mind turned to the notion of actually reading these books. I started to read them and was pulled in immediately. These were the original Shannara trilogy by Terry Brooks.
I had no inkling of the debates I would read when older discussing whether or not he stole elements of his novels from Lord of the Rings, none of the hateful rhetoric spewed out on so many Internet pages as if further driven to discredit his work by the fact that it was so well done. No, there was just the story itself.
I think reading those books enhanced my imagination to a great degree. I view the imagination as a mental muscle that can be made more powerful with use. And no genre of book stretches the boundaries of the imagination nearly as well as fantasy.
Life can get so dull that when we encounter a piece of pure,unbridled imagination on display it can be like a shocking revelation. Why do things have to be realistic to be worthwhile? Why can't entertainment be something that makes us better people through catharsis and an increase in wonderment?
I think that after reading a good fantasy book one is prone to view this world through the same lens that anticipated so much wonder. The effect is that the beauty of this world is allowed to shine through, for even if fantasy books have wars that truly matter, characters that are larger than life, and magic, the sunset is just as beautiful here.
It is an obvious conclusion that enhanced imagination affects all mental faculties. Fantasy books also have the same benefits as any other form of reading, such as better communication skills, a larger vocabulary and a mastery of story structure.
I have heard some speeches against fantasy books that make me cringe. I remember seeing a woman railing against the Harry Potter books on the premise that they promote witchcraft, going into great detail about how hundreds of years ago all of the children would have been burned alive for such practices. I think there is a point where some people lose rational thought with regard to their spiritual beliefs and start to blur the line between fantasy and reality. The fact that these children might potentially get the same thrill she got form the Bible from these fictional stories horrified her and she lashed out. Or maybe she just took things way too seriously...
When contrasting the hateful words used to rail against fantasy books with the love and sense of adventure in which works of fantasy are written it is easy to see which would be more beneficial to a child. One of the reasons stories are so refreshing is because of the fact that they exist apart from ideology. The labels people place on each other fade away and your eyes become opened to the importance of character in the face of adversity. Stripped of hateful politics, judgmental opinions and pointless anger this world becomes a gorgeous place. I am of the opinion that the more times your child leaves this realm for fantasy the better equipped they will be to deal with life's sometimes harsh realities when they come back.