The Week Junior - USA (2021-11-12)

8

What do you think?

The big debate

The Week Junior • November 12, 2021

The goal of the big debate is to present two sides

of an issue fairly in order to stimulate discussion and

allow our readers to make up their minds. The views on

this page do not refl ect those of The Week Junior, and

the page is not funded by third parties.

Now that you’ve read a bit more about this issue, have a parent or guardian visit theweek

junior.com/polls with you so you can vote in our debate. Vote YES if you believe fantasy

fi ction is be er than realistic fi ction or NO if you don’t. We’ll publish the results next week.

Yes—fantasy fi ction helps people escape

From tales of Greek gods to ancient Babylonian

mythologies, fantasy fi ction dates back

thousands of years. Stories such as that of

Prometheus, who stole fi re from the gods to give

to humanity and endured a terrible punishment

for his crime, still grip readers today. A fantasy

fi ction book off ers readers an escape from the

real world and brings forward universal themes in

a thought-provoking way. The Lord of the Rings

series, for example, depicts a fantasy world full of

symbolism about what it means to be human

and allows readers to contemplate life from a

new perspective. They return a changed person.

LAST WEEK’S POLL

Last week we asked you if

schools should end award

assemblies. Many of you said

yes, but more

of you said

that award

ceremonies

should stay.

No—realistic fi ction helps people connect

Realistic fi ction inspires imagination just as much

as fantasy does but diff erently. It asks the reader to

picture someone else’s life and the world around

them. Readers can more easily relate to the world

inside a realistic fi ction book, recognizing themes

and problems familiar to them. They can also

empathize (understand another person’s feelings)

more easily with the characters. Empathy is a

valuable trait to have in life and a skill that reading

can help develop. Diving into books that depict a

convincing world allows readers to imagine

situations anyone could face. The books give an

alternate reality in which to address them.

Is fantasy fi ction bett er than realistic fi ction?

T

here are more than 2 million new books

published each year, and they fall into many

diff erent genres (types). One popular genre is

fantasy fi ction, and no wonder: Many readers

prefer to escape to another time and place. In

fact, three of the top-selling books of all time

are fantasy fi ction—Harry Potter and the

Sorcerer’s Stone, The Fellowship of the Ring, and

The Little Prince. Some people argue that

fantasy fi ction is clearly the better genre. Other

people, however, would rather put themselves

in a realistic character’s shoes and know their

thoughts and feelings. What do you think? Is

fantasy fi ction better than realistic fi ction?

O Fantasy fi ction is stories inspired by

an imaginary world. They can include

mythical or supernatural creatures,

like hobbits and aliens, and occur in a

time and place far away from reality.

O Realistic fi ction refers to stories that

could happen in the real world.

O Famous fantasy novels include The

Lord of the Rings series by J.R.R.

Tolkien and the Harry Potter books by

J.K. Rowling. Realistic fi ction includes

Je Kinney’s Diary of a Wimpy Kid

series and Holes by Louis Sachar.

What you need to know

Books can bring you to an imaginary world

or tell a story that could really happen.

1

Reality is what helps the reader connect

to characters and feel empathy for them.

2

Realistic fi ction asks questions readers

can relate to and demonstrates how to

deal with many types of real problems.

3

Although they’re more realistic, these

books still ask readers to imagine a

world that’s di erent from their own.

Three reasons why fantasy fi ction is

be er than realistic fi ction

Three reasons why fantasy fi ction is

YES NO not be er than realistic fi ction

BOOKS: COURTESY OF THE PUBLISHERS

1

Fantasy dates back thousands of years

and tells stories about universal themes

throughout human history.

2

Readers can exercise their imaginations

much more in fantasy novels, which can

expand their minds.

3

Reading fantasy novels is a great way to

escape day-to-day life.

DID YOU

KNOW?

Powell’s, in Portland, Oregon,

is the largest bookstore in the

US. It carries more than

one million books. Realistic

fi ction

Fantasy

fi ction

XX%

NO

5%

56%

44% NO

YES