Latin Lessons for Young Americans: Isabel Allende's Fiction for Children.

ALLENDE, Isabel, 1942-; CHILEAN women authors; CHILDREN'S literature; LA ciudad de las bestias (Book); MAGIC realism (Literature); FANTASY fiction; IMAGINATION; YOUNG adult literature; LATIN American literature

The article examines the work of Chilean author Isabel Allende. Allende, who is well known for her works in fiction, experimented with children's literature in 2002 with the publication of "La Ciudad de las Bestias." While the book is a departure from her traditional style of writing that includes feminism and sentimentality, it does touch upon her own version of the Latin American magical realism literary genre. It argues that as with most books of the genre, it is difficult to determine where young readers draw the line between fantasy and reality.