A study on the reception of magical realistic children's novels by secondary school students

Magical realism is a literary genre that integrates the ordinary and the extraordinary in a seamless and coherent manner, presenting fantastical elements through a realistic narrative framework in which the unbelievable is rendered believable. It portrays events and situations that are impossible to encounter in everyday life with a tone of naturalness and familiarity, allowing the extraordinary to be seen as an intrinsic part of reality. In this context, magical realism serves as a narrative approach through which children whose life experiences are limited and who may lack the linguistic tools to articulate complex emotions and thoughts can construct meaning via characters who encounter similar challenges and propose various resolutions. Events and emotional states that may not be accommodated in an easy way in a child's external reality are conveyed through a narrative style that resonates with the child's own understanding of the world. This study, structured within the framework of qualitative research methodology, aims to examine the reception processes of middle school students toward literary texts shaped by the conventions of magical realism. Data were collected through student journals and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis techniques. The study group consists of fourteen (14) middle school students. The central question of the research guiding the study is: "What are the defining characteristics of middle school student's reception and interpretation of literary texts constructed within the magical realist tradition?" The findings state that students show a strong interest in characters endowed with magical attributes and powers, often forming a sense of identification with these characters. They display particular attentiveness to extraordinary events presented as ordinary occurrences within the narrative, perceiving them as natural components of everyday life. Additionally, the data reveal that students experience a range of emotional responses including surprise, sadness, fear, and joy when engaging with magical events and circumstances. This emotional diversity is considered to foster emotional development and awareness. Furthermore, students express a desire to encounter magical-realist events in real life, particularly those emerging from characters supernatural capacities. In conclusion, it can be stated that works written in the style of magical realism address the cognitive and emotional development of children by reducing them to life's complexities without undermining their imaginative faculties. These works foster a balanced engagement with both fantasy and reality, enabling children to develop a heightened sensitivity toward real life issues while preserving their inner imaginative worlds.