Fantastical Short Stories

A dragon of deepest winter cold; a golden key in search of a lock; a sea adventure of the highest sort in the most unlikely of places: these are our business. In this course we set out to prove that a tale need not be long to take us to far distant places and enchant our souls with longing.

As we read and discuss these six short stories, your child will delight in the fantastical and inhabit the soul of another. In these ways, they will be led to think more deeply about what it is to be human and what it means to make choices when living in a world of wonders.

We will read tales meant for young readers by George MacDonald, Kenneth Grahame, and more.

So send your child on this literary flight of fancy. From dragons to pirates, there is still much to see and many daring adventures to be tried, even if they take only an afternoon.

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Here are the texts we will read:

  • The Golden Key, George MacDonald
  • The Ice Dragon, George R. R. Martin
  • "The Finding of the Princess," Kenneth Grahame
  • "A Whisper of Blue," Ken Liu
  • "The White Cat," Madame Comtesse D'Aulnoy
  • "Farmer Giles of Ham," J. R. R. Tolkien
  • Participating in a course led by Dr. Junius Johnson is a wonderful journey of exploration, seeking hidden gems in unexpected places. It is an opportunity to learn to look deeper than the surface, both in reading and in the mundane of life. A delightful feast for the mind that lasts far beyond the actual banquet.

  • Junius Johnson's seminars discover wonder and pathos revealed in dragon stories down through the ages.

  • Why do you suppose dragons have possessed the imagination of writers and readers for most of our recorded history. Junius Johnson has come away from the dragons hoard with a few secrets to share. I found his treatment personally encouraging and a call to pick up my lance (or my pen), and join in the battle.