March 2023 SOLC–Day 2
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We were gathered at the rug in the midst of a discussion about types of fiction: specifically, realistic fiction, fantasy, and fables. (Oh, my.) We were looking at a couple of books and trying to decide which category they fit into. Some of them were a bit tricky. At this particular moment we were focused on fantasy.

T raised his hand, “Well, if a book has talking animals, it would be fantasy. Because in the real world animals don’t talk.”

Several students nodded in agreement or signaled that they had had the same thought.

“What about Mercy Watson?” V asked. “She doesn’t talk, but she sleeps in a bed and dreams of toast.”

“Is Fly Guy fantasy or realistic fiction?” M piped up. “He mostly just says ‘Buzzz’.”

S’s hand popped up, waving wildly, and he simultaneously blurted, “Well, some animals talk. Parrots talk.”

“Well, that’s true, ” I began, but S kept right on going. He was clearly determined to prove his point.

“Parrots do talk,” he repeated.

Lowering his hand, he tapped X, who was sitting next to him, on the shoulder.

“Do you want to be a parrot?” S asked him with great enthusiasm.

X, who clearly had not been followed the conversation, jerked to a more alert state and peered at S.

“Huh?” He looked like a confused chick with his sleepy eyes and tousled downy hair.

“Do you want to be a parrot?” S repeated.

“Oh, OK,” X answered promptly. (He clearly had no idea what was going on, but was game.)

“OK,” said S He prepared himself, shifting on the rug, sitting up straighter and looking straight at X.

“Hello,” he said clearly in his best parrot voice (which sounded uncannily like his regular voice).

“Hello,” replied X in a similar fashion.

“See,” declared S triumphantly, looking around at the class with a satisfied grin.

And he rested his case.