Children's fantasy is a subgenre offantasy literature intended for young readers.[1] It may also refer to fantasy read by children, regardless of the intended audience.[2]
The genre has roots in folk tales such asAesop's Fables that were not originally intended for children: before theVictorian era, fairytales were perceived as immoral and ill-suited for children's minds.[3][4] A market for children's fantasy was established in Britain in the 19th century,[5] leading to works such asLewis Carroll'sAlice in Wonderland andEdith Nesbit'sFive Children series;[6] the genre also developed in America, exemplified byL. Frank Baum'sThe Wonderful Wizard of Oz.[7] Of the authors of this period, Nesbit is commonly cited as the creator of modern children's fantasy.[8]
In the late 1990s,J. K. Rowling'sHarry Potter led to a commercial boom in the genre, reviving older authors' careers and spawning many imitators.[14][15] A concurrent success isPhilip Pullman'sHis Dark Materials, a darker, realistic fantasy that led to a corresponding trend in a new young adult market.[16][17]
The protagonists are usually children or teens who have unique abilities, gifts, possessions or even allies that allow them to face powerful adversaries.Harry Potter is a powerful young wizard, one of the children ofThe Dark Is Rising series is an immature Old One with magical abilities, and in theHis Dark Materials series the children have magical items and animal allies. The plot frequently incorporates abildungsroman.
In the earlier part of the 20th century,C. S. Lewis noted that fantasy was more accepted in juvenile literature, and therefore a writer interested in fantasy often wrote in it to find an audience.[18]
Dorota Terakowska:Lustro pana Grymsa (The Mirror of mister Gryms),Babci Brygidy szalona podróż po Krakowie (Grandma Brygida’s Mad Journey through Cracow),Władca Lewawu (The Ruler of Lewaw),Córka czarownic (Witches' Daughter),W krainie Kota (In The Land of the Cat),Samotność Bogów (The Loneliness of the Gods),Tam gdzie spadają anioły (Where the Angels Fall)
