FANTASY LITERATURE OPENS DOOR TO TEACH LIFE LESSONS, SAYS HOUGHTON PROFESSOR

Dr. Dan Woolsey, an expert in children's literature, says books such as Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings open doors for parents and teachers to discuss life lessons with children.

HOUGHTON, N.Y. -- He may be a college professor with a Ph.D., but Dan Woolseys idea of intellectual reading is following the adventures of the young wizard Harry Potter or diving into Wonderland after the inquisitive Alice.

The genre of childrens fantasy literature has seen a resurgence of late, with the popularity of J.K. Rowlings Potter" series and the renewed interest in J.R.R. Tolkiens Lord of the Rings." This delights Woolsey, an education professor at Houghton College, who remembers growing up with Winnie the Pooh, Stuart Little, the Narnia Chronicles, and other fantastical stories.

What attracts children and adults alike is the otherness of it," says Woolsey, whose fascination with the genre has grown as hes gotten older. Fantasy is rooted in our dreams, our wishes. We always wanted to fly, so Harry Potter swooping down on his broomstick is wish fulfillment."

Woolsey, who recently contributed a chapter on fantasy literature for the book Adventuring with Books: A Booklist for Pre-K to Grade 6," says that these stories are more than just a form of escapism for children. Fantasy is where the writer is most able to talk seriously about human life as it is lived and ought to be lived. It allows us to think deeply about how we should live," he says.

When you think about classic fantasy, its almost always about children making choices, the importance of loyalty and devotion to friends and a cause, the conflict between good and evil. We learn about the fellowship; no one in fantasy literature goes on a quest alone. Its a truth about life. Its almost a scriptural truth."

But those 'scriptural truths can cause problems, too, says Woolsey, who sees too many people looking for theological meaning in tales such as Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and even the Narnia Chronicles. If you try to find God in the Lord of the Rings, you wont be able to," cautions Woolsey. There is a benevolent deity and these stories are certainly moral pieces that give us insight into how to live a rich and moral life, but too much has been written in Christian circles about Lord of the Rings and Narnia being Christian stories.

Its a mistake to see these stories as attempting to portray Christian truth to readers. Because the authors were Christians, often the way they portray truth aligns with other Christian beliefs, but their stories are also drawn from myth and folklore, so there are other ideas there."

Conversely, Woolsey sees too many Christians hastily criticizing the Harry Potter books because they deal with witchcraft and spells. What I object to is parents who havent read these books and are calling them satanic. Its a mistake to see these books as some sort of handbook on the occult that will seduce children in occult practices," says Woolsey.

Perhaps the bigger question is not whether Harry Potter or any other book should be read, but how it should be read. Having these books in schools and in the home opens the door to discussing life and morality, says Woolsey, who encourages parents to read and discuss books with their children.

Parents should ask how is this story a model of goodness? What does it say about life and truth? In Harry Potter the whole story is about the redemptive power of love. Love is what protects Harry from Valdemort," says Woolsey. Its often unclear who the good guys are and who the bad guys are. Isnt that the way it is in our world? These are truths children need to know about."

Dan Woolsey has been active in the field of childrens literature, having served as both vice president and president of the Childrens Literature Assembly. He is also an active member of the National Council of Teachers of English. His recent in-service presentations in local schools include courses on Recently Published Childrens Books for the Elementary Child," Making Poetry Accessible and Enjoyable to Children," and a week-long focus on Reading Intervention."

Houghton, founded by The Wesleyan Church in 1883, provides an academically challenging, Christ-centered education in the liberal arts and sciences to students from diverse traditions and economic backgrounds and equips them to lead and labor as scholar-servants in a changing world.

The college of 1,300 students is located in Western New York, just 65 miles from Rochester and Buffalo.

In an effort to maintain a strong financial foundation and the means for continued educational invigoration, Houghton College has initiated a $48.5 million Campaign for Christian Liberal Arts at Houghton College to raise funds for endowment, facilities, and operating support.