Yes, The Child Knows Best

It is only after our class period today that I was able to pinpoint why Leguin’s A Wizard of Earthsea did not win me over. I have come to realize that I am not fully able to transport back and forth from a child’s mindset and my current reading level of a college student along with an inability to connect with a 1960s high fantasy novel in comparison with more recent high fantasy renditions. Obviously, the comparison with Harry Potter was hard to disregard while following Ged’s journey after entering the wizard world and the unexpected trials and tribulations he endures with the magical journey of Harry Potter and his time at Hogwarts.


I have to be honest, right after I finished reading, I put the book on my bedside table and stayed in bed for a good ten minutes just thinking about the text. What was missing? Why was I consciously aware of the fact that I was never truly pulled in? What would children of today think? The last question really came into play during my overall reflection and I was glad to see it addressed today in class. Sarah’s conviction of Ged as a hero she didn’t really like because he really only cared about himself gave just one insightful opinion that reassured my own feelings of uneasiness with the book. While some may argue that Ged is the perfect example of a high fantasy hero, I stand by a child’s innocent insight as I believe it may be the most telling of all.

Hello! My name is Andrea Edmundson and I am currently a Junior English/History double major here at TCU. I have one older brother (Philip, 23) and one younger sister (Caroline, 15). I was born and raised in Houston, Texas and thoroughly enjoy the hot summers we experience living by the pool and spending time outdoors.

I would have to say that my favorite children's book would be E.B. White's The Trumpet of the Swan. Growing up with an older brother, my book collection was always filled of books he had read and passed down to me. The book took on an important role in bringing the then four members of my family (my sister was yet to arrive) closer together through family reading of the book. We even ventured to purchase the book on tape to listen to and take with us as we embarked on the two day drive from Houston to Colorado for vacation during many summers. It was not only the characters that were brought to life through voice that made the book a personal favorite as it was the fact my family spent time enjoying it all together.