Bestselling fantasy author Brandon Mull has a new release Dragonwatch, Book 2: Wrath of the Dragon King. Entertainment Weekly revealed an excerpt: check it out! Mull’s bestselling Fablehaven series [the prequel series to Dragonwatch] is often recommended for readers who enjoy Harry Potter.
I had a chance to interview Brandon Mull about the role of fantasy literature.
How can fantasy stories encourage reluctant readers to finish books?
Fantasy stories are grand enough to compete with and sometimes eclipse the storytelling on television and in movies. We saw Harry Potter do it. I get to see my books accomplish that mission as well. As I travel the country on book tour, I have had hundreds of readers tell me my books were their gateway to literacy. As a kid, the Narnia books most influenced my love of reading.
The peril in fantasy books can be a great way to keep a reader curious through the end. And when a reader gets hooked on a series, they not only tend to finish the book they are reading, but chances are good they will pick up another.
What is so appealing about dragons and fantasy themes?
One big appeal of fantasy for young readers is that they can see kids accomplishing great things—fighting monsters and overcoming evil in ways that feel empowering. I also believe that stories full of magic, monsters, treasures and the like stretch our imaginations in ways that enrich our inner life. A mind stretched by new ideas never returns to its original dimensions.
What positive messages can kids learn from fantasy stories?
Kind of like how impressionist art lets us see the world around us in new ways, fantasy stories allow us to look at real world issues from a safe distance. My books explore issues like what it takes to be a hero, good versus evil, choice and consequence, the value of integrity, the importance of friendship, and many other topics that apply to real life. Reading fantasy together as a family can spark discussions of real life principles using the story as a shared context. I even put questions in the back of my Fablehaven books to help prompt those discussions.
The next book to the bestselling Dragonwatch series introduces powerful new talisman, as draconic dominion threatens to overtake Earth. Dragonwatch, Book 2: Wrath of the Dragon King brings readers back to the hidden dragon sanctuary of Wyrmroost, where turmoil is already on the horizon for its inhabitants. The dragons have officially declared war on humans, after suffering a humiliating defeat at the hands of heroic protagonists Kendra and Seth. Now, two of the seven dragon sanctuaries have fallen… and Wyrmroost has become the third target.
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