So, for the fantasy lovers in this course who've talked about Narnia, Lloyd Alexander, Wrinkle in Time, and others, here's a newer fantasy novel that builds on the best of the classics.
In Graceling, Cashore has created a feudal world with an interesting infusion of magic. Some people in this world are born with a grace which is an extreme, magical talent. The main character’s grace is fighting and killing people. She was fostered to her uncle, the local overlord, who used her as a bully to keep the peasants and farmers in line. The crux of the story begins when she escapes her uncle’s influence and begins to establish her own identity, including how she will use her grace for good, rather than for bullying. I particularly enjoyed this YA novel because of the ways in which the main character works to disrupt the cultural gender stereotypes in her world. While I read this book for my own reading pleasure, not because I can use it in my elementary teaching context, I believe that middle and high school readers would relate to the teen characters in the book. Likewise, adults who enjoy YA fantasy will also enjoy it!
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