Abstract
This review examines Schools of Magic: Learning in Children’s and Young Adult Fantasy Fiction, in which Megan H. Suttie argues that fantastic school narrative exists as a distinct subgenre requiring a holistic critical framework. Reading magical school texts simultaneously as school stories, fantasy narratives, and representations of educational institutions, Suttie demonstrates how such works present processes of ideological formation, social reproduction, and readerly critique. Through chapters focusing on J.K. Rowling's Harry Potter series, Patrick Rothfuss's Kingkiller Chronicle, Lev Grossman's Magicians trilogy, and Terry Pratchett's Tiffany Aching novels, Suttie illustrates the flexibility of her model across various fantasy texts. This review evaluates the strengths of Suttie's interdisciplinary methodology, specifically her consideration of educational theory and the "deep structures" of education, while also considering the implications of her selected texts, which extend beyond works typically categorized as children's or young adult literature. Ultimately, Schools of Magic is recognized as both a foundational contribution to the study of magical schooling in fantasy and a productive methodological intervention in conversations spanning fantasy studies, children's literature, and educational representation in fiction.
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