Jayden’s Rescue. Toronto: Scholastic Canada, 2002.

ln my two-part article on the legacy of ancient Egyptian fantastic stories, published in this journal, I have summarized the "Story of the Doomed Prince," noting that it has obvious resemblances to familiar folk-or fairy-tales. I have also discussed various approaches that scholars have taken to the observed similarities among such stories.

Celt: A journal of Culture, English Language Teaching and Literature, 2018

Monsters have always been a part of children fictional tales, representing the evil side of nature. They are the reason why heroes and heroines struggle to fight against, but at the same time they balance the whole realm, existing side by side with the heroes. There have been numerous children stories which depict the monsters as the villains, but they have rarely done so in portraying monsters as the wronged ones. In Holly Black’s Valiant (2005), the troll character named Ravus is presented as an outcast, a banished figure from his folk because of a misjudged rumor in his former kingdom. Unlike others who constantly challenge and trap humans, Ravus becomes a scholar who loves to explore his alchemy. He helps other outlaws to secure their well-being and health, even teaching Valerie the protagonist with her sword practicing, rescuing her whenever possible and eventually falling for her. The study highlights a new perspective on monstrous identity in a young adult book, making a counterpoint in presenting a fact that monsters can also be portrayed as very human and gentle instead of rude and dangerous.

Two children are seen in interaction with fantasy series, specifically the Moomintrolls series (Jansson) and the Narnia ones (CS Lewis). Identification with characters Fantasy series existed long before J K Rowling borrowed from several genres to create

Proceedings of the 8th International Conference on Interaction Design and Children - IDC '09, 2009

Ubiquitous technologies offer new opportunities for digitally augmenting children's toys and play experiences. A key question is how augmented toy environments affect children's playful learning, and whether this differs from non-augmented play environments. This paper presents preliminary results of a user study we conducted to evaluate an augmented toy environment that we built -the Augmented Knights Castle -in terms of fun and storytelling, particularly when compared with an identical, non-augmented version. All sessions were observed, videorecorded and further feedback was elicited through small group interviews and questionnaires. Findings suggest ways in which digitally augmented play environments promote different kinds of activity from an equivalent non-augmented play environment.

Continuity in Education, 2021

The Magic Cape is a story born out of the initiative of the author, a primary school teacher, and other volunteers from the non-profit Compagnia del Mantello organization. The book tells the story of a wizard who discovers he has the power to transform the world into a better place. As such, together with his friends, he founds Chocolate Town. The book has become part of a two-pronged project involving mainstream students and children who are hospitalized, consisting of a series of interactive and communication activities, as follows: Mainstream children read the book using the materials provided, then the teacher invites the children to create their own stories. Finally, the stories are presented by volunteers to children in hospitals.

'The Magical Middle Ages in Children’s Fantasy Literature’, in The Enchantment of the Middle Ages, ed. Diane Purkiss and Carolyne Larrington. Oxford: Bodleian Library, 2013, pp. 81-112

Elven abductions, soul retrievals, ghostly visitations and romances with the ‘Monstrous’ or ‘Exotic Other’ have long been the special fare of folklore and fairytales. For fairytales to perform their ancient role of subverting stale power structures or re-invigorating the status quo, they must be deeply and profoundly liberating, shifting the ground of social perceptions, beliefs and assumptions. This makes fairytales subtly, if powerfully, subversive, and for this reason our ‘rational’ cultural paradigm has long held them in an ambivalent esteem, combined of such conflicting responses as awe and distrust, respect and a scoffing dismissal. Yet fairytales are fallen myths and still carry the charge of spiritual transformation and evolutionary change -- as well as the almost religious awe that surrounds those things we secretly suspect have the potential to truly change us and transform our lives. Popular contemporary novelists like Isabelle Allende, Salman Rushdie, Jeanette Winterson, Paulo Coelho and Neil Gaiman work in the literary genre dubbed ‘Magical Realism’ or ‘Fantasy Realism’ and the late Angela Carter put great stock in traditional Fairytale plots, characterizations and themes. Fairytales will never die because we need them -- as much as we need the Wise Fool or the Sacred Victim, the Hero’s Journey and storytelling’s function of psychological and spiritual renewal.

Arthuriana, 2019